Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-15

p00eO U6s WIS ssWo wue ueAs W Wo WV
occupied by Gsasper, who, now tina, h'
had got his own, and had been mnd'
s~nsible Of the indignation Of the oihe
creditors Tor wha, he had done, fell fathe
ashamed to look his neighbor in the face
who has taken your Store y he ask
ed "f the owner Of the property mex, Il
his own. seeing him tske down the bill
that had been up for few days.
'Y"ur old friend LAYTON replied The
man, Who was familiar " iih the story o.
Lsyion's recent failure.
you are not in earnest p said Gras
per Iooking serious.
'Yes, l have rented il to Layton.
He has jus, been broken up root and
branch, and can't get credit for dollar
How can no GO into business 2
Some friends have assisted him.'
Indeed! ! didn't suppose a man ia
his condition had any friends
oh yes; an honest man always has
friends Layton is an honest man, and
! world rrus, him now ns freely as be.
fore ils has learned wisdom by ex.
Pcrtence, and, il ever he gets into diff.
c"l,ies again, he will take good care that
no one man gets an undue preference
ever another. Ills recent failure, ar
told, was caused by one OF his creditors,
who, in the eager desire to get his own
sacrificed large amount Of property, to
the injury oi The other creditors
Grnsper did not venture tn make any
reply to this, lest he should beiray by
his manner the fac, that he was the indi-
vidual to whom slusion was made. lie
need not have been careful on this point,
NJ the person with whom he was con-
versing knew very we'll who was the
grasmng creditor
A day or two afterwards, Layton took
possesaion III his new store, and com
mrnred arranging his goods. Grasper
t'lt uneasy when he saw the doors and
windows open, aud the goods arriving
lie did not wish to meet Layton, but
this could not now be avoided. Much
n he loved money, and much as he had
congratulated himself for the prompiness
by whmh he had secured his debt, he
now more than halt wished he had been
hss stringent in his proceedings.
IL was the custom of Grasper to come
frequently to his door, and stand with his
thumbs ~ his waistc"at, and look forth
with n self satisfied air. But not once
dii he venture thus 10 stand upon his
own threshold 90 the day Layton com
pr need 10 receive his goods. When
business called hi'n out, he was careful
To step into the sireei-so much turned
away from the adjoining store that he
could not see the face Of any one who
might be standing in the entrance. On
returning, h- would glide along close to
the houses, and enter quickly his own
d"or. By this car-fulness TO avoid
meeting his debtor, Grasper managed
not Ia come into direct contact with him
Tor some time. But this was not always
u be- the rase. One day, just as he was
nbou, entering his store, Layton cuL,e
"u, NJ his own door, and they met face
io face
Ah how are YOU, friend Layton p
he snid, with an mir Of forced cordially,
extending hIs hand a. hs spoke. so
y"u have become my next door neigh
bor p
Yes was the reply, made in n
pleasant manner, and without the least
appearance Of resentment for the past.
4 nm really glad to find you are 90
v"pr feet again, said Grssper, affecting
an inters, which he did not feel. For
ihe misfortune you have suffered | al
ways TEL, grieved, although, perhaps, ]
was little to blame for Fastening the
crisis in Your affairs but | had waited
a long time for my money, you know
YES, and others will now have to
wait great deal longer, in conse quence
Of your has,y action replied Lay )ton,
speaking seriously, but not in way to
offend.
i am very sorry, but il can't be help
ed now sa,d Grasper, looking a little
c"niused. Il only took the ordinary
method Of securing my own. If had
not taken care ofmyself, somebody would
have come in and swept the whole -
You know you couldn't possibly have
stood it much longer
'lf you think it right, Mr.. Grasper. |
have nutbing now TO say replied Lay
ton.
You certainly could not call il wrong
for man To sue another who has the
means, yet refusing to pay what he owes
him =
1 think it wrong, Mr.. Grasper,' replied
Layton, for any man to InJuie others IN
his over eagerness to get his own, and
this you did. You seized four times as
many goods as would have paid your
clam, if they had been fairly sold, aud
had them sacrificed for one fourth their
valuc-,hus wronging my creditors ou,
al some three thousand dollars in the
present, and taxing my future Efforts to
make my goods what was no better than
thrown into the sea. You had no moral
right to do this, although you had power.
THIS is my opinion of the matter, Mr..
G'aspcr, and freely express it, in the
hope that, IL ever another man is so un-
fortunate to get in your debt without the
means of present payment, you will be-
less exactlng with him than you we're
with me-
GraapeT withered in spitjt under this