Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-29
THE CARELESS HABIT OF NOT KEEPING PROMISES

(written Specially For The Bulletin.)
 TIT be down, next Monday, and take the rest of the boards" said fellow townsman who had just bought some fence boards of me. He bargained for a thousand feet, took five hundred feet with him, and, as quoted, said he would be down Monday after the other half.
 That was some weeks ago. He didn't como the next Monday, nor the Monday after that Indeed, he hasn't been after them, yet. Nor has he at any time no- tifled me that he couldn't come. as. agreed.
 No, he isht dead. He isn't even sick. Hts truck hasn't broken down, nor his horses gone lame. Nor has the weather been so constantly propitious that he spring blowing.
 He simply had something else to do on Monday which he would rather do than come after boards Something that seemed to him of more importance than keeping his word.
 Right there 1 want 70 stop minute and ask, in all humility, if there ever Is or ever can be anything of sf.,ore :;npcrS- ance to a man than the keeping of his word?
 This board transaction was a small one and nothing vital depended on whether they werc taken on q Monday or on @ Tuesday or on any other day within month. Considered solely as a question of boards it is too trivial for a second thought
 Considered as question of honesty of statement and fidelity ef conduct, 1t is just as serious as if it involved a thousand dollars
 This feIlow-tswnsman is not a dead beat. He is a. man of property and of fair standing in the community, He Is classed in the local Dun and Bradstreet &11 "slow pay but perfectly good" He isn't trying = avoid taking the boards he bargained for, nor hoping to escape paying for them. Sometime when he has nothing else to do and hsppens to feel ike 1t. he'll buzz in and take his stuff and pay up for it. No, indeed, if isHft that which I'm worrying about. or which I'm taking for a subject of this talk. It Is something of vastly more importance. It is the prevailing and spreading habit of careless promising of setting dates without any idea of kseping them. unless the keeping Is 9iite convenient to the date-setter.
 Really, no higher compliment is eve-
 
 neighbors who has summered and win tered him. says of him: "He's Q fellow you can tic up to- That means he is g man, of his word; a man whose word is es good as his bond man who may be slow in making promises, but can he depended upon to keep them, when made If re agrees to do thing, he'll do 1t sudden death only preventing. When he promises to do it on Q Monday, he'll dc .4A NkA AAv day He doesn't consider his own con. venience in the matter, but his twn re. sponslbility for making his own word good. # .- ' aa~ r
 It is in this sense that prornise-keep- ing holds its highest significance It is rot so much the importance of the thing promised as it is the maintaining of the promiser's own self-respect ant the enthronement of truth over mere expediency in one's own character.
 Beware
 Of entrance to quarrel but. being i1l, So bear if that the opposed may be~ar'
 of thee"
 So wrote Shakespeare. and the advic' Is. I believe generally accepted al wholesome. The principle Is as true 0 2 promise. It may be wise to hesitat about making promises but, cnce made the true man go fulfills his promise that no man can criticize him for an! breach of even It's smallest detail.
 He does this, not because it is goo' policy; not even for the sake of tho on to whom he gives his promise but fo his own sake and his own souls health He does it whether much or little is in rolved, pecuniarily, because the princi nle ia as dominant in small matters as il ,arae. He does it whether 1t costs hin IS little as he expected when lie mad .llo promise, or vastly more in time trouble. labor or money. His word more sacred to him than his eonven fence. than his comfort, than his profit He sweareth to his own hurt and chang eth not.
 ~ He keeps his agreements to tho las syllabie because it makes him uricon fortable and unhappy. when he retire for the night, to feel that he's putin 9 liar to- bed
 Such men are scarce, you'll say. Veril