IS IT PROFITABLE? by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 7, 1878

IS IT PROFITABLE?

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Sometimes, as I have observed what long letters, and what an abundance of them, some of our preaching brethren write, I have seriously questioned the profitableness of it all. Perhaps there are none who are tempted to indulge in this mode of time-killing and money-wasting as Seventh-day Adventist preachers are. Generally they have an extensive acquaintance of very dear friends, and they are away from home a great deal; also they have business now and then with our different offices and our tract officers. Under these circumstances it is very easy to drift into the habit of spending a quarter of one's time, more or less, in writing letters. I think I can safely say that I know of some preachers who spend one-half of their time in writing letters.

I very much question the propriety of this. Of course it is right and very necessary to write letters in many cases, and where a private person indulges in a letter only once in a week or two, he can afford to write a long one; but when you write on an average from two to ten letters a day, the greatest brevity should be studied, otherwise, a large share of a person's time will be squandered in this way. We ought to learn from business men in this particular. Examine the letters of sharp business men. You seldom get more than from six to ten lines from them upon the most important affair. They come right to the point, and state in the fewest words possible what they have to say, and stop short. If they did not, they would soon have time for nothing else.

Time and again I have seen some of our brethren sit down to the table soon after breakfast, and write, write, write, all day long, without taking time for anything else; and just before meeting time in the evening, they would hurry off to the mail with a handful of letters. They would do nothing else that day. In a day or two they would do the same thing over, and finally get into the habit of spending about half of their time at this work. It leaves them little time for study or other important business. Many of these letters are simply friendly letters written to their own family, or something like that. No business firm would employ a man three months, if he spent his time that way. What right have we, then, to spend the Lord's time, or, if you please, the time for which the Conference pays us, in this unprofitable manner.

I grant that it is a very pleasant, agreeable, easy way to spend time. In fact, it is very fascinating. We all love to receive letters, the more the better, particularly from home and dear friends. Once fall into the habit of letter-writing, and it obtains a real power over you; it has a charm for you, as much of a charm as novel-reading, almost. With the slightest excuse a long letter is written.

Look at the cost. This is no slight consideration with a poor man. A sealed letter costs not less than four cents, taking the stamp, envelope, paper, and cost of pens and ink. Suppose that you average only three letters a day (and that is very small for some that I know), that is twelve cents a day. Six days in a week—six times twelve are seventy-two. The cost in fifty-two weeks, or one year, would be $37.44. Who would have thought it? The actual cash cost of three letters a day for a year is $37.44. This would make quite a hole in a small salary. Add to this the value of the time lost, and it is a great deal.

I offer these thoughts for the benefit of those interested, and as an excuse for short letters generally. However, I trust that none will apply this to the letters they expect to write to me. I should not like to have them cut down in length or number, for I am very fond of them, like all others. D. M. CANRIGHT.