The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-08


found good market, and his consign-
ments safe and energetic factors. All
this he attributed to his own business
acumen.
never make bad shipments" he
would sometimes say. l never con-
sign to doubtful agents.
A man like Mr.. Elder is rarely per-
mitted to go through life without a
practical conviction that he is in the
hands of One who governs all events.
1t is rarely that such one does not be-
come painfully conscious, in the end,
that human prudence is as nothing.
The first thing that occurred to check
the confident spirit of Mr.. Elder was
the loss of ship and cargo under cir
cumstances that give the underwriters
fair plea for not paying the risk. He
sued and was beaten. The loss was
twenty-five thousand dollars.
In few weeks news came that
shipment to the South American coast
had resulted in loss. From that time
everything seemed to go wrong. His
ventures found n glutted market, and
his return cargoes a depression of
prices. If he held on to thing in
hopes of better rates, prices would go
down, until, in a desperate mood, he
would sell; then they would go up
steadily. The time was when he could
confine himself strictly to legitimate
trade, but mania for speculation now
took hold of him and urged him on to
ruin. He even ventured into the be-
wildering precincts of the stock market,
lured by the hopes of splendid results.
Here he stood upon ground that soon
crumbled beneath his feet. A loss of
some twenty or thirty thousand dollars
cured him of his folly, and he turned
with sigh to his counting-room to di-
gest with care and prudent forethought
some safe operation in his regular
business.
The true balance of his mind was
lost. He could not consider with calm
ness the businessin hand. A false move
was the consequence. Loss instead of
profit was the unfortunate result.
Seven years from that day Mr.. Elder
opposed an arrangement with Mr.. Carl
ton, which should regard the debtor as
well as the creditor, he himself found
it impossible to provide for all his heavy
payments. For some time he had kept
his head above water by making a sac
rifice, but the end of this came.
After sleepless night the merchant
started one morning for his store, op-
pressed with the sad conviction that be-
fore the day closed his fair fame would
be furnished. AS he walked along,
Mr. Carlton came to his side with a
cheerful salutation. Mr.. Carlton was
now large creditor instead of debtor.
On that very day bills in his favor had
matured to the amount of five thousand
dollars, and these Elder could not pay.
The recollection of this made it almost
impossible for him to reply to the pleas
ant observations of his companion.
Vividly, as if it had occurred yesterday,
came up before his mind the circum-
stances that had TRANSFERRED a few years
previously. He then remembered how
eagerly he had sought, from the merest
selfish motives, to break down Mr..
Carlton and throw him helpless upon
the world, and how near he came to &C
cOmplishing the merchants total over
throw. Such recollections drove from
his mind the hope that for a moment
he had had of enlisting Mr.. Cartoons
good feelings and securing him as a
friend in the trial through which he
| wac dDOut W pdSS' tOCNCldl bllllcS uuI-
ing the walk he was on the point of
breaking the matter to Mr.. Carlton, but
either his heart failed him, or his COM
paniOn made some remark to which he
was compelled to reply. At length
they separated without any allusion by
Mr.. Elder to the subject on which he
was DESTROYS of speaking.
He had not the courage to utter the
first word. But this was only post
poning for brief period the evil day.
Several remittances were anxiously
looked for that morning. He broke the
sealing, letter after letter, with trem-
bling anxiety. Alas the mail brought
him no aid. His last hope was gone.
Nothing now remained for him but to
turn his face bravely to the threatening
storm and bear up against its fury.
For awhile he debated the question
as to what course was best for him to
pursue. At one time he thought of
giving no information of his condition
until the notary's protest should startle
them from their ignorance. Then he
thought it would be best to notify the
holders of paper due on that day that
it would not be taken up. Then it
seemed to him best to give notice of
his condition. He prepared notes to
all, but to Mr.. Carlton first. His heart
failed him when he. attempted to write
his name. Vividly, as if it had
occurred but the day previous, came
up before his mind all the circum-
stances attending upon that gentleman's
appeal to his creditors. His cheek
burned when he remembered the posi-
ton he had assumed in that affair.
But, even though such were his feel
ings, when he came to dispatch the
notes he had prepared he could only
find courage to send the one written to
Mr.. Carlton. The other creditors
whose bills had matured that day he
thought he would go and see; but half
an hour passed without his acting on
the resolution to do so. Most of the
day was spent in walking uneasily the
floor of his counting-room, or in ex-
aiming his bill book. He was bend
ing, all absorbed, over page of calcu-
lations at his desk when some one, who
had entered unperceived, pronounced
his name. He turned quickly, and
looked Mr., Carlton in the face. The
color mounted instantly to the temples
of Mr.. Elder. He tried to speak, but
could not.
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