The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-01-13
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From Gleason's Pictorial.
A CLEAN OF SUNSHINE
THE PATH OF A MONEY LENDER
By T. 8. ARTHUR.


Mr.. Edgar was money lender, an
scrupled not in exacting the bighes
street rates" of interest that coul'
be obtained. Ifgood paper were offer
ed, and he could buy it from the need.
seeker Of cash at two or even three pc
cent, he did not hesitate about the trans
action on any scruples of justice betweel
man and man. Below one per cent. I
month, he rarely made loans. He haC
nothing to do with the question, as tc
whether the holder of bills could affor(
the sacrifice The circle of bis thought
went not beyond gain to himself.
Few days closed with Mr.. Edgar, tha
he was not able to count up gains a
from thirty to one huadred dollars. No
acquired in trade not coming back t,
him as the reward Of productive indus
try; but the simple accumulation o.
large clippings from the anticipated re-
ward of others Industry. Always with
a good balance in bank, he had but to
sign his name to a check, and the slight
effort was repaid by gain of from ten
to Fifty dollars, according to the size and
time of the note he had agreed to dis
count. A shrewd man, and we'll ac-
quainted with the business standing OF
all around him, Mr. Edgar rarely made
mistakes in money transactions. There
was always plenty Of good paper offering
and he never touched anything regarded
as doubtful.
Was Mr.. Edgar a happy man , Ah
That is home question. But, We
answer, frankly, no. During his Office
hours, while his love of gain was active
while good customers were coming
and going, and good operations being
effected, his mind was in a pleasureable
glow. But, at other times, he suffered
greatly, from pressure on his feelings,
the cause Of which he did not clearly
understand. Wealth he had always
regarded as the greatest good in lite
And now, he not only had wealth, but
the income therefrom was a great deal
more than he had any desire to spend.
And yet he was not happy-no, not
even in the thought Of his large posses
sions. Only in the mental activity
through which more was obtained, did
he really find satisfaction; but this still
was only of short duration.
Positive unhappiness, Mr.. Edgar often
experienced. Occasional losses, careful
and shrewd as he always was, were in
evitable. These fretted him. greatly.
To lose thousand dollars, instead of
gaining, as was pleasantly believed,
some sixty or seventy, was shower of
cold water upon his ardent love of accu-
mutation; and he shivered painfully
under the inaiction. The opportunities
of friends, who needed money, and to
whom it was safe to lend it, were also
a source of no small annoyance. And,
moreover, there was little of the heart 8
warm sunshine at home. AS Mr.. Edgar
had thought more of laying up wealth
for his children, than giving them the
true riches of intellect and heart, i'll
weeds had sprung up in their minds.
He had not loved them with an unselfish
love (; and he received not a higher
affection than he had bestowed. Their
prominent thought in regard to him,
seemed ever to be the obtaining of some
concession to their real or imaginary
wants and, if denied these, they re-
acted upon him in anger, sullenness or
complaint.
o, no, Mr.. Edgar was not happy.
Few CLEANS of sunshine lay across his
path. Life, to him, in his own bitter
words, uttered after some keen disap-
|pointment, had "proved failure" And
yet, he continued eager for gain would
cut as deep, exact as much, from those
who had need of his money in their
business as ever. The measure of ne r.
centage was the measure of his salts.
faction.
One day gentleman said to him:
Mr.. Edgar, l advised q young
mechanic, who has been in business 70,
a short time, and who has to, take note,
for his work, to call on you to get then
cashed. He has no credit in bank, and
is, therefore, compelled to 60 upon the
street for money. Most of his work i
taken by one Of the safest houses in the
city his paper is, therefore, as good al