Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-23

affected to receive Toms advances with great
indifference, made brief replies, and went on
humming his tune.
by degrees, however, Tom brought him to
business, and they began to haggle about the
terms on which Tom was to have the pirates
treasure There was one condition which
need not be mentioned, being generally un-
derstood in all cases where the devil grants
favors but there were others about which,
though of less importance, he was inhexibly
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 save-ship.
This however, Tom fatty refused to do he
was bad enough, in all conscience, but the
devil himself could not tempt him TO turn
slave trader
Finding Tom 10 squeamish on this point,
he did not insist upon it, but proposed instead
that he should turn usurer, the devil being ex-
tremely anxious for the increase of usurers,
looking upon them as his peculiar people.
70 this no objections were made, for it was
Just to Toms taste
'You shall open brokers' shop in Boston
next month, said the black man.
"I'll do it tomorrow, if you WISH said
Tom Walker.
"You shall lend money at two per cent.
month"
"Egad, I'll charge four" said Tom Walker.
''You shall extort bonds, forecose mort
cages. drive the merchants to bankruptcy
"Ill drive them to the d--l!" cried Tom.
"You are the usurer for my money! said
blacklegs with delight. "When will you
want the rhinO p
This very night"
"Done !" said the devil
Done !" said Tom Walker.
m fbay ahook hands and Etrupk a barpain
A few days time saw Tom Walker seated
behind his desk in counting house in Bos
ton.
Toms reputation for ready moneyed man,
who would lend money out for good con-
sderation, soon spread abroad. Everybody
remembers the time of Governor Belcher,
when money was particularly scarce. 1t was
a time of paper credit The country had
been deluged with government bills, the IA
nous Land Bank had been established there
had been a rage for specuating; the people
had run mad with schemes for Eew settle.
ments for building cities in the wilderness;
land jobbers went about with maps of grants,
and townships, and Eldorados, lying nobody
knew where, but which everybody was ready
to purchase. In word the great speculat-
ing fever which breaks out every now and
then in the country had ragged to au alarm
ing degree, and everybody was dreaming OF
making sudden fortunes from nothing As
usual the fever had subsided the dream had
gone of, and the imaginary fortunes with it
the patients were left in doleful plight, and
the whole country resounded with the conse-
quent cry of "hard times
At this propitious time of public distress
did Tom Walker set up as usurer in Boston.
His door was soon thronged by customers.
The needy and adventurous the gambling
speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the
thrftless tradesman the merchant with
cracked credit in short, every one driven to
raise money by desperate means and desper-
ate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
Thus Tom was the universal friend OF the
needy, and acted like "frend in need" that
is to say, he always exacted good pay and
good security. In proportion to the distress
of the applicant was the hardness of his terms
He accumulated bonds and mortgages grad
ually squeezed his customers closer and clos.
er and sent them at length, dry as sponge
from his door.
In this way he made money hand over
band; became a rich and mighty man, and
exalted his cooked hat upon Change. He
built himself, as usual, vast house, out Of
ostentaton but left the greater part of it
unfinished and unfurnished ont Of parsimony
He even set up carriage in the fullness of
MS NhluBlOTN, lnuuku nt uthIl1 hAdlNcu lhb
horses which drew 1t and as the ungreased
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 heav-
en- were to be taken by force of lungs. In
| deed one might always tell when he had sim
ned most during the week, by the clamor of
| his Sunday devotion. The quiet Christians
who had been modestly and steadfastly trav
| cling Zionward were struck with selfre-
| proach at seeing themselves so suddenly out
stripped in their career by this new made con.
vert. Tom was as rigid in religious as IN
money matters he was a 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 Anabaptists
| In word, Toms zeal became as notorious as
| his riches.
Still, in spite of all this strenuous atten-
ton to forms, Tom had lurking dread that
the devil, after all, would have his due That
he might not be taken unRwares, therefore,
it is said he always carried small Bible in
his coat pocket. He had also a great folio
| Bible on his counting house desk, and would
frequently be found reading it when people
called on business on such occasions be
would lay his green speotaces in the book,
to mark the place, while he turned round to
drive some usurious bargain.
Some say that Tom grew little crack
Drained in his old days, and that fancying
his end approaching, he had his horse new
shod saddled and bridled, and buried with
his feet uppermost; because he supposed
that at the last day the world would be turn
ed upside.down; in which case he should find
his horse standing ready for mounting, and
he was determined at the worst TO give his
old friend a run for it. This, however, is
probably mere old wives fable. If he real
ly did take such a precRution, 1t was totally
superAuous; at least so says the authentic
old legend, which closes his story in the fol
lowing manner.
One hot summer afternoon in the dog-days
lust as a terrible black thunder gust was COM
ing up, Tom sat in his counting house, in his
white linen cap and India silk morning gown
He was on the point of foreclosing mort
gage, by which he would complete the ruiz
of an unlucky land-specuator for whom ht
had professed the greatest friendship. The
poor land -jobber begged him to grant few
months indulgence. Tom had grown testy
and irritated and refused another day.
my family will be ruined and brought up
on the parish. said the land .jobber.
"Charity begins at home, replied Tom
81 must take care of myself in these har'
times"
''You have made SO much money out o
me, said the speculator.
} Tom lost his patience and his piety. "rh'
devil take me-" said he, ''if have made
! farthing"
just then there were three loud knocks a
! the street door. He stepped out to see wht
was there. A black man was holding blacl
l horse, which neighed and stamped with impa
5 tience.
! "Tom, you're come for" said the blac
+. fellow, gruffiy. Tom shrank back, but to
4 | late. He had left his little Bible at the bo
4 tom of his coat pocket, and his big Bible o
8 the desk buried under the mortgage he wa
8 about to foreolose mover was sinner take
= more unswares.
y The black man whisked him like chill
8 into the saddle, gave the horse the lash, an
q away he galloped, with Tom on his back, !