Litchfield enquirer., 1881-05-05
[From Bla, kwuod's Msgazine.I MIR. COX'S PRoTEGE.
IN TWO pARrs.

IN TWO PAErs. ' 7
 g .Hs 4.ss~r4os If~s ,Ee Abraham Cox was the only son of the emi- nent private banker and philanthrOpist. The paternal Cox was senior partner in the re spectable firm of Cox & Curries, that had been hourishing in Nicholas Lane through four CT five generations Abraham the elder was as well known in Exeter Hall as in Lhnbard Street. Alb aham the younger had been cra.iled in luxury, but had taken kindly to initiating his parents philanthropy. As a child he had been in the habit of passing on his hoops aud tops to the lucky offspring of the keepers and day-lat'ourers. AS boy at Eton his muaificent tips ran through his pOck- cts as fast as they flowed in for he had q heart to feel for his fellow creatures, and ''a hand open as the day for melting charity Al Cambridge, though people might smile at his eccpnlrIcltles; though the duns and his tuto. s shook their heads, and he had made himself a gener reputation as an odd fish, = yet he had stanch and a,lmiring friends in his extensive circle of acqnaintances. He was sts good tempered and so liberal, that4itiwas i'm possible not to like him; and then nol man in college was Quch better company when he was not airing one inf his crehehets. There were others wio though anything but sy,npa thetic, swOre by sD genernus paygiaster for illey could always count on him fur timely assistance when allowances were 0vertirawn n and tuns were h,;heiso,ne. He did not neg l lect the apostolic precept of being given [" hospitality. His ''crOnies" were anything but few or far bel ween he ran abnormal scores Tn the buffers hatch and kitchen; and his guests endured his occasional long -windedness in consideration of his profusion and the quality ,,f hic broI oI,u,,, had shan respectable talents, tiinngh he only read by fits and starts: and he had a pleasant face | and d stalwart person. and was fairly ''goOdl all round" at r.ost things. He pulled stroke | in the second college boat; he was quick on his legs and ready with his returns in the tennis. court; and though he seldom rode to hounds. he had the seat of man accustomed t, the saddle One foible he had that came next to his excessive philanthropy, even in th,se early days-he had a morbid horror of
 putting on f1esh." though it must be confessed there was some justification for it. For with his fine appeli,ee and easy going nature, he was always on the brink of tipping the scales al something over fifteen stone. He might have grown gross and anwieldy had he yield ed to his natural ihdolence and rather seden Etary inclinations. AS it WAS, he made it a
 matter of conscience to go in for those active reaxatians we have alluded to and when he was not handling the oar or knnekin" about ihe tennis balls, he was cantering on the turf by the highway to Newmarket or doing in defaI gable constitutiOnals on the Pumping ion road
 Old Cox opened his eyes at his sons college accounts. But after all, there was entire con
 ti,ence between the two: the lad was guilty of no disereditable- foIlies: there was not one item that could not pass satisfactory audit |; ,.l hat lad t,Sc ic practice of the parental precepts. Nor need 'he successor to the chieflainship of Cox & Curries look closely either to pounds or pence S Abraham took a respectable degree; and
 is father having liquidated his outstanding liabilities, he went down" from Cambridge to London to be initiated into the banking Duiness.
 Cox & Curries was believed to he one of those solvent, old fashioned houses that have gone on steadily extending lucrative hereGi
 ary connection. Men said, of course, thai they had been suffering in common with other private bankers, from the neck -or. nothing competition of nexfangled joint stock enter prise. If they reallj suffered. they made no slgn They never dreamed of putting polish. ed granite columns into the smoke -begrimed front of their musty premises. They seldom c!eaned their dingy window-panes. Old MT. Cox came up from his seat in Surrey, or drove into the City from his house in Brook Street, at least five days in the six and there you found him rubbing his hands m genial over. flow of serene benevOlence, chatting with his good friends anh partners, or giving smiling
 'rders to respectful clerks. The firm had al ways been close corporation. and Coxes had been in the habit of intermarrying with Cur ries keeping the bulk of the profits in the going concern.
 < 4 I,rol, iup nd 1sx,itI, ho 1o votion due to the heir of the reiguing prince |; md solhly furnished though dismal apart,
 nent, duly safed and grated, was set apart to his separate use. The reverence he inherited IS d part of his birthright stifed for long any 'ullOrs to his disadvantage. He was y0uny
 and. and had tO be broken to the business. though the purest banking blood ran in his veins, and we know that bon ctien chase de race. But soon it began 10 be bruited about,
 hat notwithstanding young Mir. Abraham's pleasant manners, he was likely to prove any
 hing but an acquisition. There was mur
 nuring flon the hcad.cashier down to the messengers: the Curries laid their heads to sether and shook them, and the shadows of some fitting clouds of care would eclipse the elder Cnx's constitutional serenity. Not that
 he younger man was negligent, very far
 rom it. On the contrary, he WAS only too .ssiduous in his attendance and It was his virtues that began to bring him into discredit, flor his father wished to push him for ward that he might be prepared for the position he
 .as destined to fill, and he was nervously dive 10 sense of hls responsibilities. But
 hen his philanthropy would come into play
 he. philanthropy which his more practical
 parent had been in the habit of leaving behind ii the door of the bank. He had never learn. d to say ''No," and he found it hard to be gin. Spendihrift or speculative customers who had an instiuciive fdire for accommosiat ing finan:iery, began to find him out. They surinised that they pleased the head of the firm by making point of asking for young MT. Abraham; and young Mir. Abraham was
 invariably at his post. It was seldom indeed that these intervlews did not end satisfactorily tor the visitors Mir. Abraham delighted lu putting in practice his sentiments of charity towards his neighbors. Appeals to his feel. ings made him obliviuus of figures He con. Sented to make advances on shady securities sud salved his conscience with gentle remon Strances when it Was a question of customers accounts being overdrawn. Of course these financial arrangements of his were subject to 'he assent of the partners; but ii seemed un- gracious to he perpetually calling him over the cnals. and the father showed some irrita hility of temper when the laches of the son were brought under discussion. The sate nusiness of Cox & Curries threatened to be revoiniionised the grey-headed chief cashier actually suocumbed i" the strain, and took to lis bed in his villa at Brompton for the first
 l C in the memory of man.
 To cut the prelininaries of our story short, things came to a crlsls. The Curries expostu-
 ated. and finally protested. Cox senior made some fight but in the end he yielded in sorrow and heaviness As for young Abraham, though gosd deal hurt, he behaved with the conscientious dsinterestedness that fight have been expected. He had been acting to the pest of his lights, but would be guided hy the wishes and interests of the firm. So it was settled that he should retire into private life. while the interest he must inherit on his fath 'fs death must be left to fructify under the management of others.
 The first modification over, Abraham took out a new lease of happiness. He could go dis own way for the future. and give himself | m fs.f far al hr.,