Fortunes for Farmers 



ignores the request, but gives another order, 

 the creditor is mollified, and goes away without a 

 word, apparently not realizing that instead of 

 getting his money he is allowing the outstander 

 to get further into debt. This is mysterious, but 

 I suppose that as long as the merchant gets new 

 orders he feels that his business is flourishing, 

 the glow of satisfaction swamps his determination 

 to secure the debt, and he forgets the debtor 

 in the customer. This trump card nearly always 

 wins. There are a few merchants of course who will 

 not be put off, and these the credit-cadgers pay, 

 under pressure, determining to shun them in 

 future. The remainder of their bills are evaded 

 throughout the spring, and when in the summer 

 the merchant finds time to see them personally 

 they smile blandly, pointing out that they have had 

 a bad year, but will always be regular customers. 

 If that does not suffice they say they would be 

 delighted to pay, but have no money, nor are 

 likely to have till after harvest. This is so true 

 that the merchant is reduced to silence, and 

 beats a retreat. Then after harvest the more 

 insistent are paid, and the same routine is followed, 

 so that some accounts will not be paid until 

 they are three years old. 



There are farmers who stand permanently 

 in a merchant's books for two years and some- 



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