American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-10-14

take but one view OF matters ike this.
If think will do better by renewing,
am ready to do so; if by winding up
The party now l can do better, l go for
winding up. L have confidence in Carl
toms integrity. I believe he means
well. But can he get through? that is
the question"
81 believe he cam" 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 extension he asked. when in
formed of this decision, Carlton could
not hide his emotions, though he strove
hard to do so. His grateful scknowl-
edgements for the favor granted,
touched more than one heart that had
been as cold as ice toward him short
time before. How different We're 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
granted, Mr.. Carlton was able to pay
off every thing, and to look in the face
without unpleasant emotions every
man he met.
Strange things happen in real life.
Mr.. Elder was a shipper and extensive
ly engaged in trade. For series of
years every thing went on prosperously
with him. His ventures always found
good market, and his consignments
safe and energetic factors. All this be
attributed to his own business acumen.
"I meyer 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 a
practical conviction that he is in the
hand of One who governs all events.
1t is rarely that such a one does not
become painfully conscious in the end
that hnman prudenceis as nothing.
The first thing that occurred to check
the confident spirit of Mr.. Elder was
the loss of a shipsand cargo under cir
cumstaneestha gave Che underwriters
a fair plea for not paying the risk. He
sued and was cast. The loss was twen-
ty-fve thousand dollars.
foxrv fto~ x,,xr-, q,
shipment to the South American coast
had resulted in loss. From that
time every thing seemed to go wrong.
His adventures found a glutted market,
and his return cargoes a depression of
prices. If he held on to a thing in the
hope of bett er rates, prices would go
down, until, in a desperate mood, he
would sell; then they would go up
steadily. The time was when he could
confne 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
bewildering precinsct of the stock mar
ket, lured by the hope Of splendid re-
suits. Here he stood upon ground
that soon crumbled beneath his feet. A
loss ofstwenty or thirty thousand dol
lars cured him of this folly, and he
turned with sigh to his counting
room, to digest, with care and prudent
forethought, some safe operation 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 instead 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-
fees, but the end of this came.
After q 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 furnished. As he walked along Mr..
Carlton came to his side with cheerful
salutation. Mr.. C. was now a. large
creditor instead of debtor. On that
very day, bills in his favor had matured
to the amount of $4,000, and these Ell
dercould not pay. The recollection OF
this made It almost impossible for him
to reply to the pleasant observations of
his companion. Yividly, as if it had
occurred yesterday, came up before his
mind the circumstance that had trans
pired q few years previously. He re-
membered how eagerly he had sought.
from the merest selfish motives, to
break down Mr.. Carlton and throw him
helpless upon the world, and how near
he was to accomplishing the merchants
total overthrow. Such recollections
drove from his mind the hope that for a
moment had presented itself of enlist
ing Mr.. Cartoons good feelings and Sc
curing him as q friend in the trial
through which he was about to pass.
Several times during the walk he was
on the point of breaking the matter to
Mr.. c., but either his heart failed him
or his companion made some remark to
which he was compelled to, reply. At
length they separated without any allu-
sion by Mr.. Elder to the subject on
which he was SO DESTROYS of speaking.
He had not the courage to utter the first