The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-30
A GOOD CIR EDIT.
BY L. S. ARTHUR.

whose income for clerkship was in the neigh
borhood of seven hundred dollars.
Don't trouble yourself, Mr. Edwards replied
the customer the silks and buttons are all
: want
oh, no trouble at all, Mr.. Jacobs-no trouble
at all. 1t is pleasure for ME to show my goods,
said the storekeeper, draw ing from the shelf The
piece of cloth he had mentioned, and throwing
il upon the counter. There, he added. a. he
unfolded the glossy broad-cloth and clapped hi
hand upon it, self-complacently. there is some
thing worth looking at, and it's cheap as dirt
Only four dollars yard, and worth SIX, every
cent of it. bought it at auction yesterday, a
great bargain.
It's cheap enough, certainly remarked ia
cobs half indIfferently, as he bent down to in
spect the cloth, but I've no money to spare just
now.
Don't want any money replied Edwards
:: t least from such men as you
Your credit is good said Edwards, smiling
Credit I've no credit. | never asked 6
man to trust me in my life, returned the Gus
toner
Pm trust you for half that is in my store,
was answered.
Thank YOU said Jacobs feeling little fiat
tered by a compliment like this. But I've nc
want IN the dry goods line to that extent. A
skein OF silk and dozen buttons for my wife
are all that require at present
You want new coat replied the persever-
ing storekeeper, and he laid his hand upon the
sleeve of Jacobs coat and examined it closely
This one is getting rusty and threadbare. A
man like you should have some regard to hrs
| personal appearance. Let me see. Two yards
of this beautiful cloth will cost but eight dol
lars, and | won't send in your bill for six months
Eight dollars for fine broadcloth coat Bar
gains of this sort don't grow ON every tree
While Edwards talked thus, he was display
ing the goods he wished to sell in way to LET
the uch glossy surface catch the best points OF
| light, and his quick eye soon told him his Gus
toner was beginning to be tempted.
III cut you off coat pattern, said he, TAX
ing up his yard stick, 4 know You want it
Don't hestate~about the matter
Jacobs did not say no, although it was on his
tongue. While he yet hesltated, the coat pat
tern was measured off and severved from the
! piece
! There it is came in a satisfied balf-triumph-
ant tone from the storekeeper's lips, and the
greatest bargain you ever had. You will want
trimmings, of course'
As he spoke, he turned to the shelves for pad
ding lining, silk &C., and while Jacobs, half
bewildered, stood looking on, he cut from one
piece and another, until the coat trimmings
we've all nicely LAID out This done, Mr.. Ed
wards faced his customer again, rubbed his
hands from eternal feeling OF delight, anu
said
You must have a handsome vest to go with
this, Of course
My vest is a little shabby replied Jacobs as
he glanced downwards at garment which had
seen pretty fair service
If that's the best one you have, it will never
do to go with new coat said Edwards in ii
decided ;one. Let me show you beautiful
piece of black satin.
And SO the storekeeper went on tempting his
! customer, until ne sold him "a vest ana panta-
looms III addition to the coat. After that he
found no difficulty IN selling him silk dress
for his wife. Having INDUCED himself with
an entire new suit, he could not, upon reflection,
think Of passing by his wife, who had been wish
ing fOr new dress for more than six months.
Can't you think Of anything else? p inquired
Edwards. i shall be happy to supply whatever
you want i'll my line
Nothing more, [ believe answered Jacobs,
whose bill was already thirty five dollars, and he
had yet to pay for making his coat, pantaIoons
aud vest.
But you will want various articles Of dry
goods In family there is something called for
every day. Tell Mrs. Jacobs to send down for
whatever she may need Never mind about
the money, Your credit is good with me toI
any amount
When Mr.Jacobs went home and told his wife
what he had done, she, unretecting woman, was
delighted.
| l wish you had taken piece of muslin. We
want sheets and pillow cases badly
You can get piece, replied jacobs, I'VE wont
have to pay for it now. Edw ards will send the
bill at the end Of six months, and it will be easy
enough to pay it then.
oh! yes, easy enough, responded his wife
confidently.
So piece of muslin was procured in the credit
account. But things did no: stop here. A
c. edit account is too often like breach Ill the
canal; the stream is small at first, but soon in
creases to ruinous current Now that want
had found supply source want became more
clamoIous than before. Scar, ely day passed
tha: MIR. OF Mrs Jacobs did not order something
from the store, not dreaming, simple souls, that
an alarming heavy debt was accumulating
against them
As to the income of Mr. JACOBS it was not
large,
lie was as has been intimated, clerk in a
wholesale store, and received a salary OF seven
hundred dollars year. His family consisted
of wife and three children, and he had found
1t necessary to be prudent in all his expendi-
lures, i'll order to make both ends meet Some
what independent in his feelings, he had never
asked credit of any one with whom he dealt, aud
no one offered, previous to the tempting induce
ment held out by Mr.. Edwards, he had regula-
ted his out-goes by his actual income. BY this
means he had managed to keep even with the
world, though not to gain any advantage on
the side OF fortune. Let see how it is with
him at the end Of six months under the new syS-
tenn. Let's see if his good credit has been Of
any real benefit to him.
1t was not so very pleasant to have things
comfortable or for little display without feel
ing that the indulgence drained the purse too
heavy. And weak vanity on the part of Jacobs
was gratifed by the fattering opinions of his
! honesty entertained by Mr. Edwards, the store
keeper. His credit good and he was proud
Of the fact But the day of reckoning was APP
preaching, and at last it came.
Notwithstanding the credit of the dry goods
sore, there was no more money in the young
clerks purse at the end of six months than at
the beginning. The cash that would have gone
for clothing when necessity called for additions
10 the family wardrobe, had been spent for
things, tn. purchase of which would be omitted
but for the fact that the money was in the purse
instead of in the shopkeeper's hands, and tempt
ed needless expenditure.
| As the end of six months credit approached,
the mind of Jacobs began to rest upon the dry
goods dealers bil,and to be disturbed by feel
! ing OF anxiety. As to the amount of the bill he
was in some uncertainty but he thought il
would not be less than forty dollars. That was
d
had nothing ahead, and his current expenses
were fully up to his income. 1t was now for
the first time in his life that acobs felt the night
mare pressure of debt, and it seemed at times
as fit would suffocate him.
One evening he came home, feeling more So
Der than usual. He had thought of little else
ell day besides his bill at the store.
On meeting his wife he saw that something
was wrong.
What ais you, Jane said he, kindly. Are
you sick?
No was the simple reply. But her eye'
dropped as she said it, and her husband saw
that her lips slightly quivered
Something is wrong, Jane said the hus
band.
Tears stole to the wife cheek from beneath
her half-c.osed lips-the bosom labored with tht
: weight Of some pressure.
Tell me, Jane urged Jacobs, If anything il
| Yonr InanuarS al n