A young man who had worked up to the position of confidential
clerk, became jealous of a new clerk, to whom his employer had
just given a raise in salary exceeding his own. He went to his
employer and said: “Are you not satisfied with my work and my
faithfulness?” “Oh, yes,” was the reply. “Why, then, do you
give this new man more salary than to me?” Instead of replying
to the question, the merchant, who was a grain dealer, said:
“Do you see that load of grain going by? Run out, and see to
whom it is going.” The confidential man returned, and said it
was going to Wilson’s place. “Run out and find out what they
got for the grain.” He returned and said eighty-five cents per
bushel. “Run and find out if Wilson wants any more.” He returned
and said: “Yes, he wants another carload.” At this moment the
new clerk came in, and the grain merchant repeated to him his
first instruction: “Run out and see where that load of grain is
going.” In a few minutes the new clerk returned and said: “The
grain is going to Wilson’s; they are paying eighty-five cents
per bushel, and want another carload.” The merchant, turning
to the confidential man, said: “You have your answer. It took
you three trips to find out what this man learned in one.” The
new clerk had wit enough to know that the merchant did not care
about where the grain was going, but if there was a probability
of supplying some of the demand, and upon what terms.--JAMES
T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”
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