Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-15
The HOUSE OF PExNYPACKER.
DY ). W. wATsoH.

BY j. ". WATSON.
WARnKsxR stretched his head far out
of the window of the carriage a. we
passed a small, low-built, old-fashioned
house, that looked az If it might have seen
better days, but at that particular moment
seemed To be what is technically called
@roinp 70 the dogs" There was deeI
and eager interest in his gaze which
eeg!a 9 1Ss l aslP Ae 6s Excited my curi
oSify.
"Of course DO. Who could help zee.
ing it that had eyesf"
"Wel, sir, could tell you story con-
nected with that house which has infu-
encsd my whole life"
If there is anything am always open
for, it il a story, provided there IL anything
In 1t. Therefore said.
"And why don't your
We were going out o. town TO dine,
Wsrrener and /, and when these words
were spoken were passing through what
had once been, and In q less degree is still,
prominent business street in Phiiadel-
phiA As We went he told the story, and
shall give il in his own words, suppress
ing merely such as were in answer TO the
excknatlons q the listener:
Thst house twenty years ago was one
of the strongest and sturdiest Of our
private banking houses, and was q
clerk in 1t half a dozen years, learning
under excellent tuition principles Of
finance that have since stood me in good
stead. 1t was known as the house of
"Pennypacker and Son !" and though,
strictly speaking, there was no son, the
elder Pennypacker having departed this
life before I knew of the establishment,
yet 1t kept the old title and retained the
old sign. Ephraim Pennypacker, who
had been originally the SON." was, when
1 first knew him, past sixty, and looked at
least twenty years older. There was a
legend ia the Office that he never bought
any clothes for himself, but went on
which he always remained twenty years
behind the age in dress, N in alf things
else. Not but what the house of Penny
packer &, Son knew the one grand secret
OF making money, but they, If may use
the term, made II stolidIy and steadily !;
there was no flash about their operations,
and verify believe that IL anybody had
proposed 10 old Ephraim such thing as
speculation, he would have stood rare
chance Of immolation before escaping
into the street.
But If there was no con, there was a
daughter, and very nice girl she was.
Lydia Pennypscker was her name At
some time, without doubt, Lydia had had
mother, but not within her own recol.
lection and we that Is, myself and the
other clerks-had no legend In reference
10 this 10 guide our researches We all
knew that Lydia was pretty girl and
good CIR, That sltie wits iuFt turned twenty
1T the time, mean, when my story re-
aUy beeins--and that her father treated
her badly not merely through neglect
and niggardliness, but sometimes to the
extent Of brutal harshness, including even
the infection Of blows. In saying this |
do not mean 10 assert that Ephraim Pen
pypacker was In all respects bad man;
but he was absorbed in the acquisition OF
wealth, and in his treatment OF his daugh-
ter seemed 10 act an though he resented the
cost Of her support, or was wreaking upon
her some malice nurtured against Nature
for having cast upon him useless bur
den, In place Of the "5on" TO whom the
house of Pennypacker had natural
claim. Many time l have caught the
poor girl in tears, and many time have
had TO dissuade her from resolve to run
away from home and earn her own living
In some ether city. =,
The clerks OF Pennypacker & Son all
lodged and boarded with Ephraim, III q
house not far distant from the office. The
discipline was strict. We could not be out
after nine in the evening. Our meals
were symbols Of dyspepsia, not only in
the quality OF the viands, but in the 81
lence and gravity with which they were
consumed, have often thought since
that nothing could have saved US all from
the pangs OF that terrible disease, save the
fact that the quantity served to us was
too small to make any serious demand
upon the digestive organs OF a babe
When I speak of all the clerks, speak
only OF four, for Epbraim believed in get
ting the largest amount OF work out Of
the smallest amount Of clerk, and carried
this belief into extreme practice. Or these
clerks my story is concerned with only
one--John Barrett He was my room
mate, and acting cashier and paying tel
Ter In She absence Of Ephraim, and some
times in his presence John was sever
years my senior--though he never claim
cd anything on that score--and not OF
social nature: | have known him sit
whole evening In our little room withou
speaking word. His associations were
very limited indeed, under our discipline
Lutt tOAii HOb Wtii w psuSi WADIs 90 w
part OF Sundays, and about an hour be
tween breasi fast and work, was all th'
time we had To cultivate outdoor coUr
tesies, save the evening hours from
seven n nine, and these were not ALVEY
our own. And now, having 10 certain
extent described my personages, l vii
proceed to give the opening scene in th'
drama.
1t was very hot day in midsummer
and every one in the office went about lii
work in dozy condi ion. know that a
1t approached three o'clock / caught my
self mapping on my high stool, and shoul'
peYhaps have proceeded farther than
nap but for two RESPONSIBILITY, that tn
high stool would inevitably have droope'
me; and, secondly, Mr.. Ephraim Penny
packer, who was out upon Change, Nigh
be expected to pop in at any moment
Toward three there entered lady, rathe
elegantly dressed, not very young, hu
with a face which once seen could no
easily be forgotten 1t was somewha
handsome in outline, but hard and stony
with cold blue eye that spoke little
sentiment and everything OF business
Qha xrart atrs o hi IN John Rarrptt's desk