Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1831-01-13
A TRUE STORY.
From a Massachusetts, I

lively rich, and was highly respected and
honored. But unexpected losses thwarted
his schemes his property diminished by
| degrees; he became disconsolate and dis
pirited; his pretended friends, one by one,
fell away; and, having no fixed principles
! of virtue, it is by no means wonderful that
he became dissipated in his habits, and his
wife and family comparatively unhappy
About this time he ascertained that his
| debts were much more than he could pay,
and that his creditors were about TO admin
lister upon what he possessed. Under
! these circumstances he determined to abb
scond, and in such a way as to prevent de-
lection. Accordingly he privately procur-
ed a new suit Of clothes, selected a horse
from his stable, and, having deposited his
ordinary clothes and hat on the beach of a
pond, Ito induce his creditors to believe he
had committed sucide) protected by the
darkness OF an autumnal night, he precip-
itately and silently left his native village.
He had determined to seek home in the
western wilds where his character and re-
sources were unknown, and shaped his
course to that region. Late one afternoon
he arrived at an inn in village on the
west bank Of the Hudson, with only a SIN
gle dollar in his pocket.
AT the inn where he stopped, there hap
pened to be an agent of the state of New
York, disposing Of the lands in the south
western part of that State at public auc-
ton. Being dressed in the garb of gen.
tleman, his fellow dodgers took him for
land speculator, who had, like themselves,
come to purchase at the sale; and he de-
termincd to maintain the character with
which they had so unceremoniously invest
ed him, but TO be SO cautious in his bids as
not the means of meeting. He common
ced bidding indiscriminately, and contrary
to his expectation, large tract in what is
now called the Susquehannah country
was struck off to him. His thoughts were
now directed to the invention of plan by
which he could get rid of his bargain with
out confessing his poverty. Finally he de-
termined to wait till the inmates of the
house were wrapped in slumber, then
mount his horse, and by taking French
leave, get rid of his bargain and tavern bill,
together. With this intention he told the
agent that as it was too late, he would at
tend to. making the deed and paying the
ten per cent of the purchase money in the
morning. This course being assented to,
he retired to his chamber, but not to rest.
Like many other people he abhorred pow
erty worse than crime, and could not bear
the idea of exposure among those with
whom he had passed as wealthy man.
After the house became still, he cautiously
descended from his chamber to carry his
plan into execution but what was his cha
grin and modification to find that his va
lice was locked in the bar and his horse in
the stable, and to obtain either of them was
utterly out of his power.
With feelings that may be imagined but
cannot be described, he returned to his
chamber, where he passed night Of in
tense mental suffering and slcepless agony.
AS might have been expected, he deferred
leaving his lodgings much beyond the ordi-
nary hour, vainly endeavored to devise
way of escape from his dilemma, when his
reverie was broken by the intelligence that
two gentlemen who had just arrived, wish.
ed to speak with him. Here was new
source of trouble he had no acquaintance
in that part of the world, and he had nc
doubt but his creditors in Oxford had dis
covered his flight, pursued him, and were
now about to strip him of the little proper
I ty he had brought away, or to carry him
back in disgrace. So intently were his
feelings excited, that two or three messages
were sent before he could muster resolu-
ton sufficient to leave his chamber. AT
length finding he could not invent an ex-
cuse for longer delay, with FACILITATING
heart he descended.
The two gentlemen who had requested
an interview met him, and he felt greatly
relieved on finding them to be perfect stran-
gers to him. They Immediately entered
on their business, by inquiring of Mr.. II.
wherher he was the gentleman who bought
certain tract of land on the evening pre-
yious. On his replying in the affirmative,
| they informed him that they had just re-
turned from viewing the land that they
intended to have been at the sale, but
we're detained one day on the road by an
extraordinary storm and concluded by
asking him If he was disposed, for a suita-
BILE consideration, to relinquish his right to
the tract
This conversation had an astonishing eff
feet on the feelings Of Mr.. H. He saw
that, instead Of being pursued by his mer-
ciless creditors, the door of fortune was
thrown open before him; and it was with