The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-01-30
WORTH OF POLIrENESS.
The Art Of Pleasing.
WHY IT SHOULD BE STUDIED.

"Giye.a boy address and accomplish
ments, and you give him the mastery
of palaces and fortunes wherever he
goes."- ."-Emerson.
The art of pleasing is the art of rising
in the world. Good manners often
prove fortune to young man or
woman. Mr.. Butler. a merchant in
Providence, r. l., had once closed his
store and was on his way home, when
he met little girl who wanted a spool
OF thread. He went back, opened the
store and got the thread. This little
Incident was talked of all about the
city, and brought him hundreds of Gus
toners. He became very wealthy,
largely because OF his courtesy.
A fine illustration OF the business
value of good manners is found In the
Bon Marche, an enormous establish
ment in Paris, where thousands of
clerks are employed, and where almost
everything is kept tor sale. The two
distinguishing characteristics of the
house are one low price to all and ex-
treme courtesy. Mere politeness is
not enough the employees must try in
every possible way to please and to
make customers feel at home. Some
thing more must be done than is done
in other stores, 50 that every visitor
will remember the Bon Marche with
pleasure. By this course the business
has been developed until it is said to
be the largest of its kind il. the world.
No other advertising is so efficaclous.
It has been said that no one can es-
cape the bondage of good manners.
Its letters may be silixen, but they are
as strong as those that wheel the earth
along its orbit. And, while all must
obey it's laws, those laws furnish cur
rency with which, it the beggar pro-
vide himself Herewith, he is better off
in all the markets of the world than
the prince who has it not.
It is said that Abbott Lawrence was
courteous and lordly to his customers.
He exhibited his goods as it he were
doing a personal favor. He was eco-
nomical and at the same time liberal
in his style of doing things, throwing
in the odd quarter OF a yard of cloth,
the odd shilling in change. When he
gained customer, he kept him. The
house of the Lawrences held a monop-
oily of heavy beavers and wide broad
cloths. A country trader bought few
yards OF cloth at $40 yard. On re-
turning home and measuring the
goods, he found one piece to be short
quarter of yard. He was almost
afraid to speak of go small matter
to so courtly a merchant. On his next
trip to Boston, however, he plucked up
courage to say: "Mr. Lawrence, when
was here few months ago, bought
a few yards OF fine b-oadcloth at $40
yard. According to my measurement
it fell short quarter of yard"
"Feil short quarter? That will
meyer do; 1t should over-run quar-
ter" Turning to his book keeper, he
said "Credit this gentleman with
half a yard OF our best broadcloth."
The book-keeper did so, and the custo-
mer was nailed for life.
Thousands of well-meaDing boys and
girls have been failures largely from
gruff, coarse, rude manners. A cour-
teous disposition counts in the world
to-day. Take two persons, possessing
equal advantages in every other respect
but let one be kind, obliging, concillat-
ing, the other disobllging, rude, harsh
and insolent, and the one will become
rich, while the other will starve.
Those who throw their good deeds
should not always expect them to be
caught with thankful smile. But
there is no policy like politeness, and
courtesy is profitable advertising.