Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-08-21

idlers in the cause of Christ and for
more Christian workers, men who shall
take the same energy that from Mon
day morning to Saturday night they
put forth for the achievement Of a
livelihood or the gathering Of a for
tune and on Sabbath days put it forth
to the advantage of Christ's kingdom
and the Ninging Of men to the Lord.
DR.. Duff visited a man who had in
herited a great fortune. The man said
to him: II had to be very busy for
many years of my life getting my live
lihood. After awhile this fortune came
to me and there has been no necessity
that I toll since. There came a time
when I said to myself, Shall l now re-
tire from business, or shall go on and
serve the Lord in my worldly occupa-
tionY" He said: Il resolved on the
latter, and l have been more indus
trious in commercial circles than I ever
was before, and since that hour 1 have
never kept a farthing for myself. l
have thought it to be great shame if
1 couldn't toll as hard for the Lord as
1 had toiled for myself, and all the
products of my factories and my COM
mercial establishments to the last
farthing have gone for the building Of
Christian institutions and supporting
the church of God" Would that the
same energy put forth for the world
could be put forth for God. Would
that a thousand men in these great
cities who have achieved a fortune
could see it their duty now to do all
business for Christ and the allevia-
ton of the worlds suffering!
Again, I remark that business life is
a school of patience. In your every
day life how many things to annoy and
to disquiet? Bargains will rub. Com
mercial men will sometimes fail to
meet their engagements. Cash book
and money drawer will sometimes
quarrel Goods ordered for a special
emergency will come too late or be
damaged in the transportation. People
intending no harm will go shopping
without any intention Of purchase,
Overturning great stocks Of goods and
insisting that you break the dozen.
More bad debts on the ledger. More
counterfeit bills in the drawer. More
debts to pay for other people. More
meannesses on the part of partners in
business. Annoyance after annoyance,
vexation after veXation and loss after
loss.
School of Patience.
All that process will either break
you down or brighten you up. 1t is
school Of patience. You have known
men under the process to become petu-
liant, and choleric, and angry, and pug
nacious, and cross, and sour, and
queer. and they lost their customers,
and their name became a detestation.
Other men have been frightened up
under the process. They were tough
ened by the exposure. They were like
rocks, all the more valuable for being
blasted. At first they had to choke
down their wrath, at first they had to
bite their lips, at first they thought Of
some singing retOrt they would like to
make, but they conquered their impa-
tience. They have kind words now for
sarcastic filings. They have gentle be-
havior now for unmannerly customers.
They are patient now with unfortunate
debtors. They have Christian refec-
lions now for sudden reverSes. Where
did they get that patience? By hear
ing q minister preach concerning it on
Sabbath? Oh, no! They got it just
where you will get tiff you ever get
it at all-selling hats, discounting
notes, turning banisters, blowing corn,
timing roofs, pleading causes. Oh,
that amid the turmoil and anxiety and
evaporation of everyday life you
might hear the voice of God saying:
I'm patience possess your soul. Let
patience have her perfect work"
I remark again that business life is
a school of useful knowledge. Mer-
chants do not read many books and do
not study leXicons. They do not dive
into profounds of learning, and yet
nearly all through their occupations
come to understand questions of
finance, and politics, and geography,
and Jurisprudence, and ethics. Bust
ness is a severe schOolmistress. If
pupils will not learn, she strikes them
over the head and the heart with Sc
we're losses. Yo!1 put $4,000 into an
enterprise. It is all gone. You say,
''That is dead loss" Oh, no! You
are paying the schooling. That was
only tuition, very large tuition-I told
you it was a severe schoolmistress-
but it was worth it. You learned
things under that process you would
not have learned in any other way.
Traders in grain come to know some
thing about foreign harvests, traders
in fruit come to know something about
the prospects Of tropical production,
manufacturers of American goods
come to understand the tariff on i'm
ported articles, publishers of books
must come to understand the new law
Of copyright, owners of ships must
come to know winds and shoals and
navigation, and every bale Of cotton,
and every raisin cask. and every tea