The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-02-20


him to one of the northern counties.
The remembrance of poor William Water
ton served 20 make Mr. Fairhold more care
tul regarding his apprentices. Not that he
had ever been remiss on that point Our
merchant was an upright, conscientious man,
who felt that business had more duties for
him than to get rich. No one under his ar
thority had cause to complain of selfish ex-
action, or lnconsiderate carelessness. His
friends and family valued him fora mild and
pIacable temper. His worldly dealings were
Just, his religion practical and sincere
Nevertheless, Mr.. Francis Fairhold was not
free Of faults and among them was ten
dency a times to grumbIe at small and cas-
ual annoyances. Our merchant did not eX-
ac:ly lose his temper at every turn; but a
spoiled dinner or a room out Of order, would
vex him more than he cared to tell Most
OF us, perhaps, bear great troubles better than
little ones in proportion to their weight; but
as the latter are by far the most abundant.
that Christian philosophy which helps one
to keep easy under them has daily useful
ness as well as dignity about it. Surely a
traveller to eternity should not be disturbed
by every straw in his path; moreover, small
evils may contain the seeds of great good.
and Francis Fairhold was taught that truth
by one of those wonderful works of Provi-
dence which prove to the Christians mind
that no instrument is weak in the hand of
Omnipotence.
The wild rose had faded in Englands
fields and hedgerows; the hay was mown in
all her meadows from Kent to Northumber-
land and the flush of ripeness was growing
on her orchard boughs, when Mr.. Fairhold,
having regulated his books, duly committed
his business TO Johnstone the foreman. who
had been in his employment some fifteen
years. and having taken leave of his family
and most intimate neighbors, set forth with
a good horse and we'll secured valse, with
many good wishes, and commissions almost
as numerous, on his yearly circuit among
his country customers. This and the stage
coach or wagon, were the only public modes
of travelling in the time Of our story; but
the latter, besides being slower method,
owing to bad roads and stoppages at every
inn, could only be had on the principal
lines of traffic, and never approached those
small towns and scattered Villages where
our merchants customers fourished.
Mr.. Fairhold's journey, like his business,
was quiet but regular. He was peaceable
man, and had always travelled safely, though
there were bold highwaymen in those days.
and the police system was far from its pres
'ent completeness. His customers were
mostly steady, methodical men, given to-
clear accounts and punctual payments
With many of them Mr.. Fairhold was an
old acquaintance, joyfully entertained at
their houses in memory of similar hospital-
ties received in their great journeys to Lon
don. The landlords Of all the respectable
inns on his way waited for our merchants
coming year by year, as that of an impor-
tant guest; and he rode on from one coun-
try town to another, through narrow, rutty
roads. familiar only with cart and wagon,
at pace varying from fifteen to twenty
miles day, attending to his horses comfort
as we'll as his own, settling his old accounts,
opening new ones, and depositing his re-
ceips in diminutivc strong box construct
ed for that purpose in his valise. There
may be readers of our tale who have never
seen specimen of that antiquated con-
veniency; but the valise played an impor-
tant part in the travelling of Fairhod's
times, 1t was species Of leather portman-
teau, much about the size and shape of those
ponderous tolios in which laborious scholars
then studied law and divinity, and was
fastened to the back of the saddle by straps
and buckles too numerous for the patience of
our hurrying days. In the valise respectable