Daily American organ., 1856-02-14
From the N. o. Picayune.
The LOan.Office Window.

The pawnbroker is an 'sinstitution" in every
large city Of the world, and his window is curl
osity. He is called "my uncle" by needy and
seedv young gentlemen who are fond of making
a show, and whose only means of raising the
wherewthal, occasionally, is by a visit to their
obging financial relative. But needy and seedy
nephews are not my uncle's only customers
He has many Others ranging from the highest
circles of aristocfatic pride to those who are but
one remove above beggary; and well does he
know how to accommodate himself to their ever
varying peculiarities. A keen, shrewd calcua-
ting man is :" my uncle" and poetcal withal; for,
instead of the prosaic ftitle of "pawnbroker's
shop he has changed the name of his shop to
"The Loan Office" and -hc assumes the benevo
lent duty Of making loans to the needy "for con-
sideration." Truly, an accommodating man is
s'my uncle!" H
On favorite street of this good city Of ours, a
Loan Office has for some time fourished and as
we have passed il almost every day for quite a
number of years, our eyes have become familiar
with its show window. The window is one of the
most expressive of its kind. Every article seen
through it is full of mysterious eloquence which
conveys a world of meaning
We have often stood by it, to "read, as from
an open book" the stories which the various
articles on deposite had to mpart to contrast them
with one another, and to speculate concerning
the circumstances of the parties who deposited
them.
Perhaps it may not be so to others, but to us
every article in pawn individualizes ITSELF and be-
comes extremely suggestive Of its past associations
There are, for instance number OF watches in the
window all of which mark different hour, and
tell different tale.
That large, heavy gold lever" with the full,
expressive face, belonged once to a plain solid,
substantial old gentleman. You can read as much
in its honest countenance. There is no trickery
- u - "a
no humbug While he lived the old gentleman
paid his debts honestly, but sickness and msfor-
tune left him, at his DEATH but little of this worlds
goods. Years passed away--the widowed partner
of his youthful joys became helpless and bedrid-
den and an only daughter was left for the support
of her old age. And what could she do, to earn
money, when helpless mother demanded her un-
divided care, attention. Everything of value
about the house, except the old honest, full-aced
watch, had long since been sold, and that watch
the fond daughter determined never to part with.
But necessity knows no law. A mothers wants
must be provided for; the chill winds of Autumn
her to shiver, and she looks piteously first
at her daughter, and then at
"The rusty CRATE unconscious Of a fire."
And the daughter, poor thing knows well
enough the meaning of the mute appeal
There is tear in her eye as she takes the old
watch from its hiding place. She kisses 1t, while
Tue HeHlOTles Ol ObneT uayB cr0WQ JnlCk upon nef,
and places it fondly in her bosom
1t is wearisome journey to the loan Office.
though the poor depositor knows but too well the
way. She has been there often enough, perhaps
too often, for the place has to her an extremely
repulsive and inquisitoral sort of look She knows
that the dear old watch will be sandered and cheap
ened by the man of loans, and it will sting her TO
the heart to hear his fippancy of tongue on such
subject. Yet go she must.
At length, summoning all the energy she can
command, she enters.
And how much do you expect on this old
fashioned turnipT asked the inquisitor.
The poor girl could scarcely command her ut
terance, but at length she managed to say: 'Forty
dollars, if you please, SIR it cost four hundred"
Forty dollars, ha ha ha |" laughed the man
OF loans, forty dollars for such an old thing as
thisf You must be joking Half the amount
would be a large advance. can't afford it busi
ness is business, my DEAR
And thus, decrying tho gage, wagged the ready
tongue of the stern keeper of the shop. till the
poor girl, with almost bursting heart ex.
claimed
Well give me what you will, but as much az
you can for it's the last thing have to pawn, and
my poor sick mother is so much in wantln
Gravely and deliberately the lender, on pledge
counted out S25, and laying it down beside him,
proceeded as deliberately to examine the interior
Of the watch
AT length he remarked
Why this has been pretty good old ticker in
her day but she's very old and sadly out of re-
par. did think that I'd be able to let you have
$40 on her, but it'll cost s3 TO place her n nroner
running order, and when that Is deducted Il will
leave you just S22. The interest you know. is one
dollar month on every ten--that is 80 go for the
s25; and the old rule, mind, we keen notIi,g over
three months for anybody" go
Any attempt to drive better bargain the moor
gnei-laden girl knew would be useless, and SO she
received the $22 that were rendered her and ,;,,,
eager step hasted back TO the cheerless room
where her ailing parent lay, and provided Tor her
many wants, as best she could, out of her scantv
store. ''1