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8) When organizations get large and complex they tend to break functions into larger units and
assign one or more staff the responsibility for these activities.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 40
9) When organizations get large and complex sharing of information happens only at higher
levels of management.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 40
2
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
10) The functional silo problem gave birth to BPR.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 40
11) The business process view flattens the organization structure from a matrix to a hierarchical
structure.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 41
12) Information systems that work independently and are grouped by the various functions
and/or departments are known as silos.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 42
13) Independent information systems are good for sharing data between users.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 43
14) Functional silos deliver value through their cross-functional performance but are evaluated
for their functional performance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 43
15) Silo environments help to foster enterprise decision-making and overall effectiveness.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 43
17) The distributed system architecture has been commonly used in organizations for quite some
time.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
18) The first generation of computer architecture was the decentralized approach.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
3
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
20) A centralized computer architecture is based on using servers to share data and applications.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
21) A distributed architecture is good for ERP systems because they are flexible and scalable.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
22) The manufacturing area has basically the same information needs and reporting requirements
as the marketing area.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
24) Decision support systems take data from the TPSs in the organization to help managers make
better decisions.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 45
25) Expert systems are a type of Executive Support System to support top-level executives.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 45
26) Silos will probably not prevent customer service representatives from accessing customer
data payment records in real-time.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 38
27) Systems integration can't help employees at a lower levels make better decisions and feel
more empowered and productive.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 38
28) The people issues are the most challenging in systems integration.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 38
29) Functional department heads will probably lose control of the data they produce in an
integrated system.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 39
4
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
30) Getting employee buy-in on a systems integration project is very critical for the success of
the integrated system.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 39
31) One consequence of making information more easily shared will be that integrated systems
won't make it easier to get illegal access to the data.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 41
32) CEOs and Presidents are involved in planning the long-term strategy of the organization.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 37
33) Lower-level managers rarely focus on the day-to-day operations of the organization.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 38
34) A cross-functional task such as order processing involves interactions between sales,
warehousing and accounting.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 40
36) The three major types of information system architectures include centralized, decentralized
and distributed systems architectures.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
37) Today's information systems are based on a centralized architecture that allows sharing of
applications and data resources between the end user and the server computers.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 44
38) The distributed system architecture is very complex requiring careful planning and design.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 45
39) Information systems support the major functional areas of a business including
manufacturing, finance, accounting, human resources, and marketing.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 45
5
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
40) Operating systems and databases are examples of systems that support the end-users directly.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 46
41) A(n) ________ provides a visual dashboard of strategic information to top-level management
in real time.
A) DSS
B) TPS
C) ESS
D) OAS
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 45
42) Information systems that are used for generating reports for mid-level managers are known
as:
A) ESS.
B) DSS.
C) databases.
D) MIS.
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 45
43) Systems integration means allowing access to a shared data resource by people from
different ________ areas of the organization.
A) functional
B) geographical
C) decisional
D) logical
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 46
44) At the physical level, systems integration means providing seamless connectivity between
________ systems.
A) software
B) functional
C) distributed
D) heterogeneous
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 46
6
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45) Business ________ reengineering involves changing the mindset of employees to do their
tasks in a new way.
A) software
B) system
C) process
D) task
E) function
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 46
46) To get employees to do their task in a new way, managers must get them to shift their focus
from achieving ________ goals to organizational goals.
A) procedural
B) departmental
C) functional
D) individual
E) practical
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 46
47) One step in the systems integration process is to develop a policy on whether older,
________ systems will be supported and maintained.
A) business
B) functional
C) departmental
D) legacy
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 47
48) To avoid support and maintenance problems with the integrated system it is important to
create a ________ IT help desk and support.
A) strategic
B) business
C) centralized
D) network
E) distributed
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 47
7
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49) If there is a system failure or a major disaster it is crucial that a good ________ system for
the integrated system be in place.
A) hardware
B) backup and recovery
C) database
D) crisis management
E) electrical
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 47
50) The first step in systems integration is to take inventory of the various IT ________ being
used in the organization.
A) resources
B) databases
C) hardware components
D) integrated systems
E) web-enabled applications
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 47
51) ________ tools are good for short-term integration of existing applications in the
organization.
A) Hardware
B) Data integration
C) Real-time access
D) Business process integration
E) Middleware
Answer: E
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 46
52) In general, the biggest benefits of implementing an integrated system include a reduction in
inventory and ________ costs.
A) personnel
B) direct
C) material
D) silo
E) indirect
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 48
8
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
53) Being able to approve a customer's credit application on the spot is an example of how
integrated systems can provide better:
A) resources.
B) market research.
C) information visibility.
D) support.
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 49
54) A side benefit of integration is that the organization is forced to ________ its hardware,
software, and IT policies.
A) review
B) reengineer
C) upgrade
D) standardize
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 48
55) Because of the high initial setup costs for the integrated system, it is particularly crucial to
have a strong commitment from:
A) the consultants.
B) the IT staff.
C) top management.
D) the employees.
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 49
56) Because systems integration often involves sharing information across departments, this
often creates ________ among the functional departments.
A) power conflicts
B) new opportunities
C) network failures
D) better decisions
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 49
57) Many benefits of integrated systems are ________ so they are difficult to quantify.
A) financial
B) operational
C) intangible
D) decisional
E) tangible
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 48
9
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58) ERP systems are integrated, multi-module ________ software packages.
A) network
B) web-service
C) database
D) application
E) platform
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 48
59) At the ________ level, ERP systems require organizations to focus on business processes
rather than functions.
A) presentation
B) logical
C) middleware
D) physical
E) hardware
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 49
60) ERP systems come with built-in ________ for a variety of functions such as entering a
customer order.
A) tasks
B) vendors
C) processes
D) users
E) roles
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 50
61) Because of an ERP system, customers should be able to find out ________ the current status
of their orders.
A) eventually
B) on the web
C) in real-time
D) quickly
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 50
62) Hershey's ERP project failed initially because they failed to break their existing:
A) chocolate bars.
B) functional silos.
C) cross-functional roles.
D) hardware resources.
E) software development patterns.
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 50
10
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63) The current generation of ERP systems does not work well with ________ architecture on
legacy platforms.
A) in-house
B) distributed
C) grid
D) centralized
E) cross-platform
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 51
64) An organization that wants to connect its systems with its partners and suppliers needs to
have a robust ________ system in place.
A) supply chain
B) ERP
C) DSS
D) TPS
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 51
65) One benefit of ERP systems is that they allow organizations to quickly form and break
________ with other companies.
A) networks
B) web services
C) protocols
D) alliances
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 51
66) Integrated systems should ________ share information with one another.
A) never
B) slowly
C) rarely
D) seamlessly
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 37
67) Manually reentering data in a system ________ leads to more errors and inaccuracies.
A) rarely
B) usually
C) always
D) never
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 37
11
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
68) Early business organizations focused on breaking complex work tasks into ________ tasks
that could be more easily managed and controlled.
A) larger
B) more complex
C) smaller
D) non-working
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 37
69) The hierarchical layers of an organization from strategic planning to operational control
represent ________ silos.
A) horizontal
B) matrix
C) corn
D) vertical
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 39
70) As organizations get more ________ and more virtual, information sharing and
communication problems get worse.
A) centralized
B) geographically dispersed
C) automated
D) integrated
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 40
71) The business process view flattens the organization from a hierarchical to a ________
structure.
A) vertical
B) relational
C) matrix
D) horizontal
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 40
72) A(n) ________ organization focuses all its business processes around improving its
relationship with its customers.
A) sales oriented
B) non-profit
C) vertical
D) customer-centric
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 41
12
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73) ________ systems focus on individual tasks and/or functions rather than on a process and
supporting team collaboration.
A) Matrix
B) Vertical
C) Hierarchical
D) Silo
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 42
74) In silo systems information is captured and re-entered several times and is not available in
________.
A) batches
B) real-time
C) back-ups
D) hardcopy
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 42
75) The evolution of Information Systems is often viewed as a(n) ________ change process in
which technologies, human factors, organizational relationships and tasks change continuously.
A) easy
B) automated
C) simplified
D) socio-technical
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 44
76) How have organizations evolved into vertical silos over the years? What impact does this
have on information sharing?
Answer: Since the late 1960s, researchers found that organizations divided up responsibility in
hierarchical layers. These layers were associated with strategic planning, management control,
and operational control. These layers in the organization helped to define the business roles at
each level; i.e. CEOs focused on strategic planning, managers focused on management control,
and line-level people were involved in day-to-day operations. With respect to information
sharing and systems, each layer has different information and reporting needs, so they typically
had totally separate systems to support their individual needs. These systems were not oriented
towards sharing information up and down the vertical silo or hierarchy.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 38
13
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
77) How have organizations evolved into horizontal silos over the years? What impact does this
have on information sharing?
Answer: The idea of breaking up the business into horizontal silos goes back to the early 1900s.
This was when a researcher first divided up a business into five basic areas; planning,
organizing, coordinating, commanding and controlling. This later evolved into the functional
areas or departments that we use today; i.e. Accounting, HR, Marketing, Finance, and
Management. This way tasks could be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks and
assigned to specific people who would be held responsible for them. However, this focus on
smaller tasks and individuals led to the development of specific information systems to support
them. These systems were not designed with sharing in mind since the organization as a whole
was not as concerned with this. So sharing information was especially difficult since there was
little support for the "process view" of the organization.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 37
78) List and describe at least three different limitations of systems integration.
Answer: One obvious limitation of these systems is that they have a very high cost of
implementation for the hardware, software and labor involved. These systems can also lead to
major conflicts among the leaders of the various functional departments, since they know that by
openly sharing their data they may be giving up some of their own individual power. These
systems are often criticized for limiting the creativity of the individual departments which can
also lead to important innovations. By forcing everyone to use the same system and procedures
this may impact future innovations. Also, making the financial case for these systems can be
difficult since so many of the benefits are intangible and also because other benefits may not
show for several years out.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 49
79) How does changing from a functional view to a process view of the business impact the
structure of the organization?
Answer: The idea of using the business process, such as order processing, as an alternative way
of grouping people and resources can have a large impact on the structure of the organization.
First, people are evaluated on a new set of process metrics as opposed to the old view of
measuring employees solely on the performance of their functional area. The business process
view also leads to a flattening out of the organizational structure from a hierarchical to a more of
a matrix structure. This is because decisions and information are pushed down the hierarchy and
resources to some extent too.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 40
14
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
80) Describe three different limitations of integrating systems.
Answer: The initial implementation of integrated systems is high in terms of both hardware and
software costs and human costs due to the re-engineering of business processes. Systems
integration often involves sharing of information across department and interdepartmental teams.
This often creates power conflicts among the functional departments if they have not bought into
the integration. The return on investments (ROI) from systems integration often do not show up
until several years after the implementation, and many of these returns come in intangible form
and are therefore not recognized on the bottom line of the organization. One last limitation that
often occurs with integrated systems is that it restricts creativity and independence in the
functional areas since they must now work together in a standardized format.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 48
81) List and describe the three main information system architectures.
Answer: An information system architecture is important because it describes how computing
resources will be accessed and shared throughout the organization. This is especially important
for the design of the integrated information systems. Originally, users had to connect to a
mainframe computer with a variety of terminals in what was a very centralized IS architecture.
With the advent of personal computers on everyone's desktop, computing became very
decentralized since they had limited connections to other computers. Eventually, these personal
computers were all linked up together in Client/Server networks in what is now known as a
distributed IS architecture. This current model provides huge improvements in speed, power and
access to data and applications, and does so for lower costs.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 44
82) What is a distributed architecture? Why is it used so much for integrated systems such as
ERP?
Answer: The current systems being developed are based on the distributed architecture. This
architecture depends on complex networks of client machines and servers linked up over a
variety of networks. It combines features of both the centralized and decentralized architectures
in that each user has a powerful machine and local resources, but can also access a wider variety
of powerful applications and data stored on the more powerful servers on the network. This kind
of architecture was crucial to the development of integrated systems such as ERP because they
helped link up users in different functional areas and gave them better access to common data
and applications. They were also cheaper and more scalable so more servers could be added to
the system as needed.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 44
15
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
83) Briefly describe three different levels in an organization and the different categories of
information systems that support them.
Answer: At the bottom of the organizational hierarchy are all the operating systems and
database applications which the IT staff have to use in order to do their jobs. Line managers and
operations staff also have to have access to Transaction Processing Systems which every
organization needs to record transactions such as sales orders and purchase orders. At the highest
level of the organization, executives use Executive Support Systems to get a graphical view of
how the organization is performing. Other important systems include Office Automation
Systems for clerical staff, Management Information Systems for mid-level managers, and
Decision Support Systems which are designed for Knowledge Workers.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 40
84) What is the difference between logical and physical systems integration? Give an example of
each.
Answer: Logical integration refers to how users get access to data across functional areas. For
example, sales people need to get approval for customer credit from the credit managers in the
finance department so this would be logical integration in the order processing process.
Underneath the logical integration, the required applications and databases need to be connected
physically. For example, customer data in a mainframe system may have to be linked up with
credit management applications running on a Client/Server network. This would be an example
of physical systems integration.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 46
16
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
Other documents randomly have
different content
“I never see you reading with the other men in the evening,” I told
him. “Men who love solitude are either very good or very bad.”
“I will try to do better,” he answered, “but for so many years I have
been used to being by myself.”
“Still one has to live in the world—and our world here is rather
small,” I said. “Cheerfulness is a duty one owes to his own soul.”
“And to others,” he added.
“Yes, and to others,” I replied.
"I am inclined to view lightly my duty to others. I owed a debt—a
great debt once—to others, and I have paid it. They measured it out
of my life, the payment they demanded. I have paid it—paid it in
tears and wretchedness—paid it out of my heart and soul. Now I
prefer to live apart.... The Indians, so the poet says, when on the
march, leave their old and sick alone to die. I am a sick savage, and
as such, I ask my rights."
“Do you believe in the Great Spirit and the Happy Hunting Grounds?”
I asked gently, for I knew he had no Indian blood in his veins.
“Their religion is as good as many another, and quite as poetical.”
“Then go into the forest and pray to your Great Spirit,” I said. “Only
don’t discredit him by being inconsiderate of others who would be
kind to you.”
“Do I not do my work?” he asked, with rising anger.
“You are expected to do your work, but I am not speaking to you on
that subject. I want to know what you are thinking about while you
are at work.”
“If you please, that is my own affair.”
“If you please, it is my affair also. You came out here to have me
help you. I want to help you.”
“You have helped me; you took me into this Colony when my father
had closed the door on me; you have given me food—such as it is—
and out of the clothes sent in you have given me this second-hand
suit.”
“And you have worked like the other men and paid by your labor for
what you received?”
“Yes.”
“And that is all there is to it?”
“Yes.”
“It is very, very little I have done for you,” and I started to leave
him.
“Wait a moment”—he stopped me. “I did not intend to be unkind to
you. You have treated me much better than I have deserved.”
“It is something to have even simple food when one is hungry,” I
said, severely. “You have also more courage than when you came. In
your work you know courage is quite important. You will soon be
able to go back to your old life.”
“No, not that,” his voice becoming less hardened. "In these days I
have lived with you and observed the happiness you get out of your
work—in spite of its sacrefice—and compared it with my own way of
living, I can not understand how I could have ignored the good
there’s in me. But, really, you should not expect us all to be as
cheerful as you are. You may see clearly the Truth that we see only
through a glass darkly."
“So you plan to live like an honest man?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I have not really lost after all,” I said, thoughtfully.
“What did you say?” he questioned, not having heard clearly my
remark.
“I said that if you have determined to live honestly, that is
something.”
That evening I saw him walking up and down the kitchen floor with
our Baby in his arms—for that Winter we had a homeless mother
and Baby at the Colony. The Baby was kicking and laughing as he
carried her with measured stride around the room.
“I simply must put her to sleep,” he said, confidingly.
“Why don’t you sing to her,” I suggested.
“I am hazy on my slumber songs,” he said.
A little later the Baby was nodding with half closed eyes.
“Doesn’t she look pretty,” said the admiring mother.
“She looks like Jeffries at the end of the fifth,” was Jim’s reply.
A few moments later I heard him as he walked, singing music of his
own improvising to the words of Wilde’s prison poem:
"With slouch and swing around the ring,
We trod the Fools’ Parade!
We did not care; we knew we were
The Devil’s Own Brigade;
And shaven head and feet of lead
Make a merry masquerade."
III
The Winter was nearly over when “Slippery Jim” came to me and
expressed a wish to return to the World again. If his father would
only accept him once more!
My observation of a father’s attitude towards his prodigal son is that
the moment the son desires to live as he ought, not only do closed
doors open, but the father stands ready with outstretched arms to
receive him. This supposedly harsh father, when he was convinced
that his Jim had worked faithfully at the Colony for several months,
was anxious that his son return home. Even the boy’s old employer
expressed sympathy and offered a position to him.
When this good news came I did not have to tell the boy anything
about its being one’s duty to be cheerful. He wanted to dance a clog
on the table in the men’s reading room.
Early the next morning he left us, not waiting to thank us, which was
quite unnecessary; nor hardly stopping to say good-bye to us. But a
few days afterward he wrote to me, saying that after four years he
was back with his father and mother, brother and sisters, in his own
room, sleeping in his own bed. The family had arranged it just the
same as it had been before he left them for those sad years in
prison. His father had purchased him a new suit for Easter. The next
day he was to start to work.
Nearly a year later he visited me. His work had taken him out of
town. "When I first met you," he said. “I didn’t have a home. Now it
is a question which one to visit first, but I thought I would come out
to see you, and then go this evening and see my other father.”
OUR FRIEND, THE ANARCHIST.
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
—Bible.
A Bashful Beggar
T is his diffidence,” the good lady told me, “that has
caused the young man to fail dismally in this strenuous
age of materialism. His is a gentle spirit!”
At their first meeting, she told me, when he called at
her home and asked for something to eat, he appeared
so shy and embarrassed that she was immediately interested in him.
He blushed and stammered in a most pitiable way, and after he had
eaten heartily of the roast beef and potatoes placed before him he
wanted to hurry away, hardly having the courage to remain and
thank his benefactor.
The good lady told me all this in such a serious manner that I felt I
must accept it seriously, and when she suggested that I drive over to
a neighboring village to meet the boy at the train, because, being
unaccustomed to travel, he could never find his way alone to the
Colony, I arranged to meet him.
There are simple-minded men—mental defectives—who are
oftentimes helpless as children, and I was inclined to put this boy in
that class.
But the lad whom I found waiting for me at the station came out to
meet me in a manner so self-possessed that for the instant I was
startled. The report of him seemed to be much in error.
“I ought not to have put you to all this trouble,” he said, in ready
apology.
“The letter,” I replied, “stated that you might not be able to find your
way.”
He gave me a sly, shrewd glance, and then, confident that he was
understood, he said simply, “Indeed?”
“Naturally you did not confide in the lady who sent you, that you had
freighted it through most States as far as the railroads go?”
“No, I did not approach her as a penitent at confessional,” he
answered, “but rather as a panhandler at the side door. Confession
may help to advance a man spiritually, but to a man living on the
material plane, would you advise it?”
“Is it true,” I asked, “that you stammered and blushed when our
friend offered you roast beef and potatoes?”
“It is my best canvass,” he replied.
We had driven some distance while this conversation was in
progress, and coming to cross-roads, I was uncertain of the
direction.
“Go in to that farmhouse, please,” I said to my companion, pointing
to a cheerful looking home a short distance from the road, “and
inquire the way?”
He alighted quickly and went around to the side door out of my
sight. I waited, every moment expecting him to return with the
desired information, and was growing impatient when he came out
to me, his face beaming with the enthusiasm that follows a
successful interview.
“This is your share,” he said, holding out a generous portion of hot
apple pie to me. “The lady who lives here is a motherly soul—very
proud of her cooking, and the pie did smell most tempting—I could
not resist.”
“Did you use your usual ‘blush and stammer’ method to solicit this
pastry?” I questioned him.
“No, she was as hungry for my compliments as I was for her apple
pie, so we simply made a fair exchange.”
“And the directions back to the Colony?”
“The direction?” and he felt extremely stupid. “I felt all the time that
—in my sub-conscious mind—there was a thought trying to assert
itself.”
“But the strength of a bad habit,” I remarked, “held back the
thought: habit is a strong force for good or evil, for it perpetuates
itself by a form, as it were, of auto-suggestion. You know all
suggestions are powerful.”
“It is good pie, isn’t it?” he asked, irrelevantly.
FRITZ AND HIS SUN DIAL
“The small task—well performed—opens the
door to larger opportunity.”
One Sunday I overheard Fritz talking excitedly out near the spot
where the dial was stationed. I thought he had for the moment
forgotten he was a Self Master—as all men are likely at times to
forget. But when I went out to check the noise, I found that Fritz
had ten or fifteen of the men standing in front of him and he was
saying:
“It is easy to do—to measure the distance to the Sun, or the
distance from one planet to another. There are a hundred methods,
many of them as simple as it is to measure the length of a building.”
“You are a student of astronomy?” I asked.
“Yes, for many years, I have studied the German books on
astronomy. It is my pleasure.”
From that day our respect for Fritz was established. There is an
aristocracy of learning; we doff our hats to even the beggar who
knows.
The visitors were all interested in Fritz’s queer looking sun-dial,
made out of a square board and piece of telegraph wire.
Automobiles halted by the roadside to look at it. The children
insisted on setting their Ingersolls by its falling shadow. A well
known physician stood examining the dial one day. He took out his
watch to make comparison.
“Very clever,” he said, “very clever; now let me see Fritz.” And Fritz
came out.
“He isn’t much to look at,” the Doctor whispered to me, as the old
German approached us.
Just then the five o’clock whistle blew. The Doctor and I looked at
the dial.
“The shadow,” I said, “falls on the figure five.”
“Quite true,” replied the Doctor.
“It must,” said Fritz, quietly; “it must, for the wire points to the North
Star.”
The Doctor smiled, as he spoke: “A man intelligent enough to make
that dial can, at least, care for my stable and horses.... Fritz, would
you like to work for me? I have some splendid horses and I pay well
for their care.”
“I will go gladly,” said Fritz; “when do you want me?”
“To-morrow,”
“May I go, Mr. Floyd?”
“On one condition,” I said.
“What is it?”
“You must give the Colony your sun-dial.”
“It is nothing, but you may have it if you like.”
The next day Fritz was given a good suit of clothes, a collar and tie.
“I don’t know about the collar and tie,” said the old man; “I have not
worn one for many months.”
Three or four of the boys helped him to button on the collar and
arrange the ascot effectively. Then the Doctor came with his best
span of pet horses.
“Jump in with me, Fritz,” he said.
The old German, smiling, climbed in and then turned, took his hat
off to me and the boys.
“Thank you.... Good luck,” he said.
“You take the reins and drive,” said the Doctor.
Fritz buttoned his coat tightly around him, straightened up his old
bent back and taking the reins he proudly drove away.
“He did not come in a carriage,” said a boy.
“It is the Self Masters that helped him,” said another.
“You forget about the Sun-dial,” I said.
Compounding a Felony
HERE was a knock at the door, but no one thought of
answering it until it was repeated—more faintly, a
second time—then one of the young men opened it,
saying to the newcomer, “It is never locked, my boy.”
In stepped a lad some seventeen years of age, and
inquired in a voice hardly audible if he could stay all night.
The young men sent the new arrival to me for an answer to his
request. It was readily to be seen that the boy was in a state of
great excitement. He acted so strangely that, contrary to custom, I
asked him why he had come.
“The police are after me,” he stammered, as he turned and looked
nervously at the door.
“What have you done?” I questioned the boy.
"I stole a bicycle and the owner just saw me walking along the
street and started to chase me, calling after me, ‘Stop, thief!’ A
crowd began to gather and I had all I could do to get away. I ran
around a building and joined the crowd in the search; then, after a
little, I dropped out of sight again and decided that I would go out
to you for advice."
"Where is the bicycle now?" I questioned.
“I sold it,” he said.
“Where is the money you got for it?”
“I spent it.” He began to cry.
“And now your conscience starts to trouble you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“My lad,” I told him, “this is no hiding place for boys who steal, and
for whom the police are searching.”
The boy did not reply; he turned aside and brushed away the tears
with his cap. Then he started slowly towards the door.
“So I can’t stay?” he said finally.
“I am afraid not,” I replied.
He went to the window and peered out into the night.
“They’ll get me,” he said, hopelessly, “and when they do it means a
long term in prison for me.”
“Wait a moment,” I said. “Have you been arrested before.”
“Yes, another boy and myself took some fancy postal cards from a
stationery stand. They were funny pictures that we wanted for our
collection. We were sent to Jamesburg that time. Then since I came
from that institution I was arrested again for something else I did
and I am now out on probation. Next time the judge said he would
give me a long sentence in the Rahway Reformatory.”
“You should have thought of all this sooner,” I said, with a sternness
that I did not feel, for I knew how easily one can drift from an evil
thought into an evil act.
“I heard you helped boys when they needed it,” ventured the young
rascal. “I surely need it now.”
“I may help them when I can,” I replied, “but I never intentionally
make myself a partner in their wrong doing.”
“The judge ought not to give me more than three years,” said the
boy thoughtfully, "even that is a long time.... The bicycle wasn’t
worth more than five dollars any way. The owner said he would sell
it to me for that amount."
At that moment there was a noise in the next room.
“What was that?” asked the lad, trembling with fear.
“Your conscience is quite wakeful, my boy. That was one of the men
closing the windows for the night.”
The boy came over close to me so he could look into my face, and
there was a depth of seriousness in his voice when he said, “So you
think I ought to give myself up and take the consequences?”
“Three years in prison?” I asked, looking straight at the boy. “Three
years in prison!”
The words of Jacob Riis flashed through my mind—“When a boy
goes to prison, a citizen dies.”
“If you were in my place you would give yourself up?” he asked me
pointedly.
I passed my hand across my eyes. Unlike the boy I had no cap with
which to brush away the tears.
“My boy,” I said, “I will be honest with you—I would not give myself
up.”
“What would you do?”
“First, I would make up my mind not to steal any more, then I would
earn money and pay the man for the bicycle.”
A new light came into the boy’s eyes.
“I did not used to be a thief,” he said, “but they made me mad. Ever
since I came from Jamesburg every one watches me. My old boy
friends, my father and mother, the police; someone’s eye is always