Connecticut western news., 1897-07-22
BEHIND THE COUNTER
REV. DR. TALMAGE TO SALESMEN AND SALESWOMEN.

REV. DR. TALMAGE TO SALESMEN AND
 SALESWOMEN.
 He Would Inspire Them With a Healthy
 Ambition and Allay Many of Their An
 noyances Some Practical Advice and
 Eloquent Exhortation.
 WASHINGTON, July 18.--This sermon of Dr. Talmage, addressed to the great bost of clerks in stores and offices and factories, will inspire such persons with healthful ambition and allay many of their annoyances. Text, Acts xvi, IA, And certain woman named Lydia, seller of purple. of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened." Proverbs xxi, 29, "Seest thou a man diligent in his business! He shall stand before kings. D
 The first passage introduces to you, Lydia . Christian merchant tess deT hn6inessin to daAl in purple a,,Ssink or ss| ss ss4s < :: ;is; ;is; I Faeglipg noAsptity. k&& &t}t6ti @dtnhH, not eashamed to work for her living. All the other wo- men of Philippi and Thyatira have been forgotten, but God has made immortal in our text Lydia, the Christian sales woman. The other text shows you man with head and hand and heart and foot all busy toiling on up until he gains princely success. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings.''
 Great encouragement in these two passages for men and women who will be busy, but no solace for those who are waiting for good luck to show them, at the foot of the rainbow. casket of buried gold. It is folly for anybody in this world to wait for something to turn up. It will turn down. The law of thrift is as memorable as the law of the tides Fortune, the magician, may wave her wand in that direction until castles and palaces come, but she will after awhile invert the same wand, and all the splendors will vanish into thin air.
 There are certain styles of behavior which lead to usefulness, honor and permanent success, and there are cer- tain styles of behavior which lead to dust, dishonor and moral default. l would like to fire the ambition of young people. have no sympathy with those who would prepare young folks for life by whittling down their expectations. That man or woman will be worth noth- ing to church or state who begins life oowed down. The business of Christian ity is not to quench but to direct human ambition. Therefore it is that utter words of encouragement to those who are occupied as clerks in the stores and shops and banking houses of the coun- try. They are not an exceptional class. They belong to great company of tens of -thousads who are in this country, amid circumstances which will either make or break them for time and for eternity. Many of these people have al ready achieved Christian manliness and Christian womanliness which will be their passport to any position. I have seen their trials. have watched their perplexities. There are evils abroad which need to be hunted down and dragged out into the monday light.
 Patience and Diligence.
 ] In the first place, I counsel clerks to remember that for the most part their clerkship is only school from which they are to be graduated. It takes about eight years to get into one of the learn ed professions. It takes about eight years to get to be merchant Some of you will be clerks all your lives, but the vast majority of you are only in a transient position. After awhile, some December day, the head men of the firm will call you into the back office. and they will say to you: "Now, you have done we'll by us, we are going to do we'll by you. We invite you to have an interest in our concern" You will bow to that edict very gracefully. Get ting into street car to go home, an old comrade will meet you and say, "What makes you look so happy to- night?" "Oh," you will say, moth ing, nothing" But in few days your name will blossom on the sign. Either in the store or bank where you are now, or in some other store or bank, you will take higher position than that which you now occupy. So I feel am now addressing people who will yet have their hand on the helm of the world s commerce and you will turn 1t this way or that. Now clerks, but to be bankers, importers, insurance company directors, shippers, contractors, superintendents of railroads-your voice mighty Ion 'Change" foremost in the great financial and religious enterprises of the day. For, though we who are in the professions may, on the platform, plead for the philanthropies, after all, the merchants must come forward with their millions to sustain the movement.
 Be therefore patient and diligent in this transient position. You are now where you can learn things you can never learn in any other place. What you consider your disadvantages are your grand opportunity. You see an affluent father some day come down 8 prominent street with his sou who has just graduated from the university and establishing him in business, putting $50, 900 of capital in the store. We'll, you ar9 envious. You say: "Oh, if only had chance like that young man If only had father to put $50, GOO in business for me, then I would have some chance ill the world. Be not en- vious. You have advantages over that young man which he has not over you. As we'll might l come down to the docks when vessel is about to sail foI Valparaiso and say, "Let me pilot this ship out to sea-. Why, would sinh crew and cargo before I got out of the harbor simply because I know nothing
 
 put their sons before the mast for tht reason that they know it is the only place where they can learn to be sue cessful sailors. It is only under dril that people get to understand pilotagt
 and navigation, and want you to un
 derstand that it takes no moro skill tc conduct vessel out of harbor ant across the sea than to steer a commer cial establishment clear of the rocks
 You see every day the folly of people