If I
dealt fairly by my men and established relations of mutual confidence
and dependence, it was not in the hope that my ways might be approved
and commended, but because it paid, in more ways than one. I wanted my
men to have a lively interest in the things which were of importance to
me, that their efforts might be intelligent and direct; and I was glad
to enter into their schemes, either for pleasure or for profit, with
such aid as I could give. Cordial understanding between employee and
employer puts life into the contract, and disposes of perfunctory
service, which simply recognizes a definite deed for a definite
compensation. Uninterested labor leaves a load of hay in the field to be
injured, just because the hour for quitting has come, while interested
labor hurries the hay into the barn to make it safe, knowing that the
extra half-hour will be made up to it in some other way.
It pays the farmer to take his help into a kind of partnership, not
always in his farm, but always in his consideration. That is why my
farm-house was filled with papers and magazines of interest to the men;
that is why I spent many an evening with them talking over our
industries; that is why I purchased an organ for them when I found that
Mrs.
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