that their
fathers did before them.

And in touching this question it is worth while considering for a
moment how differently two men or two firms in the same trade will carry
on their businesses, and yet both succeed. To put it more plainly, one
firm will bombard the public with "fetching" advertisements, and get
business, so to speak, at the bayonet's point. Another firm in the same
line of trade lays siege to its customers in a quiet, systematic way,
does its best to prevent any sorties in the direction of rival camps,
and is content to keep its connection well guarded and do business in a
quiet, undemonstrative way.

Of course the man who goes in for publicity--wide publicity--and
assaults the public with "loud" advertisements in all directions, drives
the roaring trade, or the trade that roars loudest. He gets larger
returns, and if his business is well managed he should secure larger
profits. Beside these trade Dives's the humble, quiet, unostentatious
Lazarus seems quite out in the cold. Not so, however. The latter picks
up some good crumbs, if not some pretty substantial crusts, which he
puts into his wallet with a gentle, unostentatious satisfaction which
quite contents him.

I could give chapter and verse for what I am now saying, and without
hesitation or difficulty could name two firms in Birmingham that are
carrying on the same trade, making the same everyday articles of
consumption; yet, while the name of one firm is in everybody's mouth and
is known to the ends of the earth, the name of the other is hardly ever
seen save upon the productions they turn out. Yet I know for a fact that
this latter firm make some nice solid profits out of their quiet
business, though nothing perhaps at all comparable with their more
enterprising rival. It is a case of thousands in one case and tens of
thousands probably in the other. But enterprise should, of course, bring
its own reward.

I fear I have indulged in a rather full-blown parenthesis, but it was
somewhat necessary before going into certain details concerning the two
utterly opposed modes of trading and their exemplifications in
Birmingham. As I have mentioned before, we have in recent years seen the
rise and development of huge establishments and trading concerns that
deal in anything and everything. Cutting and competition have gone on
till there is nothing left to cut, or no weapon left that is sharp
enough to cut finer. The results of all this has been t