The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-12

I.
cent. fifty pei cent. or ninety-nine per
cert.--they cannot pay you enough to
make IL wCik while 10 ruin your own
soul.
And then your eYenngs-your idle
nights-what of them? Tell me where
man passes his time after supper and
VIII tell you his worldly prospects and
Will tell you where he VII spend his
eternity. That room in the hotel may be
dreary and confortless. know. brother
but IL may be the best place for you.
You can pass there hours proftably In
reading: you can write a letter TO the
dear ones at home. II you must have
society it Is better TO go to the church
than TO the club; to the Y. VI. c. A. than
- the theatre. There are other places
10 which you might go. You are far
away from home mother. sister, wife,
sweetheart will not know Of it, Com
mcrcial travellers have sometimes gone
into these evil places. but they have
never come out OF them the same men.
The hot curse Of God has been on them
and conscience has dashed them with the
stngs Of scorpions. How often and how
earnestly you need 10 pray TO. Him who
alone can preserve you from these grave
moral dangers: Lead us net into tempta-
ton, but deliver US from evil
THE CALLING CoUNsELLED.
Commercial travelling. in my judgment,
has its bright side. II is a school Of use
ful knowledge. Business introduces
drummer to the university of America,
wherein he may acquire wonderful
mass of information. Seven years are
necessary 10 fit a student for the min
istry-iour years in college and three
years in q theological seminary. Seven
years are required TO qualify a student
10 practice medicine; seven years are the
time demanded to prepare young man
for the law. Now, give any bright young
business man seven years ION the road
and at the end OF that time you VIII be
surprised at the vastness and variety OF
his knowledge. He may not study many
books nor handle grammars and leXicons'
but he will come, through his occupa-
ton. TO understand the great questions
Of finance and commerce. of politics and
geography, Of law and morals. He will
understand human nature. He will know
more Of men-hoW TO meet them, how 10
influence them, control them and organize
them than any scYen-years' student OF
law medicine or divinity. Give the
drummer seven years on the road and, IN
many instances, he viii retire as partner
IN some large business house, and his
influence in the community as a man of
broad intelligence win be powerful and
persuasive.
Commercial travelling is a school of
character. Manhood comes out ION the
road" IL is a school TO cultivate energy
and industry Il is a school to cultivate
patience Men who become petulant and
angry and choerlc and cross and sour
and queer lose their customers. DISPOSE
tion a good disposition, is capital You
may squander that capital by impatience,
by quick retorts and sarcastic filings. or
you may increase il by gentle behavior
towards lmmannerly customers. "The
road" is d school OF integrity. No man
knows what he viii do until ne Is
tempted. There are thousands Of men
who have kept their integrity merely be-
cause they have never been tested If a
man is disposed to be dishonest oppor-
tunites will occur for him to indulge his
sin. If man can leave 1.-The road,
therefore, after long years OF travel and
say, In all the sales | have ever made
/ have never msstated the value of
goods, in all the sales ] have ever made
j have never covered up an imperfecuon
i'm the goods. of all the thousands of dol
lars / have ever handled l have never
taken one dishorost cent" he has grad
uatod i'm business integrity. What if he
has not made a fortune; what If he has
actually failed in business? He mas lived
and VIII die at last an honest man, which
is the noblest work OF God"
Commercial travelling may be a school
of human brotherhood. Drummer5 have
many opportunities of showing kindness
10 one another. and many Of them seldom
miss am opportunity Cooperation is bet
ter than competition Economic society
is asking the question. "What must ! DO
10 bc sayed?' The answer comes from
the Great Teacher, Love thy neighbOr
a. thysclf' The old political economy
was the applied science of selhshness,
the now political economy is the applied
science Of love. "The attraction of mat
fer 10 matter" another has said, lis
eravitaHon; the attraction Of soul 10 soul
is love" As gravity binds all the heay-
ouly bodies in families, communities.
States and nations. circling around one
common and ultimate centre, so love IS
the attracting ana harmOniZing principle
of the commercial universe. Competition
lis war, cooperation IS peace. competition
COrrupts, cooperation ennObles by bring
ing out the better elements of human
nature.
Commercial travelling is school Of
patriotism. DrUmmers have wonderful
chances for building up a city When
some one asked what explained the mar
yellous development OF the city in a State
to the south of us the answer came,
Three cause.-the newspapers, the rail-
roads. the drummers. The reputation of
your city. wien you travel, is i'm your
hands You ca enhance Il or defame IL;
YOU can talk it ~ or talk il down; you
attract population to it or you keep 1t
away And so / counsel you to learn the
lessons God teaches you in your great
business college, that you may be blest
and a blessing to others.
THE CALLING COMNINDED.
Some OF the best men whom l have
ever known have been commercial tray
ellers. Their calling was help and not
"a hindrance TO the exercise of their re-
ucion. one drummer Of this number
founded a church in little town III
Florida. lie was stopping there one sun
day, and was surprised and disappointed
that there was no church He visited
until ne found and got together enough
people TO agree 10 organize one, and then
he appointed himself a committee of one
to raise the money for building.
Wherever he went he was picking mp
small sums, till at last he secured enough
to erect suitable house OF worship.
Travelling on business enabled him TO be
It collector for Gcd as we'll. one OF the
most heartsome letters ] ever received
came two winters ago from three mem
bers of this Richmond Association IL
told simply this story: Three kichmond
drummers were seated together by cosy
fire In q North Carolina hotel. The nlght
outside was bitterly cold. The CONNER
cial men were led to think ana talk OF
home As they gratefully appreciated
their blessings OF shelter warmth and
comfort, their hearts went out towards