True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-05-12
7 SELECT SKETCH.
Was it . MisfortuneG
BY T. $. ARTHUR.


+" Impossible r. exclaimed Morris Hes
ton, starting up from his desk. "Impos.
sible !" he repeated, his face growing
very pale. eft d Ra lHil ttg
,yit.N was too true" was the answer
made by a gentleman, who had come
hurriedly into the store Of Mr.. Heston.
a Ibaye the news from areliable source"
u Failed :" oi la uads aaaH@p el
"Yes, and failed badly. 1t is alleged
that not ten cents on the dollar can
possibly be realized. Ihope he does no!
owe you much" a'' f'
e" Not great deal,' was answered
,evasiyely, though with i'll concealed
anxiety; q yet enough to sweep away
nearly all nv profits on the years bus-
ness, should the loss be Total. Is he on
your books! ~ e'i '#o- fs' =
"Yes." iiu l
TO large amouhti"
a Three thousand dollars"
thought him sound to the core
the reports in regard to his standing
have always been A. No. l."
y &c He has been engaged, it is said, Id
some land specalations, which have turned
out disastrously. The old story Of, the
dog and the shadow! Well, we mast
expect such things, and meet them with
as much philosophy as can be summoned
20 our aid. Good morning.
And the man went out as harriedly as
he had come in. As lie left the store
Mr.. Heston turned, with disturbed air
to his ledger, and threw over the leaves
nerviously. Pausiag at an account he
footed it up rapidly. The peucilled fig
ures showed the sum Of four thousand,
eigh, hundred and sixty-one dollars
There was credit by bills receivable, of
four thousand dollars; three thousand
five hundred dollars Of which had been
discounted, and would mature in less than
q month.
Morris Heston was a young man, who
had been in business only about two years.
The capital on which be commenced was
less than two thousand dollars, and the
whole Of this be had saved from his salary.
He was active, industrious and intelligent,
TOO, and on the road many predicted, To
fortune. But in one thing he was indis.
erect, and that was in selling too largely
to 4 single customer. No wonder that
he stsriedsand turned pale on hearing bat
news from his customer, for loss here
was equivalent to ruin. Already, the
relation between receipts and payments
were SO close that any serious deficiency
in the one or increase in the other woulc
prove source Of embarrassment; {; and L
have between three and four thousand
dollars worth Of discounted bills come
back upon him in four weeks, would GER
,tainly cause him TO stop payment.
We need not picture the troubled eveni
tina. followed too surely. the confrme'
intelligence Of this failure of distan
customer. Heston was too weak to bea
the pressure which came upon him, AM
so was forced to give. A few Of hi
creditors who had faith in his integri,.
and ability, would cheerfully have reduce'
their claims, and given him ample tim
on tho balance but the majority. VIII
had no. interest in him and looked onl,
70 themselves, and acted upon the commo
adage current in such, that the .'irst los
sis The best loss," and swept everything
leaving the unhappy. mortified and disPi
,.riied young man without dollar q
whichto begin The world again-nay
even worse than this, leaving him sewers
thousand dollars in debt, for in THROWN
his stock into auction, and forcing collet
tion, serious losses were inevitable. sai
Troubles rarely come alone, Anothe
and 10 our young friend, sadder disasle
followed. He was under engagement
Mar6isge, and the time Of iss celebratio
had been 6xcd. From the moment n
NOR filed the air with reports OF h
heavy losses and danger of failure, b
thought he could perceive change in Ii
manner OF bis betro,hed. He tried
ahink this only imagination but ii
change seemed daily to grow more an
more apparent. Al last it became n,
cessary for him to tell her Of his misfo
tune, and the blight which had come ov'
his worldly prospects. He still had fai,
in her; still tried to deceive himsel
notwithstanding the recent changeiln h'
manner. ,4eyh1e !, .;o
She listened with a coldness Of extern
that chilled him.so the heat; then ga
tafew tears. and then satin irresponsl
silence. s,ss t3,.- 49, COS. ,s,
Stung by this apparent want Of symp
!. thy and bewildesed by the convicti
thas % heavier misfortune was about
cloudthe sky of his life, the yon,g m
started up, and standing before the 9
barrassed girl, said, with much agi,ati
or tone and manner: &,
"Agnes, how am | to understand th
q Are you tooaonly 3 summer friendl" "
aldFls Scarcely hsdithe words passed e
Gahisllips ere she started to her feet,
glidsa without aiword OF answer from
room. Glyl3W y ghin3il ~ 100