Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-14
HIS SOUL ABOVE PROFITS.
How . Harlem Grocer's Heart 10 Bound q,
In His Milk.

How Harlem Grocer's Heart 10 Bound Up
in His MIX.
There is a little retail grocer up in Harlem,
says the New York Herald, whose artistic soul
rises above the low monetary notions that rule
TOO many poets, painters and sta tesmen.
A friend Of mine moved up there the other
day and happened to fall into his hands. The
experience cost her something, for his great
soul did not take itself out in furnishing her
goods below the market price, but in quite
other ways not so convenient to customers.
But then she has learned something of human
nature, and above all of grocers nature, and
though not great soul herself she is respect
full enough to such to be content
In the beginning she ordered various thiogs,
but not milk. from him. Then one day when
said:
Why don't you buy my milk? 1t is the best
mix on Columbus avenue, not to say on Man
years, more or less q don't pretend to be accu-
rate on fgures). It's better than it is in them
nasty bottles. Everybody thinks it is 30 nice,
and it is cheaper"
After more of this sort of eloquence, being a
yielding and impressionable soul, she agreed to
try his milk. A week passed serenely by and
then once more, Saturday having come around
and a bill being due. she hied her to where his
majesty was giving audience to his favored Gus
toners.
It was evident at once that he was not pleased
with her.
Your bill is very small this week." he said in
the tone of police justice.
She alphabetically replied that she was sorry
She really felt guilty for the time being at the
recollection that as she had learned more of the
neighbor's resources she had let herself loose
and boughta cabbage here and a pound of
starch there; but then she recalled the lectures
that would be read her at home if she weakened
on the plans she had announced before coming
out. So she broke the news that she was
going to stop the milk; it turned sour too
quickly.
The grocer was like st. Paul in having but
mean presence but now he, too, lowered above
his natural land you may say professionally dis
advantages in the majesty Of q Just indigna-
ton.
Il can't allow you to say that" he declared.
Il can't allow any one to say that my milk
turns sour. must say to you that you are
mistaken, wholly mistaken. What you keep
it in is not clean; it is not clean-thats it,
My friend tremblingly admitted everything
that the milk never turned sour, and that when
it did il was because her pans and buckets were
not clean-but still she contended that the
force of the hallucination was such that, as she
was not professional mind curist she would
have to yield to it and betake herself to milk
about which she had no such victimizing delu-
sions.
Then she paid her bill and left list of things
she wanted sent and took her departure.
The grocer spoke no word. 1t now appears
that his feelings were too deep for utterance.
The things" did not come. The next morn
ing she sent for them and some more, a couple
of dollars worth.
To the maid the grocer found himself able
to unload his bosom of the perilous stuff that
had made him dumb the day before. He would
not send anything. Not pennys worth from
his place would that-that ''lady' (scornful
emphasis) ever see again. She had said his
milk turned sour, and that was something he
could not get over. 1t showed she was the
sort of person he didn't want no dealings
with whatever"
Who says now that commerce can ever de-
stroy the nobler self-sacrifcing ideal side of
human nature2