Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-22

as ifeYery eye must rest upon the word
With what q firm tread he walked the streets;
how confidently be looked into peoples
faces ft
ave must 70 to housekeeping, Martha,"
| he said to his wife within six months after
4 his name first looked down from its station
oTer the door, with a self-reliant smile, upon
/ the motley crowd of passers. q Not day
goes by in which some one does not say to
me-sWhere do you live, Mr.. Barker p
and I'm ashamed TO tell them. We must
have q house ofour own. It is due to our
position fl.,.iI.
The wife made no objection, for she was as
weak and worldly as her husband. Soa house
was rented and furnished Not mOdestly and
economically furnished; but extrangauily
for persons in their circumstances, Six
months time was taken on nearly all their
purchases, and 50 they did not really feel the
cost II was only to give their orders and 10 I
the elegant things their hearts coveted, became
their own. u. .a. r.s
One day, about two years from the time he
went into business, his partner, who had left
the management Of things pretty much in his
hands said to him, with a manner unusually
serious. ..-
! ~ have been looking over your account
Mr., Barker, and am surprised to find that you
have drawn out nearly seven thousand dol
lars -.r b.. ..... ...........
The face of Barker crimsoned. lie knew
very well, the state Of his account and had
for some time been troubled at bis magnitude
He answered
al know it is large, much larger than it
ought to be; but have had unusually heavy
expenses"
The partner shook his head, he was not
satisfied '..-' li-t.-
q 81 had no suspicion of this, he said. -
iiWhy, if | had drawn in the same ratio, over
thirteen thousand dollars would have been
taken from q business scarcely two years old
anamount equal to, if not largely IN excess Of
its real profits At this rate, destruction is
inevitable. We had better close up at once,
and save what is left" ..I l..
Barker was so confounded that he knew
not what to reply. His embarrassment was
against him in the mind of his partner, who
began to feel a suspicion that something
more than personal and family expenses was
at the bottom of so large an absorption of
money.
r At the end of another year, the partner
ship was to close by limitation. When this !
period arrived, Barker was compelled to re-
tire, and another man was selected TO fill his |
place. in settling the business of the first |
firm the profits were found to be handsome, /
and he received in addition to the large sum |
drawn out nearly S., 600 as his share. Upon !
this sum he commenced business for himself !
Common sense and common produce dicta-
ted an immediate reduction in the cost of |
living But "what will people think p |
stood in the way. The impression was |
abroad, TINT he had received over twenty |
thousand dollars as his division of profit; |
and he wished this impression to remain as
so much in favor of his credit. To shrink
away in humble style of living, would, he
imagined, set people to speculating on the
cause, and lead them to draw conclusions ad-
verse to his interests. SO he reasoned with
himself But what most influenced him,
was a weak pride of appearance. 81.
Concluded tomorrow.