The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-03-23
Working on
A Principle
II Brought Its Logical Con.
sequence.
By r. A. mitchell


He knew what she would say. though
she did not say IT. What would she
and father do in working the farm
without Joeli They could not afford
to hire help. and II he deserted them
they would have a much harder time
than now.
I'm tired" continued Joel, "of see
ing you and father grinding your lives
out in this fashion. There's little
enough to be squeezed out Of our long
worked lands, and II I don't break
away from them well none Of US ever
get any comfort I was talking the 9th
er day with Mr.. Ashurst, whose family
has been spending the month Of Au-
gust with the Parkers. He says that
any man can get rich II he'll do Just
one thing-be must save every cent
till he gets enough money together to
make an investment. From that time
on he has an assistant-the money in
vested Il Is making more money for
him even when he is asleep. He saves
some more. and this. with the interest
vestment, enables him to make an
other. BY keeping up this process for
a number OF years he rolls up enough
to live on without doing anything, ride
| in his carriage and in summer time go
among the farmers. drinking the milk
and eating the honey that we folks
work SO hard to produce"
Mrs. Harding had lived long enough
I'm the world to pick what flaws there
might be in such reasoning. but a
mothers first object is what her child
! wants. She saw that Joel had got
an idea In his head, and the only OBJ
lection to II he would listen to was
terest bearing capital she and his IA
Their would be obliged to work all the
harder, besides being deprived of the
comfort to be derived from association
with their only child. So she said:
Every well, Joel. II your mind Is
set on going to the city to make for
tune | suppose you'd better go. You
won't be satisfied here any longer"
Joel took her in his arms, kissed her
and said that his principal reason for
making the move was that he might
better his parents condition.
That night Mrs. Harding had long
talk with her husband about Joel's
proposition. Farmer Harding was
dead set against 1t. but when his wife
had finished her arguments, which
had no effect upon him. and began to
plead he gave In. as husbands usually
do under such circumstances, and
promised that he would not oppose his
boy going. The mother put her sons
clothing In as good order as possible.
and the next Monday morning Joel,
provided with all the cash they could
possibly spare. started on his journey.
Looking back at his parents, be said:
"Give me five years and I'll return
this money with a thousand per cent
interest"
Mrs. Harding turned away with a
smile, but to hide her tears, while her
husband staIked into the house with
the remark:
III understand Alright the principle
on which he is to make fortune he's
sending us. in five years thousand
per cent interest on the money will be
a violation OF that principle. Success
by the principle he acts upon is based
on a strict adherence to that principle.
"Oh. pa, you are always figuring
things out on principle. Joel is doing
this for our good. and he will make
good"
Joel found a position In the city nj
s. a week. Disregarding a tempta-
ton to wait before saving till he
earned more. he lived ON 81 week,
placing the other dollar In a savings
bank. At the end of his first year he
had placed In the bank $50 and As
much more as had come from increase
OF salary and extras earned, in all
some $500
Among his fellow employees Joel
was considered the stingiest OF the
stingy, but his employers. seeing that
he possessed determination and self
control. advanced him rapidly. Either
he possessed business qualifications
naturally or. his heart being exclusive
~ set on business. he became an adept
at II. At any rate. he soon came TO be
intrusted with matters by the firm
that were not intrusted TO his fellow
clerks of equal grade with himself.
This naturally brought him increase
OF salary. and before the first five
years had passed he was occupying
the position OF head clerk.
Joel did not forget that he had vol
unteered 10 send his father and moth
err at the end of FIVE years the money
they had advanced him. with 1000
per cent interest. They had scraped
up 500 for him. on which the interest
at 1000 per cent for Ave years would
be. with the principal. sl.275 Joel
had at the end OF the fifth year prop
erty worth $1,000 II was invested IN
railway securities which were worth
not quite so much as he had paid for
them. To reduce his nest egg by so
large an amount. especially selling at
loss. was not 20 be considered. lie
wrote his parents that he had made
the amount three or -four times over.
BIT would defer sending II to them till