Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-09-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE HOUSE OF PENNYPACKER.
ny j. W. wATsnN.

by ]. W. WATSON. ---
WARRENER stretched his head far out
of the window of the carriage as we
passed a small, built, old-fashioned
house, that looked as if it might have seen
better days, but at that particular moment
seemed 10 be what is technically called.
"going'to the dogs" There was a deem
and eager interest in his gaze which I
could not help noticing, and which he
could not help seeing excited my curl,
osity. ~
edo you see that house ?" he asked.
on course II do. Who could help see.
ing itthat had eyes?"
We'll, sir, could tell you a story con.
nected with that house which has infiu.
enced my whole life" = =
II there is snything am ALWAYS omen
for, it iss story, provided there is anythipp
IN IL. Therefore said.
And why don't your"
we were going out OF town to dine,
Warrener and ], and when these words
were spoken were passing through what
had once been, and in less degree is still,
prominent business street in Philadel.
phla. AS we went he told the story, and
4 shall give it in his own words, suppress
ing merely such as were In answer to the
exclamations of the listener
That house twenty years ago was one
OF the strongest and sturdiest OF our
private banking houses, and was a
clerk inoit- half 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
lie before 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
l hrst knew him, past sixty, and looked at
least twenty years older. There was
legend IN the office that he never bought
any clothes for himself, but went on
wearing those of his late progenitor, by
which he always remained twenty years
behind the age in dress, as in ali 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 1t stolidly and steadily /;
there was no flash about their operations,
and verify believe that if anybody had
proposed TO old Ephraim such thing as
speculation, he would have stood rare
chance of immolation before escaping
into The street.
But if there was no son, there was a
daughter, and very nice girl she was.
Lydia Pennypacker 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
to this to guide our researches. We all
knew that Lydia was pretty girl and a
good girl, that she was just turned twenty
at the time, mean, when my story re-
ally begins-and that her father treated
her badly not merely through neglect
and niggardliness, but sometimes to the
extent of brutal harshness, including even
the infiction of blows. In saying this l
do not mean to assert that Ephraim Pen
nypaoker was in all respects a bad man
but he was absorbed in the acquisition of
wealth, and in his treatment of his daugh.
ter seemed to act as though he resented the
cost OF her support, or was wreaking upon
her some malice nurtured against Nature
for having cast upon him a useless bur-
den, in place of the "Son" to whom the
house of Pennypacker had a 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 other city.
The clerks of Pennypacker & Son all
lodged and boarded with Ephraim, in 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 Ell
lence and gravity with which they were
consumed. l have often thought since
that nothing could have saved us all from
hn YNar SNcf fhaff L. Al
fact that the quantity served to US was
too small to make any serious demand
upon the digestive organs of babe.
When l speak of all the clerks, 1 speak
only Of four, for Ephraim believed in get
ting the largest amount of work out of
the smallest amount of clerk, and carried
this belief into extreme practice. OF these
clerks my story is concerned with only
ono-John Barrett. He was my room
mate, and acting cashier and paying tel
Ter in the absence of Ephraim, and some
times in his presence. John was seven
years my senior-though he never claim
ed anything on that score-and not of a
social nature; have known him sit a
whole evening in our little room without
speaking a word. His associations were
very limited indeed, under our discipline
they could not well be otherwise, as but
part of Sundays, and about an hour be-
tween breakfast and work, was all the
time We had to cultivate outdoor cour-
tesies, save the evening hours from
seven to nine, and these were not always
our own. And now, having to certain
extent described my personages, will
proceed to give the opening scene in the
drama.
1t was very hot day in midsummer,
and every one in the office went about his
work in dozy condition. know that as
it approached three o'clock caught my
self mapping on my high stool, and should
perhape have proceeded farther than a
nap but for two reasons-firstly, that the
high stool would inevitably have drooped
me; and, secondly, Mr.. Ephraim Penny.
packer, who was out upon Change, might
be expected to pop in at any moment.
Toward three there entered lady, rather
elegantly dressed, not very young, but
with a face which once seen could not
? easily be forgotten. II was somewhat
handsome in outline, but hard and stony,
: with cold Glue eye that spoke little OF
sentiment ana everything of business.
She went straight TO John Barrett's desk,
Il Which was next TO mine, and presented
e a cheque. Her entrance, though quiet
/, aroused every one in the office, for ladies
were not so often seen in places OF bust.
ness thea as now. Only John and /, how
ever, saw her face. John took the cheque,
looked II over In the usual way, gave q
glance at the lady, and, after asking her