Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-30

 There are certain vices which seem
 to- be more at home in the city than in3the country: just as there are cer- tain special city virtues.
 The great difference in the cond1- tions of living between the two makes perfectly natural that dwellers 1n . the one should develop a somewhat q different moral tone from residents or I the other.
 No one who has lived, as l have, in stboth would be justified in asserting ', either one to be less moral, more inn moral than the other. But there are certain vices, just as there are certain virtues which seem to root more | naturally in the one than in the oth- , CT.
 ias As countryman, living in the scountFy and among other countrymen 5 from deliberate choice and preference, VT think l know some of the speclaI ! rural vices pretty well. There are saquite enough of them, too. What es-
 pecially depresses me is the extent to
 which city influences are tending to c graft on us also some of the peculiar
 city vices.
 Which is not fair; nor is it just; nor it is either defensible or eXcus-
 able.
 D We've got enough of our own, quite enough to pass around and leave some over. For goodness sake, why seek to breed in some more from Cmewhere else?
 There's one vice which used to be z characteristic of cities and much less prevalent in the rural wilds but try. call it a vice, for it is most 3 aE5uredly not a virtue. though 1t is tnot a statutory crime, nor can l give Nit a distinctive name nor make clear sdefinition of it.
 It is especially manifested in busi- mess dealings. It seems to be a pecu- fliar mixture of native laziness, inner tied greed, semi-educated sel1shness, desire to graft" and pitiful lack of intelligent foresight. It is usually ac- companied with an offensive amount of self f-assurance and an often nau- seating extent of insincere imitation faffability. It shows itself, in business dealings, by a greedy snatching after immediate and visible gains no matter how small, and no matter how provo cative of vexation or loss to the other party, with consequent future stop page of trade
 All of this is somewhat vague, I fear, and may not convey to anyone the meaning I want to convey. Per haps, a concrete illustration or two will suggest what I'm trying to say. .
 HSOW G ---------
 Like all country residents I am oc-
 casionally in need of things which cannot be produced at country stores I have to send to the city for them. There are always department stores which send out goods ordered by mail .. There are special mail-order'' houses which devote themselves exclusively 10 that sort of trade. There are per- iodical publishers who ask for sub Y scriptions to their magazines and papers. Etc, etc.
 I have to send, at intervals, to these city houses for goods which they ad- vertise and which are not to be had | from smaller rural stores. Taking it son an average, I suppose I send a. dozen or so such orders every year.
 Have to, because I can't get the things desired any ether way. f=-IHxariably, these city dealers put
 :erward tremendous claims for the fprpmptness, accuracy and economy of Eyheir service You'd think, to read
 heir catalogues, advertisements or prospectuses, that it was much quick [ ar, cheaper and handler to order your goods from them than to crank up the auto or hitch up the horse and drive 1. to the village.
 We'll, as intinnated, I've had lot of I experience with a whole lot of these !. people. In the last two years I've { sent between twenty and thirty or
 iers or subscriptions to various
 houses in New York city. A good many more have gone in the years
 preceding, but I have a clear record 2 of those for the last two years. And |, here it is:-
 Not one single order sent to any me New York city house in that lime has been filled promptly and ac-
 .urately! Not one.
 Just one order of the lot was ship I ped prontly. But as it was sent to wrong address the chasing it down E}pd finding where it was took ten lays and involved a greater cost in
 lime, postage, gasoline and other
 ihings than the entire value of the
 rder. Not another order in the two
 ears has been sent with even decent