The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-06

p2Tl OF pdIAiteiS ~ D00ioSS"
ance afte. annoyance, vexation after
vexation, and loss after loss.
All that process will either break you
down or brighten you up. It is a
school of patience. You have known
men under the process to become petu-
liant, chcleric, and angry, and pugnaci-
Gus, and cross, and sour, and queer,
and they lost their customers, and their
name became detestation. Other
men have been frightened up under
the process. They were toughened by
the exposure. They we're 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
lip; at first they thought Of some sting
ing retort tLey would ike to make, but
they conquered their impatlence.
They have kind words now for sarcas-
tic fings. They have gentle behavior
now for uumannerly customers. They
art patient now with unfortunate deb
tors. They have Christian reflections
now for sudden reverses. Where did
thew get that patience? By hearing a
minister preach concerning it on Sab
bath? Oh, no. They got it just
where you will get tiff you ever get
it at all-selling hats, discounting
notes, turning banisters, plowing corn,
timing roofs, pleading causes. On,
that amid the turmoil and anxiety and
evaporation Of everyday life you
might hear the voice of God saying:
in patience possess your soul. Let
patience have her perfect work.
Iremark also that business life is a
school for integrity. No man knows
what he will do until he is tempted.
There are thousands of men who have
kept their integrity merely because
they neyer have been tested. 4 man
was elected treasurer of the state Of
Maine some years ago. He was dis
tinguished for his honesty, usefulness,
and uprightness, but before one year
had passed he had taken Of the public
funds for his own private use, and was
hirled out # Office in disgrace. Dis
tlnguisheu for virtue before. Distin-
guished for crime after. You can call
over the names Of men just like that,
in whose honesty you had complete
confidence, but placed in certain crises
of temptation they went overload.
Never so many temptations to scoun-
6relism as now. Not a law on the
statute book but has some back door
through which miscreant can escape.
All, how many deceptions in the fab
ric of the goods! So much plundering
in commercial life that if a man talk
about living life Of complete CONNER
cial integrity there are those who as
cribe it to greenness and lack of tact.
More need of honesty now than ever
before-tried honesty, complete hon
esty-nore than in those times when
business was plain affair and woolens
were woolens, and silks were silks and
men were men.
How many men 90 you suppose there
are in commercial life who could say
truthfully, SIN all the sales I have
ever made have never overstated the
value of goods; in all the sales I have
ever made have never covered up an
imperfection in the fabric; in all the
thousands Of dollars I have ever made
I have not taken one dishonest farth-
ing?m There are men, however, who
can say it, hundreds who can say it,
thousands who can say It. They are
more honest than when they sold their
first tierce Of rice, or their first frkin OF
of butter, because their honesty and
integrity have been tested, tried and
come out triumphant. But they re-
mem bera time when they could have
robbed partner, or have absconded
with the funds Of a bank, or sprung
snap judgment, or madea false assign
ment. or borrowed illimitable without
any efforts at payment, or got a man
into sharp corner and Aeeced him.
But they never took one step on that
pathway of hell fire. They can say
their prayers without hearing the chink
of dishonest dollars. They can read
their Bible without thinking Of the
time when with lie on their soul in
the custom house they kissed the book.
They can think of death and the judg-
ment that comes after it without any
finching-that day when all charlatans
and cheats. and jockeys and frauds
shall be 6oubly damned. It does not
make their knees knock together, and
it does not make their teeth chatter to
read as the partridge sitteth on eggs
and hatcheth them not, so he that get
teth riches, and not b y right, shall
leave them in the midst Of his days,
and at his end shall be a fool"
What school Of integrity business
life Isl If you nave ever been tempted
to let your integrity cringe before pres
ent advantage, if you have ever waken-
ed up in some embarrassment and said,
"No1, will step little aside from
the right path and no one will know it,
and I will come all right again, It is
only once" That only once has ruined
tens of thousands of men for this life
and blasted their souls for eternity.
Plato and Aristotle were so opposed
to merchandise that they declared COM
me.ce to be the curse Of the nations,
and they advised that cities be built at
least ten miles from the seacoast. But
you and l know that there are no more
industrious or highminded men than
those who move in the world of traffic.
Some Of them carry burdens heavier
than hods Of brick, and are exposed to
sharper things than the east wind, and
climb mountains higher than the Alps
or Himalayas, and if they are faithful
Christ will at last say to them: "Well
done, good and faithful servant. Thou
hast been faithful over few things. I
will make thee ruler over many things.
Enter thou into the Joy Of thy LORD"
We talk about the martyrs Of the
Piedmont valley, and the martyrs among