Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-02-29

he does believe, 1 suppose, just as the
rest of us do.' -
That is not answering my question,
Mr.. Merwin. II Bowers can fail and get
rich by it, why cannot you do the same
thing ?".
Why. my dear, I7have already told
you that did not understand that sort
of inanciering."
"No you do not. and you never will till
you abandon some Of your old thread :
bare maxims. and adopt some OF the mo-
dera ones"
u have a quiet conscience and that
is half ola fortune"
"To you it may be, but not to your
family, trey may live in the vale Of power
ty, while men like Bowers can live on the
summit Of riches, and have Just as quiet
concIences as you have. Indeed, they
enjoy themselves ten. times as much as
you do"
"They seem my dear"
g Seem? and do you not wish to be
rich like them They are happy. and
you only aciyA 70 be rich-is that it ?"
"But. my dear wife, have not the
same mental structure that they have"
"The same moral structure you should
say, rather, for it is mora! evil and not
a mental one. that is in the way"
No, my dear, do not see things in
can fail and be the better for it, and louk
uFon himself as an honest man besiles."
"And why can't you %
For the want OF sagacity, my dear"
Surely, you don't think Bowers is
very sagacious man ?"
Why, yes 10, think him more
than sage, because he can see it to be
right to fail, and compromise with his
creditors and make a good bargain by it.
"And you cannot"
"No, my dear"
"You could if you would abandon
that old maxim, that you are governed
by, that honesty is the best policy"
MSdear. it is not every man that
can go TO sea and not get wrecked and
lost. Bowers did but he was one Of a
thousand"
One ola thousand why the worlI is
full Of such characters Indeed, the on
ly independent men are those who have
fuZeI."
Independent of the law
plenty Of money. and live in style They
can go 10 Saratoga. too, or anywhere,
and rn 10Y themselves
And do yuu wish that you were
the wife OF a bankrupt %
IL do indeed and then could hard
ly be obliged to live in this penL up hens
coop-no, no-I could Ii. . in an edifce
Of some account, then, aud he somebody
too, or at least, the aOife Of some body"
Then | must make up my mind to
fail ?'
Yes, or be nobody in the world"
"But l have only IL small stock Of
goods on hand"
"Well, your credit is good; go to
New York and lay in largely, and in a
few weeks compromise"
THAT is Il glorious plan, but as Aris-
tides said. it would not be right"
"RigLt, there it is again and so we
we must never rise in the world. Just
as Mrs. Larkin said-If you would only
lay in largely and fail, and build a lofty
mansion, then everybody in town, Of dmy
account would respect you; bat, now, as
long as you struggle on, and try to be
honest, and live within your income, no.
body will respect you or pay you the
least attention"
Such was Mrs. Merwin's theory in re-
gard to living respectfully in the world.
and of being somebody in the estimation
of others. But Mr.. Merwin could hardly
accorl with her in sentiment. He pre-
fered, too, to adhering to the old maxim,
that honesty is the best policy. This, Of
course, did not satisfy Mrs. Merwin. She
| longcd to bc elevated in lite, to be num-
bcrcd with the wealthy. CIR at least, be
treated with equal honor and respect.
| AS to Mr.. Bowers. he had been a mer.
chant OF considerable uote-had doLe an
extensive business, and had failed. By
his saSacity, or representation of his at
fairs. l.e induced his creditors to receive
forty per cent. of their claims against him,
and acquit him of any farther obligation.
Specializing in goods on hand, he had. by
this arrangement, secured to himself
twenty per cent. on the goods and conse-
quently, became rich, his stock being Ye-
ry large.
After this result of affairs, so fortunate
TO himself, he had removed to a remo.e
section Of the country and built splen-
did mansion. Being supposed to be veal
thy. aud being So in fact, he was weIcOm-
ed into the first class of society, and high
ly honored-the origin Of his wealth be-
ing to his neighbors matter neither of
thought or care. as they we're in 40 man
ner connected with it. According to
Mrs. Merwin's presentation, he lived in
great style, and rode in a coach and four.
Looking at appearances only, Mrs. Mvr-
win concluded that he was happy man
and possibly he was-possibly he was
not troubled by any Of his creditors
claims upon him-legally they had been
settled-eqitably SO or not. they may not