The National tribune., 1897-07-22
NATIONAL PULPIT.
The Rev. T. De Witt Talmage
Addresses the Clerks.

Hosts of Workers in Stores, Offices, and
Factories Given Practical Advice by the
Famous Preacher.
Texts-Acts, Is: IA: "And a certain acoman
named Lydia, seller of purple, Of the city Of
7hyatira, mhich rorshiped God, heard us:
ichose heart the Lord opened" Prov, % %:
Seest thou a man diiigeat an his basiaessa he
shall stand before kings"
The first passage introduces to you
Lydia, Christian merchantess. Her busl-
ness is to deal in purple cloths or silks. She
is not a giggling nonentity, but practical
woman, not ashamed to work for her living.
All the other women of Philippi and Thya-
tira have been forgotten; but God has made
immortal in our text Lydia, the Christian
saieswoman. The other text shows you
man with head, and hand, and heart, and
foot all busy toiiing on up until he gains
prncely success. Seest thou man dill
gent in his business? he shall stand before
kings"
In the first place, counsel clerks to re-
member that for the most part their clerk
ship is only school from which they are to
be graduated 1t takes about eight years to
get into one of the learned professions. 1t
takes about eight years to get to be mer-
chant. Some of you viii be clerks all your
lives, but the vast majority of You are only
in transient position.
After while, 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 well by us: we are going to
do well by you. We invite You to have an
interest in our concern" You will bow to
that edict very gracefully. Getting into
street car to go home an old comrade will
meet you, and say: !" What makes you look
so happy tonight ?" oh" You will say,
nothing, nothing" But in few days
your name will blossom On the sign. Either
in some other store or bank, you will take
a higher position than that which you now
occupy.
Be, therefore. patient aud diligent in this
| transient position.
WoMAA's TINE AT HAND.
But you say will the womanly clerks
| in our stores have promotion?" Yes. Time
! is coming when women will be as we'll PAID
| for their toll in meIcantile circles as men are
| now paid for their toll. Time is coming
| thing she can do well.
1t is only little while ago when women
knew nothing Of ielegraphy, and they were
kept out of great many commercial circles
where they are now welcome; aud the time
will go on un il The woman who at one
counter in store sells So, Gt0 worth of coads
in year, will get as high q salary as the
| man who at the other counter OF the same
store sells $4,000 worth of goods. All homer
to Lydia, the Christian SaleswomaD.
The second counsel have to give 10 clerks
is that you seek cut what are The lawful
regulations of your establishment, and then
submit to them. Every well-ordered house
has its usages. In mill airy life, on ships
deck, in commercial life, there must be order
and discipline. Those people who do not
learn how to obey will never know how to
command. will tell yen what young man
will make ruin, financial and moral; it Is
the young man who ti,rusis his thumb into
his vest ard says: Nobody shall dictate 10
me. am my own master; will not submit
to the regulations of this house." Between
an establishment in which all the mployes
are under thorough discipline and the esiab-
ishment in which the employees do about as
they choose, is the difference between sue
cess and failure-between rapid aicumula-
tion and utter bankruptcy. Do Tot come 10
the store 10 mimi es after lime. BE there
within two seconds, and let il be two sec
oids before instead OF two seconds after.
Do not think anything too Insignificant to
do we'll. Do not say: las only just o=ce."
From the most important transaction in
commerce down to the particular style in
which you tie a string around a bundle obey
orders. Do not get easily Disputed. While
hos in frof
complain, you GO with ready hands, and
| cheerful face, and con,ented spirit 10 your
| work. When The bugle sounds, the good
| soldier asks no questions, but shoulders his
knal sack. fills his canteen aud Listens Tor the
command OF March! /"
| DO not get the idea that your interests
| and those OF your employer ME antagonistic.
Has snccess will he your honor. His en-
| barrassment will be your dismay. Expose
none OF the frailtiss Of the firm. Tell no
store secrets Do net blab. Rebuff those
persons vino come TO end out from clerks
what ought never to be known outside the
store. DO not be among those yonng men
| who take on u mysterious air when some
thing is sad against the firm that employs
them, as much rs to say: :" / conld tell you
something il / would, but / won't" Do
not be among those who imagine they eau
build themselves up by pulling somebody
else down. BE not ashamed To be a SUBJ
altein.
RESIST DISHONEST DEMANDS.
again, counsel clerks TO search out what
are the unlawful aud dishonest demands OF
an establishment, and resist them. In the
| 5000 years that have passed there has never
| been an occasion when it was ones duty to
sin against Goa. II is never right to du
wrong. ii the head men Of the firm expect
OF you dishonesty, dissppoint them.
oh" you say, Il should lose my place
then" Better lose your place than lose
your SOU. But yon will not lose youl
place. Christian heroism is always honored
You go to the head man OF your store and
say:
Sir, l want to serve you; want to
obiige you; il is from no lack OF industry
OH my part; but this thing seems to ne to
be wrong, and it is a sin against my con-
science, it is a sin against God, and l beg
you, sir, TO excuse me-"
He may flush up and swear, but he will
cool down, and he will have more admira.
ton for you than for those who submit to
his evil diciations; aud while they sink you
will rise. Do not, because Of seeming tenn
porary advantage. give up your character
young man. Under Cad, that is the only
thing you have to build on. Give up that
you give up everything
That employer asks young man to hur;
| hg,nSalf for ti,pa and for at N ey,