Cousin Rufus's Opinions on Hirin' and Firin'

Dear Cousin Cletus,

Folks down at Lem’s Gen’ral Store say folks in the Yankee states had a lot of snow this winter. As long as ah got fahrwood to last all winter, a snug cabin, and enough food, ah think ah could survive.

Mah grandson Harley says his daddy-in-law, Mack, is movin’ to Texas. Can’t take the cold weather. He’s gonna be hirin’ people at a factory. Well, Harley told him he oughta think about hirin’ people that live by the Good Book.

“Why is that?” Mack wanted to know.

“Well,” says Harley, “for one thing they won’t lie, cheat, or steal.”

“What do ya mean?”

“It’s like this, Daddy.” “They taught us in Sunday school it’s a sin to lie. An’ there’s more than one way to lie. A person can lie by words or actions. He can clock in and then goof off when the supervisor’s not around. That’s lying with your actions. Or he can call the boss an' say, 'I'm callin' in sick today' when he just wants to stay home and sleep in. Somebody that lives by God’s Word won’t do that."

“Hm,” says Mack, strokin’ his chin.

“An’ somethin’ else. People that live by the Bible won’t be stealin’ things from the factory. They’ll do like Granddaddy taught us: give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

“You have a point, Harley.”

“You want somebody with a good attitude?” says Harley. “Get a guy or gal that follows the Lord. They’ll show up on time and work the hardest. They won’t cut corners.”

“Well, you’ve given me somethin’ to think about,” says Mack.

“One more thing,” says Harley. “Just because somebody goes to church doesn’t mean they’re a Christian, any more than going into a garage makes them a car. You gotta watch how they live the other six days a week. If they hang out with the good-for-nothin’ crowd, or do bad things, they’re fake as a plug nickel.”

That was Harley’s two cents’ worth to his daddy-in-law, the big hirin’ and firin’ man. Ah hope he listens.

Y’all come visit the holler come spring. We’ll go down to Lem’s Gen’ral Store, sit on the bench and swap stories. He’s still got plenty of orange sodee pop.

Your cuz,

Rufus

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