Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-03-17
ON THE FORGIVEN LIST.

One of the old-school merchants O
Boston, very extensively engaged in
commerce, and located ON Long Whar
in that city, died in February, 1860
intestate, at the age of seventy five
His eldest son administered upon the
estate. This old gentleman used plea
sanity to say, that for many years he had
! fed a number of Catholics on the shores
of the Mediterranean during Lent-re.
ferring to his very extensive connection
with the fishing business. In his days
he was certainly we'll known; and to
the present time it will be remembered
by some of the oldest ones along the
shore, from the Garnett's s Nose to the
Race Point.
Among his papers, a considerable
package was found after his death, care
fully tied up, and labelled as follows =
" Notes due bills, and accounts against
sundry persons down along shore. Some
of them may be got by suit Of severe
dunning. But the people are poor,
most of them have had fisherman s
luck. My children will do as they
think best. Perhaps they will think
with me, that it is best to burn this
package entire.
About month (said the narrator of
this) after our father died, the sons met
together, and after some general remarks
the eldest brother, the administrator,
produced this package, read the super
scription, and asked what course should
be taken in regard to it. Another
brother few years younger than the
eldest, a man of strong, impulsive tenn
permanent, unable at the moment to ex-
press his feelings, while he brushed the
tears from his eyes with one hand by a
spasmodic jerk of the other toward the
fireplace, indicated his desire to have
the paper put into the flames. 1t was
suggested by another of our number
that it might be well to make list of
debtors names, and of the dates and ac-
counts, that we might be enabled, as the
intended discharge was for all, to inform
such as might offer payment, that their
debts were forgiven. On the following
day we again assembled, the list had
been prepared, and all the notes, due
bills and accounts. whose amount includ-
ing interest, exceeded thirty-two thou
sand dollars, were committed to the
flames.
1t was about four months after our
fathers death, in the month of June,
that I was sitting in my brothers count
ing room, waiting for an opportunity to
speak to him, there came in hard
favored little old man, who looked as if
time and rough weather had been to the
windward of him for seventy years. He
asked if my brother was not the execu-
tor. He replied that he was admins
traitor, as our father died intestate.-
"Well," said the stranger, 81 have
come up from the Cape to pay debt |
owed the old gentleman. My brother
requested him to be seated, being at the
moment engaged.
The old man sat down, and putting
on his glasses, drew out very ancient
wallet. When he had thus done and
there was quite parcel Of notes-as he
sat waiting his turn, slowly twisting his
thumbs, and his old grey meditative
eyes fixed upon the floor, he sighed,
and 1 well supposed the money as the
phrase runs, came hard, and secretly
wished the old mans might be found on
the forgiven list. My brother was soon
at leisure, and asked him the common
questlon-his name, etc. The original
debt was four hundred and forty dollars
My brother went to his table, and after
examining the forgiven list attentively,
sudden smile lighted up his counten-
ance, and told me the truth at glance-
the old mans name was there
My brother quietly took chair at his
side, and conversation ensued between
them.
"Your note is outlawed it was dated
twelve years ago, payable in two years;
there is no witness, and no interest has
ever been paid; and you are not bound
to pay this note-we cannot recover the
amount"
"Sir," said the old man, "I wish to
pay it. 1t is the only heavy debt have
in the world. Ishould like to pay it, }"
and he laid the bank notes before the
administrator, and requested him to
count them over.
~ cannot take this money" was the
reply.
The old man became confused. "I
have cast simple interest for twelve
years and little over" said he, Il
will pay you compound interest if you
say SO. That debt ought to have been
paid long ago, but your father, sir, was
very indulgent; he knew l had been
very unfortunate and told me not to
worry about it,
My brother then set the whole mat
ter plainly before him, and taking the
bills returned them to the old man, tel
ling him that our father had left no
formal will, he had recommended to his
children to destroy certain notes, due
bills, and other evidences of debt, and
release those who might be legally bound
to pay them. For moment the old
man seemed stupifed. After he had
collected himself, wiped few tears
from his eyes, he stated, that from the
time he had heard of our fathers death,
he had raked and scraped, and punched
and spared, to get money to pay the
debt. " about ten days ago." said he,