The Dickinson press., 1891-12-26

just starting in life enters a place OF
that kind where there are 10 young
men, all drilled in the infamous practi-
ces of the establishment. He is ready
to be taught. The young man has no
theory of commercial ethics. Where
is he to get his theory? He will get
his theory from his employers. One
day he pushes his wit little beyond
what the establishment demands of
him, and
HE FLEECEs A CUSTOMER
until the clerk is on the verge OF being
seized by the law. What is done in
the establishment? He isnot arraing-
ed. The head of the establishment
says to him: "Now be careful; be care
full, young man, you might be caught;
but really that was splendidly done;
you will get along in the world, l war
rant YOU" Then that man goes up
until he becomes head clerk. He has
found there Is a premium on iniquity.
One morning the employer
comes to the establishment. He
goes into his counting room
and throws up his hands and
shouts "Why, the safe has been rob-
bed!" What is the matter? Nothing
nothing, only the clerk who has been
practicing good while on his GUS
toners is practicing little on his en-
ployer. No new principle introduced
into that establishment. 1t is poor
rule that will not work both ways.
You must never steal unless you can
do it we'll. He did it well. l am not
talking an abstraction; l am talking
a terrible and crushing fact.
Now here is a young man. Look at
him today. Look at him five years
from now, after he has been under
trial in such an establishment. Here
he stands in the shop today, his
cheeks ruddy with the breath of the
hills. He unrolls the goods on the
counter. in gentlemanly style. He
commends them to the purchaser.
He points out all the good points in
the fabric.
HE EFFECTS THE SALE.
The goods are wrapped up, and he
dismisses the customer with acheerful
"good morning" and the country
merchant departs SO impressed with
the straight-forwardness of that
young man that he will come again
and again, every spring and every au-
tumn unless lnterferred with. The
young man has been now in that es.
tablishment five years. He unrolls
the goods on the counter. He says to
the customer, "now those are the best
goods we have in our establishment"
they have better on the next shelf. He
says: "We are selling these goods less
than COST" they are making 20 per
cent. He says:
GOD HAD RECORDED FIGHT LIES
-four lies against the young man,
four lies against his employer, for
undertake to say that the employer
is responsible for all the iniquities of
his clerks, and all the iniquities of
those who are clerks of these clerks,
down to the 10th generation, if those
employers inculcated iniquitous and
damning principles.
l stand beioreyoung men this morn
ing who are under this pressure. 1
say, come out of it. "Oh, say you, "I
have my widowed mother to support,
ana if man loses a situation now ne
don't get another one" l say, come
out of it. Go home to your mother
and say to her: Mother, can't stay
in that shop and be upright; what
shall do?" and if she is worthy of
you she will say, "Come out of it my
son-we will throw ourselves on Him
who promised to be the God of the
widow and the fatherless; he will
take care of u.s." And tell YOU no
young man ever permanently suffered
by such course OF conduct. In Phila-
delphia, in drug shop, ayoung man
said to his employer: "I want to
please you, really, and l am willing to
sell medicines on Sunday; but can't
sell this patent shoe blacking on Sun.
day" lowell" said thehead man, "you
willhav to do it or else you will have
to go away" The young man said:
81 can't do it; 1 am willing to sell
medicines, but not shoe bIacking."
"Well, then go! Go now" The young
man went away. The Lord looked
after him. The hundreds of thousands
of dollars he had won in this
world the smallest part of
his fortune God honored him. By
the course he took he saved his soul
as we'll as his fortunes in the future.
Young men, it is safe to do right. There
are
who, under this storm of temptation,
are striking deeper and deeper their
roots, and spreading out broader their
branches. They are Daniels in Baby
Ion, they are Josephs ih the Egyptian
court, they are Pluls amid the wild
beasts OF Ephesus. preach to encour-
age them. Lay hold of God and be
faithful.
There is q mistake we make about
young men. We put them in two
classes: The one class is moral, the
other is dissolute. The moral are
safe. The dissolute. cannot be re-
claimed. I deny both propositions.
The moral ore not sale unless they
have laid hold OF God, and the disso-
lutte may be reclaimed. ] suppose
there are self-righteous men in this
house who feel no need OF God, and
will not seek after him, and they will
go out in the world and they will be
tempted, and they will be flung down
by misfortune, and they will go down,
down, down, down, until some night
you will see them going home hooting,
raving, shouting blasphemy-going
home to their mother, going home to
their sister, going home to the young
companion to whom, only little
while ago, in the presence of a brilliant
assemblage, flashing lights and orange
blossoms, and censer swinging in the
air, they promised fidelity and purity,
and kindness perpetual. Oh! self
righteous man, without God you are
in peril. Seek after him today. Amid
the ten thousand temptations OF life
THERE IS NO SAFETY
for a man without God.