Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-12-28
Gales arro Sketfhes.
fHE DEVIL AND TON WALKER.
BIZ WASHINGTON IRVING.
Continued from Yesterday

i Continued from yesterday
i By degrees, however, Tom brought him
TO business, and they began to haggle about
the terms on which the former was to have
the pirates treasure. There was one con
dition which need not be mentioned, being
generally understood in all cases where
the devil grants favors; but there were
others about which. though of less impor-
lance, he WAS infexibly obstinate. He
insisted that the money found through his
means should be employed in his service
He proposed, therefore, that Tom should
employ it in the black traffic: that is to
say, that he should fit out a slave ship.
This, however. Tom resolutely refused !;
he was bad enough in all conscience; but
the devil himself could not tempt him to
turn sIave-:rader.
Finding Tom so squeamish on this point.
he did not insist upon it, but proposed, in
stead. that he should turn usurer: the
devil being extremely anxious for the in
his peculiar people.
To this no objections were made. for it
was just to Toms taste.
lyon shall open brokers' shop in Bos-
ton next month";" said the black man.
I'm do it tomorrow, if you wish" said
Tom Walker.
You shall lend money at two per cent
month"
"Egad. I'll charge four!" replied Tom
| Walker.
..You shall extort bonds, foreclose
mortgages, drive the merchants to bank
| ruptcy''-
:.I'il drive them to the d." cried
Tom Walker
"You are the usurer for my money"
said black-legs with delight. when will
you want the rhino?"
This very night"
"Done " said the devil.
dome :" said Tom Walker. - So they
shook hands and struck bargain.
A few days. time saw Tom Walker
seated behind his desk in counting house
In Boston.
Toms reputation for ready-moneyed
man, who would lend money out for a
good consideration. soon spread abroad.
Everybody remembers the time of Cover
nor Belcher, when money was particular
ly scarce. 1t was time of paper credit.
The country had been deluged with gov
nernment bills, the famous Land Bank
had been established; there had been
rage for specializing; the people had run
mad with schemes for new settlements
for building cities in the wilderness
land-jobbers went about with maps of
grants. and townships, and Eldorados, ly-
ing nobody knew where, but which every
body was ready to purchase. In a word,
the great specializing fever which breaks
out every now and then in the country,
had ragged to an alarming degree, and
everybody was dreaming Of making sud-
den fortunes from Dothing. AS usual
the fever had subsidized the dream had
gone off. and the imaginary fortunes with
it; the patients were left in doleful
plight, and the whole country resounded
with the consequent cry of "hard times"
At this propitious time of public distress
did Tom Walker set up as usurer in Bos-
ton. His door was soon thronged by GUS
toners. The needy and adventurous; the
gambling speculator; the dreaming land
| jobber; the thrftless tradesman; the mer-
chant with cracked credit; in short, every
one driven to raise money by desperate
sacrifices. hurried to Tom Walker
Thus Tom was the universal friend of
the needy, and acted like a ''frend in
| need"; that is to saw he always exacted
good pay and good security. In proper
ton tn the distress of the applicant was
| the hardness of his terms. He accumu-
| lated bonds and mortgages; gradually
| squeezed his customers closer and closer /;
and sent them at length, dry as a sponge.
from his door.
| In this way he made money hand over
hand; became rich and mighty man,
and exalted his cooked hat upon Change
He built himself, as usual, q vast house,
out of ostentation; but left the greater
part of it unfinished and unfinished, out
of parsimonv. He even set up carriage
in the fitness OF his vain glory, though he
nearly starved the horses which drew it {;
and as the INCREASED wheels groaned and
screeched on the axle-trees. you would
have thought you heard the souls of the
poor debtors he was squeezing.
As Tom waxed old, however, he grew
thoughtful. Having secured the good
things of this world. he began to feel
anxious about those of the next. He
thought with regret on the bargain he had
made with his black friend. and set
his wits to work to cheat him out
of the conditions. He became, there
fore, all of a sudden. violent church goer
He prayed loudly and strenuously. as if
heaven were to be taken by force of lungs
Indeed, one might always tell when he
had sinned most during the week. by the
clamor of his Sunday devotion. The quiet
Christmas who had been modestly and
steadfastly travelling ZionwaId, were
struck with selfreproach at seeing them
selves so suddenly outstripped in their ca
reer by this new made convert. Tom was
rs rigid in religious as in money matters /;
he was stern supervisor and censurer of
his neighbors, and seemed to think every
sin entered up to their account became a
credit on his own side of the page. He
even talked of the expediency of reviving
the persecution of Quakers and Anabap-
fists. In word. Toms zeal became as
notorious rs his riches.
Still, in spite of all this strenuous atten-
ton to forms. Tom had a lurking dread
that the devil. after all, would have his
due. That he might not he taken una
wares, therefore. it is said he always car
ried a small Bible in his coat pocket. He
had also great folio Bible on his counting
house desk, and would frequently be
found reading it when people called on
business; on such occasions he would lay
II l. = - Al