A CIPHER WHICH MEANT $114,300?

Simply by a course of instruction and development in error, until, probably nothing save the most colossal sums would command his unqualified attention.  Let us suppose your mother or sister gives you a letter to mail.  Do not put that letter in your pocket.  Carry it in your hand until you reach the place to post it.  Do this for years.  After that drill, when you get a letter to mail, you will not need to keep it in your hand, for you will feel it in your hand just as long as it is in your pocket, as the one-armed man has sensations in both hands!

“WE NEVER MAKE MISTAKES!”

I spoke in the preceding chapter of the ancient shield with its “Be Bold!  Be Bold!” Now, on our modern shield we would put “Be Correct!  Be Correct!” and it would not be necessary to put on the reverse side “Be not too Correct!” You cannot afford to make errors!  Last year a gentleman drew a sum of money from the First National Bank of New York City.  As he was about to leave the building, he discovered an error.  He returned to the paying teller.  He said:  “I think you have made a mistake in paying me.”  The cashier stood there, by chance.  “No, sir,” said he, “we never make mistakes!” “But,” said the gentleman, “you gave me twenty dollars too much money!” “No, sir!” thundered the cashier, “we never make mistakes!” Not for twenty dollars in cash would that banker admit that the establishment with which he was connected ever made a mistake.  And you can be assured that

SUCH A SPARTAN SPIRIT WEEDS OUT

most of the ordinary blunders of business.  Now if this great rich banker could not afford to indulge in mistakes, how much less can you, who have your whole fortune to make, be anything less than strictly accurate in all your operations?  Study the spirit of that banker’s answer.  Imitate his horror of an error.  He must have had good reasons for that feeling.

A HOMELY EXAMPLE.

A customer comes in from the country.  He says:  “I have brought a load of wheat to town to-day—­about fifty bushel I should guess.  I’ll be in after noon and settle my account with you.”  Very good; you, the clerk, hurry to your books, to make out his account.  When he comes in, he glances over it, and says:  “Good gracious! you haven’t given me credit for four dollars and seventy-five cents I paid you last May.  I recollect it because I was in town to get a corn-planter when I paid it.  And I’ve got your receipt, too.”  Sure enough, there is the receipt, which you have filled out yourself.  And yet you failed to make an entry of the fact in his account.  Shame covers you.

THE FARMER BEGINS TO HAVE SUSPICIONS.

Your employer begins to talk of the fall plowing as soon as he can, but the farmer goes over to your unscrupulous competitors in business, relates to them the fact that his scrupulous attention to details has saved him four dollars and seventy-five cents, and asks their opinion as to whether or not an attempt were not made to cheat him.  His listeners talk about you in a mild-mannered way—­