Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-07
select Mtscellanp.
WAS TIA MISFORTUNE.
ny T. 3. ARTHUR.

Impossible 7 exclaimed Morris Hes.
ton, starting up from his desk. Impos.
sible / ho repeated, his face growing
very palc.
1t Is too true was tho answer made
by gentleman, who had como hurried.
" into the store of Mr.. Hcston. 4 have
tho news from reliable source
Failed
Yes; and failed badly. 1t is alleged
that not ten cents on the dollar can pos.
sibly be realized Ihope he doesn't owe
you much
Not q great deal 7 was answered eva,
sively. though with ill-conccaled ankle
~; yet, enough to sweep away nearly
all my profits on tho years business.
should tho loss bo total. Is he on your
booksT
Yes
TO large amount |?
'fhroo thousand dollars.
i thought hc was sound to tho core.
Tho reports in regard to his standing
have always been A No. l.
lilo has been engaged, IL Ia SAID, in
some land speeulations, which have
turned out disastrously, The old story
oi tho dog and tho shadow. Well, we
must expect such things, and meet them
with rs much philosophy rs can bo sum.
moncd TO our aid Good morning
And the man went out rs hurricdy as
hc como In. As he left tho store Mr.
Heston turned with disturbed manner
20 his ledger, and threw over tho leaves
norvously. Pausing nc nm account, he
footed Il up rapidly. Tho pcncilod fg,
uros showed tho sum Of four thousand
eight hundred and sixtY.ono dollars -
There was credit by bills receivable, oI
four thousand dollars; three thousand
and five hundred of which had bcen
discounted, and would mature In les,
than month.
Morris Heston was young man wht
had boon, In business only about TIVE
years. Tho capital on which he com
monccd was less than two thousand dol
lars; aud tho whole OF this ho had sa
we'd from his salary. Ilo was active
industrious and intelligent, and on tn,
road, many predicted TO fortune, But
In ono thing he was indiscrcot Aud
that was In selling too largely 10 SIN.
gle customer, No wonder that he start.
cd and turned pale on hearing bad news
from this customer; for loss hero was
equivalent TO ruin. Already tho rela.
tion between receipt and payment was
40 close, that any serious deficiency In
the ono, or increase In the other, would
prove source of embarrassment and
TO have between three and four discount
oil bills come back upon him i'm -four
weeks, would certainly cause him tC
stop payment.
We need not picture the troubled
events which followed, too surely, th,
confirmed intelligence of tho failure o
this distant customer Heston was to,
weak TO bear the pressure that camo up
ON him, and so he was forced TO Civ,
way. A few OF his creditors who ha,
faith in his integrity and ability, wonlC
chccrfhlly have reduced their claims
and given him ample time on tho bal
ancc; but the majority, who had no per
sonal interest in him, and looked onl,
TO themselves, acted upon the common
adagc current in such cases, that tn
first loss Is the best loss, and swcp
everything, leaving the unhappy, NOR
titled and dispiritcd young man withou
dollar with which TO begin the worl'
again-nay, even worse than this, leav
ing him several thousand dollars il
debt; for in throwing his stock int
auction, and forcing collections, serious
losses were inevitable.
Troubles rarely come alone. Anoth
or, and to our young friend, a saddle
disaster followed. llo was under en-
gagement of marriage, and the time Q
its celebration had been fixed. Fron
the moment rumor filled the air with re
ports Of his heavy lossess and danger q