"Betty was a real comfort" (See page 110)
DAWSON BLACK: RETAIL MERCHANT
By HAROLD WHITEHEAD
Author of "The Business Career of Peter Flint"
ILLUSTRATED By JOHN GOSS
THE PAGE COMPANY
BOSTON PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1918, by
The Page Company
All rights reserved
First Impression, July, 1918
Second Impression, July, 1918
Third Impression, October, 1919
I am glad to confess that whatever I do is donebecause I want to justify the faith in my ability andthe loving encouragement which has so loyally beengiven to me. For this reason, I dedicate this to theone who has inspired me to do my best—My Wife.
INTRODUCTION
A boy, just graduated from high school, was looking over some of hisfather's business books and magazines. The more he read, the moredisappointed he became, until finally he blurted,
"Say, dad, I don't want to be a business man!"
"Why not?" asked his father, with a tolerant smile.
"Aw, there's no fun in business."
"Get that foolish idea out of your head, son. There's nothing I know ofthat is quite so much fun—as you call it—as business. Where did youget your ideas of business?"
"From them books," said son, emphatically, if ungrammatically. "All theytalk about is efficiency, getting results, checking people up, andthings of that kind."
Just ask yourself, Friend Reader, if your business reading has not givenyou an idea that business should be more or less a cold-bloodedproposition, and our business life something apart from our home andsocial relationships.
Unfortunately, many books, excellent in their presentation ofprinciples, ignore the human side, as it were, of business. Ibelieve—nay, I am sure—that the influence of our home life is animportant factor in the development of our business career. Our loves,[Pg viii]our dislikes, our jealousies, our unfortunate, yet often lovable,unreasonablenesses are reflected in our business life. Our impetuousbusiness decisions are often made through the subconscious influence ofsome dear one at home.
Our ambitions.—Are you, Friend Reader, so cold-blooded that you can sayyour ambition is a selfish one? Honestly now, wasn't it that you want towin something (whatever it may be)? Didn't you want to "make good" justto please some little woman?
When you faltered and weakened in your struggle for success, wasn't itshe who gave you the necessary loving sympathy and encouragement to keepeverlastingly at it? And wasn't your ambition encouraged a little bit bythe delight you knew its attainment would give to that sweet littlewoman, who thinks "her boy" is just all right? Didn't you want to "makegood" so as to please your mother and your father?
I don't care if you are a big, six-foot, bull-necked husky who smokesblack cigars and swears, you have to admit the truth of this assertionso far as you are concerned.
Sounds like mor