The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-17

| uttle. we SnOulu Dc JUST, rs man To-
ward man; and this do not think we
should be in this case unless we consider
Carlton as well as ourselves. He is an
honest man, and an honest man in diff
culties is always entitled to considera-
tion."
"That is all very well. But when a
man gives his note payable at a certain
day, he ought to be very sure that he
will be able to take ii up. Creditors are
entitled to some consideration, as well
as debtors. The cry of poor debtor
is soon raised, but who, 1 wonder, thinks
of the poor creditors /, for one, am
not prepared to extend"
This was said by Elder.
GAS for me-" spoke up another,
take but one view of matters like this.
If think will do better by renewing,
I am ready to do so; if, by winding up
the party now, can do better, go for
winding up. have confidence in Carl
toms integrity. 1 believe he means
well. But can he get through9 that is
the question"
"I believe he can," said Mr.. High
land.
"And doubt it," returned Elder.
The efforts of Elder to efface the i'm
preston the words of Mr.. Highland
had made proved in vain. 1t was agreed
that the debtor should receive the ex-
tension he asked. When informed of
this decision, Carlton could not hide
his emotions, though he strove hard to
do so. His grateful Acknowledgements
for the favor granted touched more
than one heart that had been cold as ice
toward him short time before. How
different were his feelings when he met
his family that evening, and silently
thanked Heaven that the cloud which
had lowered over, and threatened to
break in desolating tempest, had passed
from the sky.
Long before the arrival of the time
for which an extension had been grant
ed, Mr.. Carlton was able to pay off
everything, and to look in the face,
without unpleasant emotions, every man
he met.
Strange things happen in real life.
ly engaged in trade. For a series of
years everything went on prosperous]y
with him. His ventures always found a
good market, and his consignments safe
and energetic factors. All this he at
tributed to his own business acumen.
81 never make bad shipments" he
would sometimes say. 81 never con-
sign to doubtful agents."
A man like Mr.. Elder is rarely per-
mitted to go through life without prac-
tical conviction that he is in the hand of
One who governs all events. 1t is rarely
that such O one does not become pain
fully conscious, in the end, that human
prudence is as nothing.
The first thing that occurred to check
the confident spirit of Mr.. Elder was
the loss of ship and cargo, under cir
cumstances that gave the underwriters
fair plea for not paying the risk. He
sued and was cast. The loss was $685.
600.
A few weeks after, news came that
shipment to the South American coast
had resulted in loss. From that time
everything seemed to go wrong. His
adventures found a glutted market, and
his return cargoes depression of
prices. If he held on to thing in the
hopes of better rates, prices would go
down, until, in desperate mood, he
would sell /; then they would go up
steadily. The time was when he could
confine himself strictly to legitimate
trade, but a mania for speculation now
took hold of him and urged him on to
ruin. He even ventured into the be-
wildering precincts of the stock market,
lured by the hope of splendid results.
Here he stood upon ground that soon
| Hal Hanaakh h.a A loao @f
500, ZOO or $4,000 cured him of this
folly, and he turned with sigh to his
counting-room, to digest, with care and
prudent forethought, some safe opera
ton in his regular business.
But the true balance of his mind was
lost. He could not consider with calm
ness the business in hand. A false
move was the consequence. Loss in
stead of profit was the unfortunate
result.
Seven years from the day Mr.. Elder
opposed an arrangement with Mr.. Carl
ton, which should regard the debtor as
well as the creditor, he himself found it
impossible to provide for all his heavy
payments. For some time he had kept
his head above water by making sacri-
| uCeS, Dub buo euu VI billb ChIue.
After sleepless night the merchant
started one morning for his store, OPP
pressed with the sad conviction that be-
fore the day closed his fair fame would
be tarnished. AS he walked along, Mr..
Carlton came to his side, with cheer
full salutation. Mr.. G. was now large
creditor, instead of debtor. On that
very day, bills in his favor lid matured
to the amount of 81, 900, and these Elder
could not pay. The recollection of this
made it almost impossible for him to re-
ply to the pleasant observations of his
companion. Vividly, as if it had oc-
Cured yesterday, came up before his
mind the circumstances that had trans
pired few years previously. He re-
membered how eagerly he had sought,
from the merest selfish motives, to break
down Mr.. Carlton, and throw him help
less upon the world, and how near he
was to accomplishing the merchants
total overthrow. Such recollections
drove from his mind the hope that for q
moment had presented itself of enlisting
Mr.. Cartons good feelings, and secur-
ing him as a friend in the trial through
which he was about to pass.