Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-01-12
A Story of an Honest Man.


Years ago, when The now proud city OF
Boston was but a brisk seaport town, with
its houses struggling TO cover the hill-sides
and barren pastures, and not very successful
in the attempt, there lived a man somewhat
celebrated in his way, who ~rejoiced in the
name of Seth Thornton. His way of celeb
rity was and still is a peculiar one-honeslv.
Folks used 10 say that Seth was so intensely
honest, that he was accustomed 10 set aside
a percentage Of his profits in trade, for the
benefit Of the poor as an offset TO any monies
he might by any possibility have become un-
law fully possessed of without his being
aware Of it.
Whether this was so or not, he was ceIe-
brated for his sterling, undertaking honesty,
and without the reward that would have SEEM
ed to have been his due. Seth was poor, al
though he was indebted for his comfort rail-.
er to his economy in life than to his success
in business. He was barely thirty years of
age when the story commences, and was req.
ular and methodical TO a nicely in his tran
saciions, and from that had obtained the sou.
briquet of Old Seth.
So much for premises-now 10 our story.
A dull gloomy day, it was wet without,
cold within, and cheerless everywhere. The
trade was duh as the weather, and Seth was
grubhing up old accounts with severe deter
mination, when he was disturbed by the
creaking Of the low door of his shop and the
entrance of an old bowed down figure, who
barely placing one foot before the other,
shuflled across The floor through piles of West
India and dry goods, hardware, groceries and
notions (for Yankee land was even the. full
Of them,) and depositing a well-flled bag up
on his counter with the ejaculation, /" use for
Ben Foula and Ds,"-suddenly shufled
away. Not comprehending the nature of so
unbnsiness-llke transactions, Seth was some
time in a muse before the brilliant idea of ex-
aiming the bag left, occurred to his bewil-
dered brain.
The first touch told him it was gold, and
upon examination it contained the then enor-
nous sum Of five hundred guineas in the gold
of Spain. Having satisfied himself as 10 the
amount, he turned 10 the day-book and made
entry " Received cash this day 5O0g. to be
used for Benjamin Fuller and Sons" and
opened his account accordingly.
Years passed on, and from wear TO wear
the property invested in the name of Be6ia-
min Fuller and Sons, seemed cherished by
fortunes self. Their ventures were success
ful by sea and land, when all others were
ruinous,-their ships rode safe through storms
that sunk the ~stoutest merchantmen, and
their cargoes arrived in safety when priva-
teers had taken or driven away all others
So immense was this increase that soon old
Seth was known only as agent for the Full
lers, and his own property increase was Of
little account compared with the immense
commission on their investments. His ware.
house was become one OF the largest in the
colony, and his ships passed in and out from
every port of usual trade of the time, laden
with the property Of the unknown.
Still was the same account on his ledrer
preserved, and receipts and expenditures al
ways kept, waiting the coming of his princi-
pal or his sons and their examination.
SO time went on--prosperity 10 the mystic
rlous person and misfortune TO the agent. A
new market was then sought for on the coast
OF the Med iterranean, and a vessel was dis
patched for Algiers with rich ccnsignmenls.
The captain upon his arrival, waited uponthe
principal merchants Of the place, and all Of
Fuller's manifest was in demand, while old
Seth's produced but a nominal profit.
A sale was finally effected Of the whole
cargo and the merchant and the captain dis
cnssed the subject of the new trade together.
The merchant expressed his desire 10 see the
new country, and by Invitation of the other,
'SOh PuSSuBO III Nv sup LOT America.
The day succeeding his arrival, Seth was
seated IN ms counting room, engaged in his
usual examination Of ledgers and papers.
when a movement attracted his attention. and
he saw before him the same bowed down 6p-
ure' and the same s%hufiling step approach
ing.
Where is the money for Ben Foula "
Without hesitation and almost without sur
mise. the aprOunt of hic inuoe. 49,
read over and deeds of estates ard evidences
Of property in the name of BENJAMIN Fuller
were produced. Houses, ships and cargoes
were passed over TO the rightful owner, and
a rigid account of expenses and commissions
was rendered, and with no comment or inuui-
ry, the honorable man was left alone.
The days passed on, and old Seth again
was toiling in business when a captain of a
ship newly arrived from the Mediterranean,
entered and placed in his hands a package.
1t was a will, bestowing upon him all the
property of the mysterious old man, accumu-
ated by himself as agent.
The tue story of the mysterious visitor
was never told, but long afterwards it was
recalled TO mind that a Mohammedan Mer-
chant named Hamet Ben Foula, had been in
America when the first incident occurred, and
the passenger who came and returned in the
Yankee ship, was called by the same name,
The merchant continued his business with
old Seth long aflerward, and the latter never
surmised that The tall Arab was The old de-
crepid man who was his benefactor, nor that
he held his property by will of one who still
lived.
Folks Message is published in some of the
papers with this heading ''The State of the
Country-a Romance of the Nineteenth Cen