'That Knew Not Joseph"

Bv Jack Dionne

I am indebted to that excellent writer of business philosophy, Bruce Barton, for this wonderful Iittle advertising thought. He used it one time in illustrating a talk on the necessity of keeping eternally at it in the business of publicity.

It is from the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Read it. You will find recited the glories of the reign of Joseph when he was King of Egypt. All the earth knew of his wealth, his dignity, his honors, his glories, his kingliness. From the four ends of the earth they came to admire him, and to do hirn homage.

He was the biggest thing in the whole LJniverse. The babes in their cradle lisped of the great King. Graybeards told their children that never before had there been so mighty, so wondrous a King, in all Eeypt's history. It would seem that an impression had been made upon the world that would not fade through the centuries; that the fame of Joseph would never fade.

And right in the very midst of this wondrous recital of the greatness of Joseph and the rnighty im' pression he made upon the world,-just as diametrically as the suddenness with which Niagara drops over the tremendous clifi that makes its cataract-you will frnd thii verse:

"And Joseph died and there arose a new Ling in Egypt that knew not Joseph."

Think of it. One day the greatest man in all the world. The next day, in the Book of Books, this epitaph: "-in Egvpt THAT KNEW NOT JOSEPH."

One day he was as the sun. The next day, Egypt KNEW HIM NOT. Had forgotten him. He had gone down into the eternal promiscuity of the dust, and was wiped from their memories as chalk from the blackboard of life.

And this, says Barton, is what happens to the business that fails to keep up its publicity; fails to keep itself before the minds of the public. One day it rides the crest of the wave, its slogan on every tongue, its virtue in every mind. The next day gone and forgotten, for a new King has risen in Egypt, "that knew not Joseph."

And Barton tells this excellent little story in connection with this same lesson. An advertising man was trying to sell a small town merchant some advertising material. The merchant replied that he didn't need it, that everyone knew him, his business, and where he was located, ris he had been doing business there for twenty years. "And what building is that across the street)" asked the advertising man. "That's the Methodist Church," replied the merchant. "How long has it been tlrere?" asked the ad man. "seventy years," replied the merchant. "And yet," said the advertising man' "I'll bet they RING THE BELL EVERY SUNDAY.'