1878. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



347 



all these things would have been poor policy 

 in tlie end. I can stop all my hands on the 

 building now, and let it stand without a 

 roof, until I can earn some more money my- 

 self." 



" No, no, you must not do that ; I will get 

 you the money to pay your hands to-night, 

 and -vve will lik it befoi-e another week, so 

 that you will get along." 



Do you know how much good such a friend 

 does a body? My wife and I knelt together 

 in our own room, and asked God to tell us 

 what to do, to avoid trespassing on the good 

 natiu-e of any one, or making anybody re- 

 sponsible for our own affairs. As it had 

 been intimated that trouble might ensue 

 should I die suddenly, she suggested that I 

 sliould have my life msured for the benefit 

 of my estate. This was done, and a mort- 

 gage given, the signers being my father, and 

 a friend who ha.s for many years been the 

 superintendent of our Sabbath school. 



This experience has humbled my pride in 

 several ways, and has taught me several 

 useful lessons. The first is, to be very care- 

 ful how you let your business get into such 

 a shape thnt you cannot always pay your 

 debts easily, without involving others. A 

 cjise right in our ovm town was sho\^^l me. 

 Our hollow-ware foundry cost $18,500, and 

 was mortgaged for !?6,000, wliich everybody 

 thought very safe. The mortgage was fore- 

 closed, and after trying a long time, the 

 property was sold for only $4,-500. Can we 

 blame people for being backward in taking 

 mortgages, or for hesitating about signing? 

 Do we want our banks, that are the deposi- 

 tories of so many people's money, to be ac- 

 commodating at the expense of running 

 risks? or do we want tliem to make every 

 transaction safe beyond the pof^dhility of 

 loss? I prefer the latter way, and if the in- 

 convenience of it falls on my own head, I 

 hope I may have the grace to bow in humil- 

 ity. A gaiii ; the banks pay nothing for the 

 use of money, but will not let it out at less 

 than 10 per cent, and even then, they de- 

 mand the very best security, hold a judg- 

 ment note, and will not take a mortgage on 

 real estate. Are they charging too much? 

 Very well, do not find fault, but just quietly 

 start a bank yourself. But you say you have 

 not the money. It may not be entirely your 

 own fault that you have not got it, but it 

 comes so near it^ — in my opinion — that I 

 think you had better trade or not ti-ade with 

 them, as you think best, and stop criticising. 

 In the city of Cleveland, I am informed, 

 there is a savings bank, that pays 6 per cent, 

 for money, and loans it for 7. Such an in- 

 stitution in a small town would be a great 

 convenience, and would also help poor peo- 

 ple to save their money. Many of our boys 

 whom I am very anxious to see get ahead 

 are, I fear, paying out their money thought- 

 lessly, and to encourage better habits, I have 

 had a card pxit up over the time clerk's desk 

 tis follows: 



TEN PSR CHNT INTEREST, 



PATABIiK MONTHLY, 



Will be allowed any of fhe hanrta who have money 

 they do not -wish to use immediately. A. I. ROOT. 



Some have laughingly told me that I can 

 not stand such a rate, but I certainly can af- 



ford to pay it to my liands, as well as to the 

 bank. Nearly SlOO are in our little savings 

 bank ali-eady, and one of tJie boys is trying 

 to save enougli to buy Iiini a little home near 

 the factory. 



It is now 5 o'clock in the morning. What 

 a grand thing it is to be at work thus early, 

 and to feel tliat you are abreast of all your 

 duties, instead of having them driving you. 

 It is like having the money to pay all bills 

 as soon as due, or as soon as called for. 



The third lesson I learned by the little 

 transaction I have na.rrated, is to set no one 

 at work, and to make no purchases, until I 

 am sure of liaving the money ready to pay 

 them when it is called for. There are those, 

 I know, who do not care about being dunned, 

 and who seem to think that the reply, " I 

 havn't the money," is reason enough for not 

 paying, and can go along afterwards with 

 an untroubled conscience. I do not wish to 

 judge them, and I try to have charity for 

 them ; but it seems to me a most galling 

 thing, to have a fellow being say, " You 

 have got my money ; I want it," when you 

 cannot hand it over. If you have not got it, 

 and know of no place or way by which vou 

 can get it, may God forgive you for ever 

 having incurred the debt. If you cannot 

 possibly pay it, can you not get your credi- 

 tor to assent to giving you a few days to 

 bring it about; If he does, let me implore 

 you to liold that promise sacred. Sell your 

 l)roperty at almost any sacrifice ; work for 

 25c. a day ; live on the cheapest fare ; wear 

 any sort of old clothing, and be laughed at a 

 hundred ways, if need be ; but keep your 

 word, until your friends learn to depend ulS- 

 on it as they would on the rising of the sun. 

 To those who have failed in business, and 

 paid nothing, or only a few cents on the dol- 

 lar, I have nothing to say, and would, by no 

 means, give them needless pain, but the 

 young men, those whose names are yet with- 

 out any such blemish, I would urge, with all 

 the vehemence I possess, to guard against 

 such a thing, now, Avhile there is yet time to 

 be warned. If you are going to incur risks, 

 or to take chances, do it with your own h!,rd 

 earnings, and not with otlier people's. Think 

 what a fearful thing it is, to have it said, as 

 you i)ass along tlie street : 



"•There is a man, who owes me money, 

 which he will never pay. He took my hard 

 earnings ; the dollars 1 gathered slowly, one 

 by one, by the sweat of my brow ; the mon- 

 ey I needed to clothe, feed, and educate my 

 children. J»Iay God give me charity, and 

 hel]^ me to forgive him the grievous "wrong 

 he has done me and mine." 



Think of going through life with such a 

 load resting on your shoulders ; think of ly- 

 ing down at niglit year after year, haunted 

 by such thoughts ; think of the price you 

 will pay for indulging in something beyond 

 your means, which you could have done 

 without. It is this kind of work that robs 

 us of the innocence of childhood, that em- 

 bitters people against their fellows, that 

 spoils faith in Christianity, and breaks down 

 churches. Is it not far better, my friends, 

 to humble ourselves? and, if it comes down 

 to plain bread and butter, let it be honest 



