"What shall I do to gain eternal life?" The simple dues with which each day is rife? Ere perfect scheme of action thou devise, While he who ever acts as conscience cries Shall live, though dead. - - Schiller. "There is no death! What seems so is transition, This life of mortal breath Is but the suburb of the life elysian, - Longfellow'. Life, as we call it, is nothing but the edge of the boundless ocean of existence.-O. W. Holmes. Every young man of ordinary good sense is anxious to learn in advance what he can, of his future, his fortune, and the happiness or sorrow, success or failure that awaits him before the problem of life shall have been fully solved. It is perfectly right and proper that he should be anxious to rightly comprehend the ever-increasing responsibilities as the years come and go; responsibilities that he cannot escape or delegate to any human being. There is a sure road to success. Go bravely forward and fearlessly meet the responsibilities of life as they shall arise, with the full determination to yield to none. Bear your own burdens cheerfully and with courage. Surmount all obstacles that are hindrances, though they may be simply blessings in disguise. Aim for something higher at each advancing step, thereby developing increasing power to achieve victory. Thus every step lifts you one degree higher-higher and nearer to the goal. "So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan that moves To the pale realms of shade, where each shall take Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed - Bryant. PART II. PRACTICAL BUSINESS PRECEPTS. INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER. The young men of this country have great reason to feel proud of their birth-right. This is the only land where every avenue for business, the learned professions, or public offices of honor and trust are open alike to all, rich or poor, high or low. We have here no caste, no entailed heirships, no aristocracy to “lord it over the common people." Every young man is absolutely free to select his own calling and compete for any place or position in the gift of the people, even to the highest office, the presidency of the United States. It is his inalienable right under the laws of the land, to choose any pathway that he may deem the most congenial to his happiness. No serfdom can exist where the banner of universal freedom floats to the free winds of heaven. There are certain fundamental principles which lie at the bottom of all successful achievements in any legitimate undertaking. The very first thing for a young man to do, is to decide for himself what shall be his calling; whether it shall be one of the varied industries of the country; whether he shall aim to be a merchant prince or a scholar, or a man of science. He alone must decide this question. If it is merchandizing, one of the requisites is capital. Yet there is something better than a cash capital to commence business with, even as long as one continues in active life, there is something better, and what every one must have, to entitle him to be classed "A 1," and that is integrity of character. It is better than a gift of ten thousand dollars to any young man, if destitute of that important requisite. Hundreds of young men have commenced business and made it successful who had not a dollar in cash to invest at the start. They are able to secure capital by their integrity of character, which will always give them credit, while a man of wealth devoid of it, cannot secure equal favors. A dishonest man, no matter how large his bank account may be, is always looked upon with suspicion. He possesses double power. He can violate all rules of true business etiquette, and with his wealth enforce his dishonest schemes. And it has come to this with many wholesale dealers, when selecting their customers they will say: "We do not care a fig as to what Mr. A. is worth; all we care to know is, is he honest." One dealer will have a car load of produce shipped to him with no other instructions but to "sell and remit proceeds less charges," while another dealer cannot get a consignment of merchandise to sell on commission on any terms. We knew a fruit-dealer, who on the reputation of his father, would order a large quantity of fruit, and as soon as it arrived at the depot, would telegraph to the consignor, "Your fruit is in bad order; will not receive it. It is at the depot subject to your order." The shipper, unaware of the character of the dealer, telegraphs back, “Take fruit; do the best you can; remit proceeds less expenses." There was never anything to remit; the transaction was a clean steal. He did not continue long in the fruit business. A farmer in Indiana had a large crop of corn on hand, and he concluded to ship it to a commission merchant at Cincinnati, whose flaming advertisement he had read in the papers headed, "Produce received on consignment." The corn was shipped by canal. The commission merchant acknowledged the receipt of it, and reported market price. The farmer concluded to have it held for a better price. After a few months he ordered the commission man, “to sell the corn and remit proceeds." The corn was sold and a statement was made out and sent to the farmer, which charged such large sums for boatage, drayage, storage, shrinkage, ratage, insurance and commission, that the amount received for the corn when applied to the payment of these charges, was pretty well used up, and the farmer got very little for his corn. He answered the commission man thus: "You lying scoundrel; put in stealage and take it all." Men run great risks and try various expedients to realize sudden wealth or to make a big strike. All the tricks of trade, in the end, turn out unfavorable to those who attempt them. Those who practice them gain unenviable reputations, which will stick to them as long as they live, and follow them wherever they go. The history of the men who were engaged in the "Tammany steal" of New York city, illustrates the fact that ill-gotten gains do not add to the happiness of those who possess them. A young man engaged in the wholesale trade, and procured a large insurance on his stock, amounting to two or three times its value. A fire occurred in his store soon after. His stock was not consumed, but nearly ruined by water. The insurance adjusters enquired into the matter, and the result of their investigation was, they offered the young man one dollar each for the policies he held, if he would surrender them to the companies that issued them. He accepted the proposition. He received five dollars for a $16,000 loss. His smartness developed itself unfortunately for him. Some men will sell themselves for a dollar. The penalties from cheating in weight or measure, or misrepresenting the quality of goods to secure a sale, always recoils on the man who practices such impositions. You must remember, every man has his friends, and there is but one safe way to do business, to treat everybody as you would a friend, and you will never lack for patronage. HON. JOHN FRIEDLEY'S MOTTO. Self-dependence, self-reliance." "It is a mistaken notion," he writes, "that capital alone is necessary to success in business. If a man has head and hands suited to his business, it will soon procure him capital. My observations through life satisfy me that at least nine-tenths of the most successful in business, start in life without any reliance except upon their own hardened hands-hoe their own row from the jump." AMOS LAWRENCE'S WAY OF DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS. A country trader bought a few yards of cloth at ten dollars a yard. On measuring the piece at home it ran short a quarter of a yard. The trader was almost afraid to speak of so small a matter to so courtly a merchant. On his next visit to Boston, he plucked up courage enough to say: "Mr. Lawrence, when I was here a few 66 months ago, I bought a few yards of fine broad cloth." Yes, at ten dollars a yard." According to my measure, it fell short a quarter.” "Fell short a quarter? That will never do; it should have overrun a quarter." Turning to the book-keeper he sad: "Credit this gentleman with a half a yard of our best broad cloth." That customer was nailed for life.-"Burleigh." HUGH MILLER. Hugh Miller's worthy uncle used to advise him, "In all your dealings give your neighbor the cast of the bank-"good measure, heaped up, and running over"-and you will not lose by it in the end." Hugh Miller speaks of a mason with whom he served his apprenticeship as one who "put his conscience into every stone that he laid." MAXIMS OF SUCCESSFUL MEN. "Be frank; say what you mean; do what you say; so shall your friends know and take it for granted that you mean to do what is just and right. 66 'Never forget a favor, for ingratitude is the basest trait of man's heart. Always honor your country, and remember that our country is the very best poor man's country in the world.”—John Gregg. A Boston merchant had these two maxims for his guide: "Do you what you undertake thoroughly." "Be faithful in all accepted trusts." He says of them, "I am satisfied they have served me well three score years." And so they did, for he was one of the solid men of Boston-a millionare. "As a first and leading principle, let every transaction be of that pure and honest character that you would not be ashamed to have appear before the whole world as clearly as to yourself. It is of the highest consequence that you should not only cultivate correct principles, but that you should place your standard high as to require great vigilance in living up to it.”—Amos Lawrence. "The most trifling actions that affect a man's credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, heard by a creditor makes him easy six months |