The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-09-18

| MN vest ana pnnlaloonS IN addition 10
the cont. a Aficr that, lie found no diff.
Guilty in selling him silk dress for his
wife. Having INDUCED himself with
an entire new suit, he could moi, upon
reflection, think Of passing by his wifr,
who had been wishing for new silk
dress for more than six months.
Cant you think of any thing else?'
cnquired Edwards. 81 shall be happy
TO supply whatever you want in my line
"Nohing more, | believe answered
Jacobs, whose bill was already thirty.
five dollars; and he had yet 10 pay for
making his coat, pantnloons and vest.
But you will want various articles
Of dry goods. In family there is
something cnlIcd for every day. Tell
Mrs. Jacobs 10 send down for whatever
she may need. Never mind about the
money. Your credit is good with me
for any amount
Wher Mr.. Jacobs went home and
told his wife of what he had done, she,
unreflccting woman. was delighted.
81 wish you had taken piece Of mus.
lin,' said she. awe want sheets and
pillow cases badly
you can got piece, replied Jacobs.
1--WE wont have 10 pay for il now. Ed.
wards will send The bill at The end Of
aix months, and il will be easy enough
10 pay it then
"Oh yes, easy enough responded
the wife, confidently.
So IL piece Of muslin was procured on
the credit account. But. things did no,
stop there. A credit nccoun, is too Of.
ten like breach in canal; the stream
is small at first, but soon increases to a
rnnons current. Now that want had
found a supply y-source, want became
more clnmorous than before. Scarcely
day passed shat Mr.. or Mrs. Jacobs
did not order something from the store,
not dreaming, simple souls! that an
aIHrmingly heavy debt was accunnula
Ting agains! them.
AS 10 the income Of Mr.. jacobs, i,
was no, large. He was, MS has been in
tima,ed, clerk IN wholesale store,
and. received u snlasy Of seven hundred
s,'SSIlaFS 3 year. q lis Ianiiy yeonsisted ol
ssseiit, and three children, arr! hc Inl
found it necessary to b" prudent in all
his expenditures, in order to "make
both ends m"cl.' Somewhat indpprn.
dent in his feelings, he had never asked
credit of any one with whom he dealt,
and, no onc offering it, previous to ,hc
tempting inducemcnl held out hv Ed
wards, he hnd regulated his ou,ynes bv
his actual income. BY this means he
mad managed TO keep even with the
world, though not to gain any ndvun-
tagcs on the side Of fortune. Let us
see how i, was with him ut the end Of
six months under the new system.
Let us see if his "good credit has been
OF any real benefit 10 him.
IT was so very pleasant to have things
comfortable or for little display, with.
on; feeling that the indul gcnce drained
the purse too heavily. And weak vani-
~ on the part nf Jacobs, was grnlified
by the ila.lering opinion Of his honesty
entertained bv Edwards, the storrkcrp.
er. His credit was good, and he was
proud Of the fact, Bm The day Of rrcIs-
oning WAS approaching, aud at last ii
came.
Notwithstanding the credit 4, the drv
goods store, there wnS no more money in
the young clerks purse al the end of six
months than at the beginning The
cash that would have gone for clothing,
when necessity called for additions TO
the family wardrobe, had been spen, for
things, the purchase Of which would
have been omitted, but for the fact that
the dollars were IN the .rsc instead Of
in the siorekcepcr's hands, and tempted
needless expenditure.
AS the end of the six months credi,
period approached, the mind Of Jacobs
began 10 rest upon the dry goods deal.
er'S bill, and to be disturbed bv feel
ing Of anxiety. As 10 The amoun, Of
this bill, he was in some uncertainty;
but he thought that it could not be less
than forty dollars. Tha, was large
sum for him TO owe, particularly as he
had nothing ahead. and his current cy.
pcnses were fully up TO his income. II,
was now. for the first time n bis life,
that Jacobs felt the nightmare pressure
of debt, and it seemed, nj times, as il il
would almost sulincate him
One evening he came home, feeling
more sober than usual. He had lhough,
Of little else all day besides his bill a,
The store. On meeting his wife, he saw
that something WAS wrong.
"What ails you, janet said he kind.
~. care you sick?'
"No,' was The simple reply. Blu, her
eyes dropped as she made it, and her
husband saw that her lips slightly quiv.
cred.
Something is wrong, Jane said the
husband.
Tears stole to the wiic's cheeks from
beneath her halfclosc1 lids The bosom
lnborcd with the weight Of some pres
sure.
"rcll me-, Jane, urged Jacobs, "if
any thing is wrong. Your manner
alarms me. Are any Of the children
Sick?'
"Oh, no, no. Nothing Of that, was