Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-03-01
from Dlackwoo1's Magazine for January.l
THE BANKING HOUSE.
[Concludod.l
a HISTORY IN THREE PARTS.

CHAPTER w. THE CRISIS.
Michael &as half mad in tho midst OF his troub-
les; audi in truth, they gathered so IhickIy aud
rapidly about Tim, that he is to be admired iorlhe
iulu check which lac conlrlyed to Keep over his
reason, saving him from absolute insanity and
lunauc asl lun,. Dir. l}eliamy, although away
made free with the capital Of the bank aud ap
pied it to h.s own private USES Mr. bramWel,
senior, after having Tor many years madc good to
Acruft the losses the latter had sustained through
his sons extravaganza NJ length grew ufed o! The
work, aud left tho neighborl God in disgust, as
Michael thought but in snd truth with "A bruised
and broken hcur A. last he had dismissed the
long CHERISHED hope ul n prodigais reformation,
and with his lntps, hGpe departed every WISH TO
look upon his Fastening decay md fall He
crawlgd from the SCeue--ihe country no one
knew his course not soul was cognlzant OF his
intentions or could guess his resting place. Au-
pusius Theodore did not, III consequence OF his
fathers absence. draw less lutiousy upon the
Lauk He had never heard oil that fathers gem
crostv--how should lie know OF Il now! Ana
if he knew it,, WIS he very likely to prOht by the
information? Michael honored his drafts for ma
nv reasons two may be mentioned, founded on
hone and lcar--lhe hope Of frightening the un-
fortunate Brammel senior, into payment when he
me, with him pgain tho fenr OF making Bran
mel Junior desperate by his refusal and OF his de-
yulglng all he knew. Could man, not crazy,
carry more care upon his BRAIN: Yes, for de-
mau,ls on account OF planner poured in, the very
instant that fortunate Spectator had taken his
lucky leave of the labshment-demands Tor
which Michael had rendered himself liable IL
law by the undertaking which he had drawn up
and signed in his alarm and haste Oh, why had
he overwhelmed himself with purlners-why
had he married - why had he taken upon himself
the responsibility OF his parent debts why had
H. not explained every Thing when We might have
done il w.t. honor and advantage had he
not relied upon his own lntegrlty-aud why had
he attempted, with cunning and duplciy, tu over
reach his neigIhors? Why, Oh WAY, had he
done all this When Michael WAS tairIy hemmed
il by his difficulties, and, Us it is vuigarly said,
had not q leg 10 stand upon, or "a hole to creep
through then, aud not ull then, did he put these
various questions to himself AMI since some
what singular that shrewd man should have
waited until the last moment To put queries ol
such vast importance 10 himself, | shall dwell
here tor one brie moment OH The fact, be it only
TO remind and 10 warn others, equally srewd and
equally clever, Of The mischief they are doing
when they postpone the consideration of their
motives aud acts until motives and acls both have
brought them into distress, on of which all their
consideration will not move them all inch. "Nhy
have cone 2" WAS, is, and ever will he, the viii
ming nenogative of stricken inability; Thy am
about 10 do q the provldeni question OF thought
full iar-seeing success. Remember that.
am really afraid to say how much of poor
nurIuretS fortune was dragged from her-how
little of il still remained. 1t must have been n
,rihe, indeed, when Michael, with Il solemn oath
swore that he would not touch one farming more
let the consequences be what they might Could
it be possible that the whole OF her splendid in
heritance had shrupk 10 so paItry sum, that the
grasping man had ceased TO think il worth his
while to touch it? or did the dread OF beholdng
the coufding woman, beggar'd at last, induce 10
leave at her disposal enough to purchase her nee
Ira bntp ~ il hp ppr.
sisted in his resolution, and to the end was faith
full TO his oath. Not another slXpence did he take
from her. And how much the better was he Tor
oil he had taken already? Poor Michael had MOI
time TO enquire aud answer the question. lie
could not employ his precious moments in retro
spectIon. lie lived from hand to mouth strug
gied every hour TO meet the eXigencies of the
hour thai followed He was absorbed in the All
taied present. and dared not look All inch away
from il. Now, than rs TO The efforts of her pco
ple England is Christian country {; aud When
ever fortune goes very hard with IA man WHO has
received all the assistance Mat his immediate con
upXions can afford him. there is bruevolcn
brotherhood al hand, eager 10 relieve the sufferer
wants and to put an end to his anxiety. This
charitable hand is known by the name Ui .H0aey
lenders JetoiSh money lend 9rs called, doubt
in profound humility and self Genial displayed il
the Christians wish to give The honor OF the worl
elsewhere, reserylng 10 himself the labor and
the prOuI NHen bICDdCl needed lICSh supplies
he was no. long in gathering a gang of harpes
bout him. They Kept Their victim for n Will,
well alloat. They permitted their principal Il
accumulate in his hands, whilst they received full
half of their advances back in the form OF inter.
est. So he went on ; aud how long this gam
would have lasted it is impossible TO say, becaus
it was cut short in its height by circumslunc
that brought the topping house down, as it were
with a blow and run.
When Allcra(t one morning at his usual houi
presented himself at the bank, his conidenlia
clerk approached him with very serious face
aud placed newspaper in his hand. Mchue
had grown vely limld and eXcltahle; aud whe
the clerk put his finger OH lac particular spot +
which he desired TO call his superior's attention
the heart OF the nervous man eapt into his thrOa
and the blood rushed nom his cheek as if it Wer
its duty to go aud look a'ler il. lie literally wan
ted The courage 10 read the words. lie alcniple
10 smile ndflerenily, and thank his servant Il
courleousy us if he had gwen him pinch {
snuff; but at the same time, lac pressed his thuul
upon the paragraph, and made his way to hIs suu
aud private roOm. lie WAS ready 10 drop Nhe
he reached it, aud his heart beat like hammt
agnnsl his ribs. lie placed the paper on the Il
Bile and ere he read Il - liable, hc IHbOred to cniI
nose himself " hat could ii be 7 u as HE lhii
exploded? Was lac already the common la,k
men? Was he ruined and disgraced? lie rra
at length 80 The property aud estates Of IYdiir
Ills first sensation OH perusing The adterlsomcI
was one OF oyerpowern- sickness Here, thel
was his destruction geuled! Here was the dec
Iara,ion of poverty trumpsled TO The world. Ilel
was The alarm sounded here was his doom pro
claimed Let there be rlln upon the bank-an
who could Stop it now ?-le i. last for lour-aut
twenty hour, and he is himself Il bankrupt II
outcast, and begger.
The tale was lod--lha disastrous history W,
closed. He had spun his wob-had been his ow
destiny. God help and pardon HIM for his tran
gresSious There he sat, unhappy creature, weel
ing, aud weeping like heart broken boy, sol
bling aloud from the very depths OF lilo soui iral
tic with distress For iull hall hour he sat lher
now cenchlng his fists in silent agony, now az
cusing himself Of crime, now permIIng horrb
visions 10 take possession OF his BRAN, aud
madden il with their terrible aud lrulhlike gar,
He saw himself whilst his closed eyes were pres
sed up on his puralysed hands-saw himself d
paIpnby us though he stood before himself, craw