The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-08-18
The Good Merchants.

The "Soxlon ofibe Old School" who
writes Ia tho BosIon Transcript, lslls tho fol
lowing touching aud delighlGlsloryi
The old standard merchanis. who trans
acted business on the Long Wharf boston
| Pier, when was a boy arc dead sieHieeri
-almosl every QUO Of lheni and II all that
have known nnd heard or Them, were thirty
told, II would make very readable volume,
highly honorable 20 many Of their number,
hRd calculated 10 operuie an a Stimulus upon
tho profession, Ia every Hge.
! One little narrative spreads itself before
my memory al His moment, which roesy-
cd from tho oiily Surviving ssf, of Il,s-ilsai-
vidual 10 whom IL especially refers A MGR.
chant very extensively engaged in commerce,
md located upon tho Long Wharf died Feb.
~, 1906 at the age OFFS, Interstate. Ills 81
dest son administered upon the estate This
old gentleman used pleasantly ~ say, That,
i ibF number Of years lao Ind iod a very large
number Of Catholics, on tie shores of the
Mediterranean, during Lent, referringto bic
very extensive connection With the fishing
business. IN hia day lac WINS certainly well
know and 10 tho present lime IL we'll ro-
iurnl'crrd, by sofne Of the cold onea dawn
along shore, "lrom tho Gurnets Nose To Race
point. Among his papers, package, Of very
considerable 6i1e, was found, after his death,
'NotcF, due-hils. and accounts against
sundry persons, down along shore. Some
Of these may be got by suit or severe dun
ming. but the people arc poor most Of thom
layO had 6sliormen's luck. My ehil lrcn
VIII do. NJ ihoy think hest. Perhaps tley
viii think with me. TINT IL II beat TO burn ibis
package oniiro,".
"AbouI month, !" ,nid my informant, ''af
ter our father died liio SOUS met together and,
hllor some general remarks, Our elder broth
rr tire administrator, produced ll.a package
ofwlIosr cNistrucd wo were already nppriz,
ed, read tho superscriplon, md asked whnt
course should bo taken IN regard 10 IL. A.
mother brother, few years younger Than
tho eldest, a man Of strong, impulSive iem-
| permanent unable, ht tho moment TO express
his feelings by words, while hc brushed The
tears from his eyes will ono hand 10y n spas
modic jerk"ofthe other towards tho fireplace,
Indicated Ibis wish To have tho package put
into tho ilnmos. II WINS suggested, 10y nnOlh-
cr Of our number, that II might bo well, first
70 make n lisl Of tho debtors uanies, and Of
! tho dates and amounts, lhnt No might be- on.
nblgd. rs Tho Intended discharge whs Cor all.
10 inform such az might offer payment, that
/ their debts wore forgiven. On tho fD1ioMing
day Wa again hsaemblcd--ihu list had heun
prcpnre,l-apd all the notes, dus-billr, aud
accounts, whose amount, including interest,
exceeded Ihiny-Iwo thousand dollars, were
committed Ia the flnmos
! at WINS nbont four months hfter our fathers
death" continued my informant, "in the
month Of june, that M ! waa sitting IN NY
eldest brothers. counting room, waiting for
an opportunity 10 speak with him, there canio
in hard favored, litIlo old man. who looked
Hs n time AMI rough weather -hnh been To
wiudward him ior seventy years. lie AJAX.
eti " 't+y-bFallIsF KaA not tho executor. lie
replied than he WINS administrator, us our Ia 4
ther diod iniestaie. "Woll,' aaid tho Eirnn
ger, I've come up from .ihg Gupo Co pny q
| debt owed the old gentleman My brother
continued my Informant, requested him to
tnko n seat being NJ tho moment engaged
with Otllhr persons at The desk.
Tho old man sat down, and, putting on
his glasses, druw out q very ancient leather
pocket book, and begun TO count over his
money. When ho had done--and there WINS
quite parcel Of bank notes.--As ho sat whit
ing his Iurn, slowly twisting his thumbs, with
his old grey, moditniive eyes upon the floor,
he sighed; and knew The money as the !
phrase runs, come hdrd-nnd secretly wished
the old mans namo might be found npon
The forgiven list, My brother WAS soon nt
leisure and asked him the common questions
his name, &c, Tho original debt tYns four
hundred forty sdollnrs--it had siocd a long
time, and, With tho interest, amounted 10 n
Annl- -helAxGGn- seYnn mud oigllt hundred. My
brother went to his desk, and, alter oxHmin-
ing the forgiven list ,niientyoly, u sudden
smile lighted up his countennnce, aud told
mo tho truth, at n glhnce--lho old mana
name was there! My brother quietly took n
chair, by his side, mud conversation ensued
between them, which | never shall forget. |
Your note il outlawed,' said my brother ii
was dated Twelve years ago, payable in two
years, there IL no witness, mud no interest
has ever been paid;you arc not bound to pay
this noio--wc cannot recover tho amount
Sir said tho old man, III wish TO pny il. II
il the only heavy debt have in tho world.
II may DO outiawed here, but ! have no child, !
and my old woman md hope wo have
made our peace with God, and wish to do so
with man. j should like TO pay il'--and ho
laid his bank notes before my brother, roqucs-
ting him 70 count Them over. i cannot thko
this money snid my L4oiher. The old man
became alarmed. 4 have Gust simple in,er-
est, for Twelve years aud lttlo over sud
the old man. Il will repny you compound
interest, ifyou sny SO. Tho dGbT ought tn I
have been paid long ago, but your fn,hcr, sir,
sns very indulgenl---hc knew I'd boon I'M
lucky, md told mo not TO worry nhont it,
My brother then set the whole matter plain
ly before him, and, taking tho bank bills, re-
turned them 10 the old mans pocket book. |
telling him TINT, although our father huh on |
no formal wlll he had recommended 10 his |
children TO destroy certain notcg, due-bills, |
and other evidences of debt, mud release
those who might lie legally hound 10 pny I
them. For nomont tho worthy old fnnn |
appeared to bo supplied, After hc had col. |
iecled himself and wiped iow tears from
his eyes, I've stated that from The time he Ind |
honrd ofour fathers DEATH he had rnkod and |
I..tss a Il