The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-11-24
"Yes, 1 think there is, but

help ourselves. Self.help, I've heard it |
said, is always the best help, and most |
to be depended on. We may know our
selves, and trust ourselves, and that is |
great deal more that we can say about
other people. When shall we have the
sale?"
''Not so fast, Betsy, not so fast
haven't agreed TO the sale yet. That
would be sure to make certain loss.
Furniture sold at auction never realizes
above half its cost"
at would be certain gain, Aaron.
If it saved you from bankruptcy, with
which, as 1 understand it, you are
threatened"
~ think" said Aaron, 1--WE may get
on without that. like the idea of your
coming into my warehouse and taking
Hobson's place. All the money from
retail sales passes through his hands,
and he has it in his power, if not honest
to rob me seriously. I've not felt alto.
gether easy in regard to him of late.
Why, l can hardly tell. I've seen
nothing wrong. But, If you take his
place, three hundred pounds will be
saved certainly
"But if have my house to keep"
Mrs. Little answered to this, show can
l help you at the warehouse? The first
thing in order is to get the house off my
hands,"
"Don't you think that Annie could
be induced to come and live with us for
a few months until we try this new ex-
periment?'
but the money, Aaron; the money
this furniture would bring! That's
what Pm looking after. You want
money now.'
Every true"
Then lot us hang out the red flag.
Half way measures may only ruin
everything. / know that mother will
not let Annie leave home, so it's no use
to think of it, The red flag, Aaron
the red flag Depend upon it, that's the
first right thing to be done. Five or six
hundred pounds in hand will make you
feel like another person-give you cour-
age, confidence and energy"
"You may be right, Betsy but
can't bear the thought of running out
:, the red flag, of which you talk so light
ly."
"Shall say coward! Are you afraid
TO do what common prudence tells you
is right"
81 was afraid, Betsy; but am no long.
er faint hearted. With such brave
little wife as you to stand by my side /
> need not fear the world"
> In week from that day the red flag
was hung out When the auctioneer
made up his accounts, he had in hand a
little over eight hundred pounds, for
= which check was filed out to the order
of Aaron Little. 1t came into his hands
just at the right moment and made
8 him feel, to use his own words, "as
! easy as an old shoe" One week later
IS Mrs. Betsy Little took the place of Mr.
l. Hohson, as chief manager and cash re
l. ceiver in her husbands warehouse @
: There We're some few signs of rebellion
among the clerks and shop girls at tn,
beginning; bu. Mrs Betsy had quicl,
1t steady eye, End Il selfreliant manner
:. that caused her presence to be felt, ant
S soon made everything subservient t.
u her will. 1t was remarkable fact tina
D. at the close of the first week of her ad
'e ministration ofafiairs, the cash receipt
IS were over $50 in excess of the receipt
of any week within the previous thre
months.
"Have we done more business tina
usual this week ?" she asked of one cler
u and another; and the uniform answe
@ was, "No."
D. "Then,' said the lady to herself
re "there's been foul play here. No won
Id der my husband was in trouble"
At the end of the next week the sale
IL came up to the same average, and at tn
;e end of the third week were forty pound
CT better than before Mrs. Little under
took to manage the retail department
'd Whether there has been "foul play" c
IS not, Aaron Little could never fully d.
70 termine but he was in no doubt as
one thing, and that was the easy COZ
or dition of the money market after th
Is lapse of half year.
IN For four or five months previous
Mrs. Littles administration of affair
tie he was on the street for nearly half
20 his time, during business hours, engage
lot in the work of money raising; now
regular receipts had got in advance
ic- his payments, so that his balance on Il
ST. morning of each day was usually in e
IN cess of the notes to be lifted. OF cour
re. he could give more attention to bu
IN ness; and of course business increas
Vo, and grew more profitable under the il
I'm proved system. BY the end of L
year, to use his own words, he was IS
lr, right" Not so neighbor of his wi
to get mora capital, had taken n
ne Lawrence as partner. Instead of brit
re- ing in ten thousand pounds that "ci
italist" was only able to put down thu
1t thousand, and before the end of t
ter year he had drawn out six or sew
RS. thousand, and had given notes of t
ave firm for as much more in payment
lalf old obligations. A failure of the hou
the followed as an inevitable result.
ME "When the fact of the failure and t
Idle cause which led to it become known
viii Mr.. Little he remarked, with a shru
k." "I'm sorry for b; hut he shou
have told his wife"
ible "Of what?" asked the person
70 whom he addressed the remark.
my "Of his want of more cspital, and
and tention 10 make partner of Ii
be- renee"
his "What good would that have don
lree at might have saved him from ri
@ as as it did me-"
"Eou are mysterious, Little"
t us Am /? Well, in plain words, a y
ago l was hard up for money in
ont business, and thought of taking Il