Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-09

pearance, and gave him a sWashbuckler ali
which made those who knew him well Ia
ment that he had not graced the Elizs
bethan era. when he might have become
gallant ~buccaneer, and so got himself sho
through the head, or that he had mot -four
ishsi under the reign of good Queen Anne
when no would probably have turned pirat
and been hanged; or that, being born il
the Victorian age, he had not gone to tn
Far West, where he would, at least hay,
mad the chance Of getting shot In a gan
bling saloon.
"As for me, when I get the business h,
continued, 81 shall look about for some OH,
to carry it on until ! am able to sell it fol
what it will fetch. Books at a penny apiec,
all round, l suppose"-James gasped-'shor
furniture thrown in"-James panted-"ant
the goodwill for a small, lump sum" Jane,
wondered how far his own savings, and
what be could borrow, might go towards
that lump sum, and how muchI might ire.
MAN, my grandfather, as you know, Of
course, is soon going to retire from business
altogether" This was another lie abso.
Lutte, as Mr. Emblem had no intention what
ever Of retiring.
"Soon, Mr.. Joseph3 He has never said a
word to me about it,"
Very soon, now-sooner than you expect.
At se~venty-lve, and with all his money, why
should he go on shaving any longerl Very
soon, indeed. Any day"
Mr.. Joseph" the assistant positively
trembled with eagerness and apprehension.
What is ii, Jamesl Did you really think
that a man like me was going to sit in a back
shop among these mouldy volumes all dayi
Come, that's too good. You might have
given me credit for being one cut above a
counter, too. am a gentleman. James, If
you please; l am an officer and a gentle-
man. ~. Df 1I
He then proceeded to explain, in language
that smacked something OF the sea, that his
ideas scared far above trade, which was, at
best, a contemplate occupation, and quite
un worthy of a gentleman, particularly OF
an officer and a gentleman; and that his
personal friends would never condescend
even to formal acquaintance, not to speak
of friend ship. with trade. This discourse
may be omitted. When one reads aboutsuch
a man as Joe Gallop, when We are told how
he looked and what he said and how he said
it, with what gestures and in what tone, we
feel as if it would be impossible for the sim
plest person in the world to be mistaken as to
his real character. My friends. especially
my young friends, so far from the discern.
ment Of character being easy, 1t is, on the
contrary, an art most difficult, and very
rarely attained. Natures indications are a
kind of handwriting, the characters in
which are known to few, so that, for in
stance, the quick, inquiring glance of an
eye, in which one may easily read-who
knows the character-treacherY, lying and
deception, just as in the letter Beth was
originally easily discerned the effigies of a
house, may very easily pass unread by thu
multitude. The language, or rather the
alphabet, IS much less complicated than the
cuneiform OF the Modes and Persians, vet no
one studies it, except women, most of whom
are profoundly skilled in this lore, which
makes them 50 fearfully and wonderfully
wise. Thus it is easy for man to de.
ceive his brother man, but not his
sister woman. Again, most of us are
glad to take everybody on his own state
ments; thers are. or may be, we are all
ready to acknowledge, with sorrow for err
ing humanity, somewhere else in the world.
such things as pretending, swindling, acting
a part and cheating, but they do not and
cannot belong to our own world. Mr..
James, the assistant, very we'll knew that
Emblem's grandson had already, though
still young. as bad a record as could be de-
by any; that he had been turned out
Ct one situation after another; that his
had long since refused to help
him any more; that he was always to be
found in the broad path which leadeth to
destruction. When he had money he ran
down that path as fast as his legs could carry
him; when he had none, he only walked and
wished he could run. But he never left it,
and never wished to leave it. Knowing all
this, the mar accepted and believed every
Of Joe's story. James believed it, be.
cause he hoped it. He listened respectfully
to Joe's defamation on the meanness Of
trade, and then he rubbed his hands, and
said humbly that he ventured to hope. when
the sale of the business anne on, Mr.. Joseph
would let him have a chance.
"You9' asked Joe. I never thought of
you. But why notl Why not. l say2 Why
not you as well as anybody elseT'
Nobody but me, Mr.. Joseph, knows what
the BUSINESSES, and how it might be improved,
nd l could make arrangements for paying
by regular instalments"
"Well, we'll talk about it when the time
won't forget. Sailors, you know,
can't be expected to understand the value of
Say, James, what does the Commo.
dore do all dayT
''sits in there and adds up bis invest
always doing that-ehl Always adding
EN- upi Ali and you've never got a chance
looking over his shoulder, l supposep
"Never."
"You may find that chance, one Of these
lays. Ishould like to know, If only for curl
what they are and where they are.
sits in there and adds 'em up. Yes-Tve
seen him at it. There must be thousands by
this time.n
Thousands, " said the assistant, in the be-
lief that the more you add up a sum the
it grows.
Joe walked into the back shop and tried
the safe.
"Whsrs are the keysF' he asked.
"Alwaysin his pocket or on the table before
him. He don't leave them about"
"or you'd ha' known pretty sharp all
there is to know-eh, my Iadl Well, you're
a Foxy one, you are, if ever there was one.
Let's be pals, you and me. When the old
man goes, you want the shop-well, l don't
sec why you shouldn't have the shop;
somebody must have the shop, and it
will be mine to do what l please with. As
Tor his savings, he says they are all for Iris
well, wills have been set aside before this.
Do you think now, seriously, do you think,
James, that the old man is quite right-ehl
Don't answer m a hurry. Do you think,
low, that he is quite right in his chumpT"