The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-11-10
N From the Waverley Magazine
EOn siy the Best Policy.


'N'""P ~ sHO icPiieui Dul tIicy 90
far towards
"Why, dear" said Mr. Mcrwin, 81
do wish we nld be rich once, to show you
the fallacy vour notions"
81 wish could too, said she "and for
better req than that but ! know we
cannot be-. ong as you are SO 10 Jlishly
scrupulous.
''Ihen y@ Eould not have me ccnscien-
tiousy'
81 would e you like other people
what is the u OF being odd in this world ?"
"Would fon have me fail :"
Certainly, for then we could live in a
palace, antri in coach and four !"
i my deuf wife, are you in earncst;"
''To be SIRE | am; why should uo live in
this poor lowly cot, and your neighbor Bow.
ers live in the most splendid mansion in
town."
'Bowersi why do you single him out2-
he IS professor OF religion and in high re.
pute."
"But he failed, didn't hcf"
/ ANY man may fail"
"And he Is rich now, isn't he;"
lie compromised with his creditors"
"Of coarse he did, and got rich by it,
/ "NcIl, # his creditors let him oil, why
should any one complain 2"
"Oh | am not complainng-I merely
want to know, Mr. Mcrwin, why you can
not follow his example and get rich, to?"
Then you could ride in a coach and four
| lprcsumc z"
"ieo! and live in palace
"Bu', my dear, | don't know how to play
that game
"No, see you dont-and you never will
SO we must live forever in this poor hut"
'My dear, could never feel satisfied with
living in palace if my debts were not
/ paid"
Satisfied. there it is and all because
you have got that old antiluatcd notion in
| your head, that honesty is the best policy;
/ but there Is not II bit Of policy in it,"
/ Would you have me become rascal,
/ then z"
/ "a rascal mo, you wouldn't call Mr..
/ Bower rascal; youJust said he was pro
iessor oi religion, and in high repute."
Yes, but he is more Of a iinancler than
am he knew how to fail and be richer
/ than he was before
"Anl do you think he believes that homes
/ ty i, the best policy :"
/ "lndced, | am not able to look into other
. peo Jlca' creeds lie believes what lac does
believe, | suppose just as the rest Of US
do"
"That is not answering my question, Mr.
/ Mcrwln. II Mr.. Bowers could fail and get
rich by it. why can you not do the same
thing"
"Why, my dear, have already told you,
| that did not understand that sort e iinan.
cicring."
] 4 IL IN
! y0s abandon sofno NJ yo.n 0d t!Toad-Jare
maxims, and adopt some Of the moicra
ones"
81 have quiet conscience and that is
half Of i fortune"
"ro you it may be, but not to your fami-
ly; Mey must live in the vale of poverty,
whilst men like Bowers can live on the sum
nit Of riches, and have just as quiet con
sciences a. you have. Indeed, they enjoy
themselves ten times as much as you do
They seam to, my dear"
"Seem aud do you not wish TO be rich,
and jnst like them They are happy, and
you only irish to be--is that it,
"But, my dear wife, have not the same
mental structure that they have
''Ihe same mOrai structure, you should
say, rather, for it is moral evil and not a
mental one that Is IN the way.
"No, my dear, do not see things in the
same light that Bowers does. He can fail .
and be the better of for it, and look upon
himself as an honest man besides"
"And why can't YOU"
'for the want Of sagacity, my dear
"ourcly, you don't think Bowers is very
s1gaclous man =
"Why, yes, do. think him more than .
a sage, because hc can see it to b, rjght to
fail, and compromise with his creditors, and |
make good bargain qy it,"
Aud y0u cannot"
"No, my dear
"lou could if you would abandon that old |
maxim that you are governed by, that homes, |
ty is the best policy
"My dear, it is not every man that can go .
to sea and not get wrecked and los. Bowers |
did but he was one of thousand.'
"One of a thousand why the world is .
full of such characters Indeed, the only |
independent men are those that have JdH-
ed."
"Indcpendcnt Of the law
"Yes, and rich, besides They have
plenty of money and live in style! They 90
to Saratoga, too, or anywhere, and enjoy
themselves -
"And do you not wish that you were the
wife of bankrupt
''I do, indeed; and then should hardly
be obliged to live in this pent-up hcn-coop-
no, mo- could live in an editice of some
account then, and be somebody, too, or at
least the nite OF somebody !"
"Thcn Imust make up my mind to fall"
eyes, or to be nobody in the world"
4 H., nT VA
on hand"
"Well, your credit is good 90 to New
York and lay in largely, and in few weeks
compromised
"'rhat is a glorious plan! But, as Aris-
tides said, It would not be right,"
"Right there it is again; and so we must
never rise in the world Just as Mrs Lar
kin said-'lr you would only lay in largely
and fail, and so build lofty mansion, then
everybody in town, Of any account, would
call on you but, now, as long as you
struggle on, and try to be honest and live
within your income, nobody will respect you
or pay you the least attention.
Such was Mrs. Merwin's theory in regard
to living respectfully in the world, and OF
being somebody in the estimation Of others
But Mr. Merwin could hardly accord with
her in sentiment. He preferred to adhere
t. the old maxim, that honesty is the best
policy This, of course, did not satisfy
Mrs. Mcrwin. She longcd to be elevated in
lfe--to be numbered with the wealthy, or
at least to be treated with equal honor and
respect. As to Mr.. Bowers, he had been
merchant of considerable notc-had done an
extensive business, and had failed BY his
sapacty, or representation of his affairs, he