Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1843-12-23
From Mss Lesiics Aiagaiac,
THE BITTER BITTEN;

THE BITTER BITTEN
OR, A NEW WAY TO COLLECT A bill.
ny ANTHONY ARTIcnoKE, oKNT.
"Sond your bill! around, Doctor Cuspid.
nt, whenever you wan: your money!
snid Mr.. llardpay with courteous smile,
As no held tho door Of fashionable den.
lists room in his hand, in the act Of with.
drawing, after having undergone the OPP
oration Of filling Two superior molars, IN
~erling one pivot tooth, and sundry o,hor
matters Of filling, scraplng, etc.
"very well, sir" replied Cuspidoti bow
Ing in return, and noting at the same
time in the minute book of his mind TWEEN
tv.iiye dolIarsas added to his gains for the
dav. Not content, however, with this
ilncertain mode of keeping accounts, he
pfesently turned TO his day book, and
rave to his obligation more definite
form.
II was, perhaps, three months after, as
NJ. Hardpay, who was a--no matter what
1.-The story will be just as good without
all these particuars--was seated in his
oihce, with his feet on table, smoking
a"regalia," that a gentleman with
very decided way about him, and whom
Hardpay had seen several times before in
Ms life, came in, and after lingering with
quite business air package Of papers
Which he drew from his capacious pocket,
pfesented MIR. H - with small slip
known by the name Of bill. AS he did
20, he said,
81 have something here for you, Mr..
Hardpay."
"Ah, indeed! Well let me see what il
B."-And he took the narrow bit Of pa.
Per, and inspected it with an air Of indil-
Herence and importance.
sob! All! Yes, | see. All right, all
light, Mr.. Perseverance" And smile,
quiet and bland, played on his features.
"When shall call for the amount, Mr..
Hardpayf"
"Oh, any time at all, when your pass
ing.-Any time. 1t makes no difference
IA the world to me-none in the least"
every we'll, sir,n and the collector with.
drew uaut,ering.
n so yes. 1t is easy enough 10 say call
again at any time. But it vii! be call
again. call again. suppose, unto the
end Of the chapter.--Cuspidati is a fool
totrust such kind of people. They new
erpay. And yet, we are expected to run
and run after them, though not one cent
DO we get for our pains unless the money
comes.-and money out OF Hardpay, and
ne numerous tribe TO which he belongs,
N like blood out Of aturnip. wish they
ere all"
And then Perseverance bit his lip to sup
PRESS the words that had we'll nigh leaped
kyonl his tongue--words that our pen
&opld have been grieved at the necessity
Of recording.
twenty-five dollars! Humph! Die
any one ever hear of such an exhorbitanI
charge" eclaimed Hardpay, the moment
the collector had withdrawn. "Twenty
6Ve aollars!! 1t is no better than down
IigM swindling! But he's mistaken hi
nnanif he supposes Pm going 10 submit
% any kind of imposilions. Humph
Too bad! too bad! Every man is chea
lloM.a-days, believe.n
AID then Hardpay tossed the bill from
hlM With angry contempt, and resume'
his fegalia, that had remained during tn,
brietinterview with Perseverance,, helc
carelessly between the fore and middle
fingers 0f his left hand.
Rther poor return this" the den
tlst Een,arked 10 the collector few week
alter The call upon Hardpay, glancing a
he spoke at small slip of paper upo
which he had been summing up tn
afDcuntof collections made for his bene
fitduring the past month.
"Mnney is very hard just now, doc tor,
said Perseverance, shaking his head, ant
elongating his face.
sits always hard, believe," returne
he dentist
sInever knew collections SO difficult q
they are at this particular time. Peopl
don seem to have any money"
@alt my bills are all good. Ever
mbr hat owes me is able to cash tn
anoHht at once.-There are Grimes, an
Martin, and Hardpay-"
s'Herdpay! CALCULATED Perseverance,!r
tefaupling him. "He'll nerer pay. II
doE pay any body
I.Ardpay! Q no,-you must be mil
talsoa.p
lndeed and am not though. hay
bad TOO many bills against him in my tim
end ever got cent from him yet, an
move expect to. wish people wouldn
trus him, for it only gives collector
trouf e for nothing"
Ihy, | thought he was as good as Il
bank
80 he is, as good as the United States
GiraTd Bank.'
You'd better try him again, Pers
ycrance.-Perhaps he'll pay it. Indoe