Litchfield enquirer., 1858-10-21

cry body had been cut down or cut off at bank, and so everybody was short A pulse of fear throbbed suddenly in the heart of Har- ry Melville. He took down suudry bank mo- tices from the rack, ascertained the amount which must be paid before three o'clock. The sum reached the uncomfortable aggregate of fifteen thousand dollars while the bank bal ance was below three thousand. So there were twelve thousand to raise
 Young Melville considered himself great as financer. His sef-confdence overleaped all possibilities. But the time of trial and proof ! had come now. Credit and confidence are sensitive things. When banks restrict, the private lenders take the alarm, and the price | of money goes up to ruinous figures So our clerlng operations on that day were things for alter remembrance. He has probably not for gotten them up to this time At three o. clock his notes were all lifted at sacrifice fear | ful to contemplate.
 At glance at his bill book for the next day Melville started for his luxurious home, to meet his dainty fashionable wife in state of mind bordering on despair, for the next days payments were over twelve thousand dollars He had seen and heard enough during the days financial experiments, to satisfy him that not one half of that sum could be raised, and so vague terror took the place of conceted selfconfdence, and the frightened young mer- chant who had come and gone with such an elastic tread and proud bearing, entered his home with all his feathers dropping So quiet ly had be come in that his waiting wife failed to hear the opening door and familiar step in the passage. Wondering at her husbands long stay beyond the usual hour, she came down stairs under the influence of a restless feeling. Entering the parlor she started in sudden surprise and alarm, for there, reclining upon lounge, was her handsome young hus- band, his face the image of weak despair.- Oh, Harry, are you ill., she exclaimed, flying across the room, and dropped down upon the floor in front of the lounge.
 am in trouble' was his choking reply.
 'Oh, what has happened, Harry?' ed. Oh, Flola, have passed through a fear fuI day and there is no strength left in me- What change from the bod business brag- gart of the day before /! but Harry Melville was mere dandy in trade. There was no muscle in the man, no reserved power, no elas- tic property He had grown as b balloon grows, and like balloon, collapsed at the first sharp puncture.
 What could a mere summer 'ossom of 8 wife do to help a man in such an extremity 1? Nothing. She could weep and wiring her hands. and sob like distressed actress. But she had no comforting suggestions, no brave words, no hopeful sentiments to offtr.
 Did our young merchant after cool reaec- tion, take heart. again? Did he go out on the next morning and nerve himself for another struggle with the difficulties which had so sud- denly closed around him? No! Busy memo ry through the remainder of that day and eve ming, supplied him with data enough to con- plete his total overthrow as man of nerve and action. His boyish partner came to see him, and tried to reinspirt him with brave words. But they were of no avail He, panic stricken by the fearful aspect of things, gave up without struggle.
 On the next day the notes of the firm went to protest. An assignment followed, and at the settlement of affairs, the creditors received | a dividend of twenty cents on the dollar. Just twenty-three years of age was Harry Melville, when he shrunk back from his ad- vanced position in the business and social world bankrupt, his name word of re- proach or contempt on hundreds of lips, and sought a hiding place with his helpless wife in the house of his father, whose predictions had been too speedily fulfilled. His bark was shat tered by the first storm.
 Take the lesson to heart, ye too eager young men. The story is scarcely an exaggeration. Old Mir. Melville was entirely right in his coun: sel to his son. A business commenced at twerl- ty-one, or even as early as twenty-five, is al- most certain to result in failure. The first thing young man who hopes to succeed in the world needs to learn is economy in personal expenditures. If, as clerk, he spends his en- tire earning, and trusts to get into business by virtue of credit, the chances of failure are two to one against him. His habits of mind will tempt him to almost certain destruction.
 SCENE IN RIvINGroN CHuRcH.-On Sun day, a remarkable scene occurred in the paro- chial church of Rivington. During the ser