1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



811 



Diy fellow-man — not that I may put on fine 

 style, or that any of the members of my family 

 may do so. We are all humble, moderate, hard- 

 working people. My good wife does her own 

 housework, and has done so for years. 



Just a word or two more in this line, and 

 then I am done with this part of mv subject. 

 There are in our neighborhood certain people 

 who say that farming does not pay: and of late 

 they are getting into a way of insisting that 

 nothing pays unless a man is rich; and if they 

 do not say it right out, they seem to imply that 

 no man gf ts rfch except by fraud and sharp 

 dealing. The Bible tells us, " By their fruits 

 ye shall know them." And along this line let 

 us inquire what is the result on the man. his 

 farming, or his business, when he falls into line 

 with this sort of people. I need not answer that 

 question. You see it in your own neighbor- 

 hood. Some two or three years ago one of these 

 men told me that it was only a question of time 

 —we were all going into bankruptcy sooner or 

 later, and that my turn would come with all 

 the rest— perhaps a little later. This is an ex- 

 treme case. I know. The man who said it I 

 regard as a very good man: and I rather think 

 he takes a more hopeful view of things noiv 

 than he did then— at least, he has, so far as I 

 know, abandoned that line of politics, and is 

 now hard at work. Now, friends, do not feel 

 hurt, any of you. on account of what I have 

 said. I profess to be a Christian, and as such I 

 have a ri(//*f to be hopeful; and if I did not 

 have faith in God and humanity T should not 

 be a very good follower of Christ Jesus. I know 

 there are wrongs and injustice: I know that 

 men of capital are often overbearing and self- 

 ish: but I think I know also that there is a 

 good prospect ahead for honest and hard-work- 

 ing men. 



After I had looked at the letter a little I said 

 to the clerk. " Hasn't this man been embittered 

 toward us by some business transaction '?" The 

 book-keeper replied that hp had not. so far as 

 he knew. Finally I said, " IMease bring me all 

 the correspondence from him you can find." 

 Pretty soon my heart was rejoiced to find the 

 following old letter: 



Mr. Root, licar B) other hi Chrifit :— In c\ose A please 

 find ;i postal note for ^3.48. for wliich please send 

 me First Steps for Lirtle Feet, ihree copies, $1.10; 

 Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, one. 36 cts. ; 

 back dues on Gleanings, SI. 00. Total, 82.48. 



Dec. 1890. U. H. W. 



The part that made me feel happy was the 

 opening sentence. The letter, you see, dates 

 away back to 1890; and the books that he or- 

 ders are none but those that a Christian man 

 would be likely to buy. After a little careful 

 examination I decided I had found at least one 

 clew to this great change in his attitude toward 

 our establishment, and it pained me to the 

 heart when I saw it. The retail price of thp 

 little book. First Steps, is .50 cts. Our good 

 brother wanted three of these books, and he 

 carried out the price at ^1.10. I remember that, 

 when we got these books of Charles Foster, he 

 objected to letting us sell them at the very close 

 margins we ordinarily sell our goods. He said 

 the established price was .50 cts., and that we 

 must not sell a single book at a less figure. He 

 consented, however, to letting us make two or 

 more books at such a price as we thought fit; 

 so we advertispd one book at .W cts.. or two at 

 7.5 cts. Now. friend W. reasoned that, if we 

 sold two books at 75 cts., we might do still bet- 

 ter, or at least a ?ift?e better, on three. Three 

 at 371. cts. would be $1,121.;. ^^ took the lib- 

 erty of putting it $1.10. There is nothing in 

 our price list to indicate to the clerk or custom- 

 er how low we could sell three books. I have, 

 however, again and again assured the clerks 



in our establishment, and often with much em- 

 phasis, that, whci-e a man has secured a low 

 rate on any article by buying in ten or dozen 

 lots, all additions to such an order, making the 

 quantity purchased still larger, should certain- 

 ly be at the same rate— not any higher, surely, 

 but. if any thing, a little lower. In order to 

 know how much lower, they usually consult 

 our business manager, Mr. Calvert, who makes 

 all our purchases. Now going back to the let- 

 ter: The clerk who filled the order drew his 

 pen across the $1.10, and wrote above it, in ink 

 of a different color, $1.25. He reasoned thus: 

 Two books at the advertised price. 75 cts., and 

 one book at the advertised price, 50 cts., makes 

 $1.25. I can not discover, however, that any 

 explanation was ever made. In any such mat- 

 ter, any one feels a great deal better about it to 

 have the whole thing explained. I know I 

 sliould. Of course, friend W. was asked for the 

 difference. He, however, takes it in very good 

 grace, as would seem from the letter below: 



Mr. Roof .-—Inclosed please tlnd postal note for 

 balance due on books; yet I can't see why you 

 charge $1.35 for three Fir.st Steps for Little Feet, 

 when you advertise two for 76 cts. Please accept 

 thanks for sending the books without the full 

 amount. U. H. W. 



It may have been a rather hard matter for 

 him to reconcile sucli a transaction from his 

 valued and trusted friend A. I. Root; but he 

 concludes, perhaps, that it is a small matter, 

 and he will let it go. If I am correct, however, 

 the matter is not easilv dropped. Afterward, 

 in reading the Home Papers, the whole effect 

 woiald be spoiled because he had lost confidence 

 in the man whom he had formerly looked up to 

 as teacher. Surely it would seem that some 

 explanation should have been given on receipt 

 of the above: but all I can find is written on 

 the letter below — "I think that is correct," 

 with the signature of the clerk who attended 

 to that department. 



As I am supposed to be the offender in this 

 case. I think I may be excused if I speak pretty 

 severely in regard to such matters. There are 

 a good many business places where you can get 

 low figures providing you make a bargain first 

 as to what the price will be; but if you make 

 your order ^/".s^ without saying any thing about 

 the price, there will be a vast sight of differ- 

 ence. They seem to put on all they think a 

 customer will bear. Ir, is true with some people 

 when they get the money in their hands, they 

 seem inclined to hold on to every copper they 

 can. If they can not give a consistent reason 

 for keeping all or pretty nearly all of it, they 

 give some reason that is ?io£ consistent. I do 

 not know of any thing else in this world that 

 so vexes people — especially well-meaning, hard- 

 working people. It makes them bitter toward 

 the world, and bitter toward humanity. They 

 lose faith in every thine; and they get so they 

 imagine fraud and evil at every step. O dear 

 friends, if I have any influence over you, please 

 believe me when I tell you this thing is one of 

 the grievous troubles with Christianity. A pro- 

 fessing Christian sends out advertisements, and 

 tries hard to get customers: but as soon as he 

 gets a customer, and begins to get things into 

 his own hands, he lets that leading sin of all 

 sins, selfishness, creep into his heart, and vexes 

 and angers both friend and foe by his littleness 

 and stinginess and selfishness in deal. May 

 God help us to think as much of our neighbor's 

 pocketbook as we do of our own. 



An incident of but a few minutes ago illus- 

 trates the point I wish to emphasize. A rela- 

 tive of mine has been here on a visit. She was 

 just going home, and wanted to take a barrel of 

 fruit. I asked the question at the office, where 

 our book-keepers are at work, whether the bar- 



