The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-22
A Conversation on Debt.

Wife-My dear you look worried.
Who was that. called to see you and
detained YOU so long at the gate!"
HusbuHd-It was Mr.''C., the gentle
man from whom | purchased that lot
of pork last wear. lie wants his mon
ey. and it does not suit me to pay him
lust now. as | desire to make some
purchases from parties fl whom |
cannot expect credit. y i besides,
he need not be III such i ....lry about
his paw. 1t has been only some twelve
or eighteen months since | cot the
pork He says | promised to settle
with him in a very short time, and SO
| did. but we cannot always come up
to our promises.
WI am surprised to heer this.
I supposed that you had settled with
this gentleman long since. He needs
his money, | know it, and has been
put to serious Inconvenience by our
neglect. lie certainly has INDUCED
us beyond what we had any reason to
expect. 1t worries me excec !lngly,
to think hat we have imposed upon
him so much. We nave been done
| without, and ! certainly VOL have
insisted upon retrenchment, Ill, veral
particulars. had | known that We were
living at other peoples inconve fence
and charges.
H.-Since the subject is up | might
as we'll tell you the whole OF the case.
| am wretchedIy in debt. My bust
ness has been badly managed. The
groceries we bought several years ago
from Mr.. b. are not paid for. He has
dunned me again and again, but have
given no attention to the matter.
have quit going into his store. |
know he does not like to credit me.
| Hence it is hat | have been trading
with Mr.. D., with whom we now have
a large bill. that has been running for
some considerable time. The same
is true of Mr.. F., from whom we have
been getting our dry goods, and in
deed, there is scarcely a merchant in
our village hat | do not owe. Yes
and even the poor man who did my
smithing, Mr.. NJ, who male u
shoes, our family physician, who has
so faithfully waited upon II sick,
and our minister, who has visited us
and preached for US. have received
nothing in return from me, for years.
W.-You astonish and pain me be
yond measure. The true state of the
case seems to be this, we have been
living at the expenses Of other people.
One man has furnished our groceries,
another our dry goods, another made
our shoes, another taught our children,
another waited upon our SICK another
preached for us, &c. We ourselves
have done scarcely anything. How
dreadfully mortified | am These
facts are know to Il neighho.5 and
have doubtless been the subject of
much criticism and ridicule. We
must say, that we do not deserve the
position in society to which we as
pire. Such conduct as ours, should
receive the reprobation of al good
men. How car | hold up my head in
the future, How notifying to re
fleet, that while our children haze
been dressing almost. if not quite. as
well as the best. have been foremost
in all the social and pleasure parties
and such parties have been given
at considerable cost. at II own house
our family has been kept up. in al
its privileges, style and enjovments b,
our neighbors. This is the painful
but true state of the case.
H.--Nou are severe. but. | must con
Tess. not more sever than the fact.
Justify. have felt for sometime tina
we We're gaining our ourselves an,
our children a very undesirable rep
utation.-the reputation of sDongers
who live by absorbing. wherever W,
can. what belongs to others.
: w, Let us 90 to the bottom of thi
matter. Great harm is often done b,
/, not calling things by their right names
: The r%eproach of society is the leas
: distressing feature in the case. Sucl
! conduct must receive the condemns
d ton of heaven. 1t is a breach of tn
. eighth commandment. Morally W
? might as we'll put u hand into on
neighbor's pocket and take his none
without his knowledge. To take an
possess what belongs to another. in
g manner contrary to the will of God
a to steal in the scripture sense. II
divine appreciation cannot be elaine
a for the manne in which we hay
Y been receiving. possessing and usin
o the property, labor and skill Of on
fellowmen. 1t has been by Dromisf
: to which we have proved false. .,
ii free to confess that we have not mad
e the proper efforts or practiced III;
If economy we should have done To -
deem our promises. We have deeei,
g ed and wronged the persons wit
20 whom we have had dealing. Notl
s ing Is palmer. How can | go into :,
n clety: | shall hear every one | me,
It say, There goes a family flat Iiv,