Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-11-27

| Nr. NeiUtOn ards met bu his aCfc's gentle
"hOnlc qCclcOme."
"Give yourself no uneasiness, my dear
father on our account. We should be
unworthy of our parents could we not
meet adversely Cf labor and IL simpler
style of living be adversely without COM
plant. You have not taught us to look
upon wealth as the only source of true
happiness"
I'VE certainly have endeavored to give
| you nobler ideas, and you, my son, are
| sufficiently mature to view life as a
school for hi, o. and lofty aspiration and
pure and nobler principles, but | feel
much solicitude for the younger mem
bers of our family
ssNever fear, Edward; you have a
strong band around you that will not
fail in the hour Of trial. Let US know,
if you please, the history of this days
deliberations, for the more clearly we all
understand the more readily will we be
able to fix upon some plan for our future
| course
cit has been hard struggle to con-
vince my partners that We had no alter
native but to close the concern if we
would save our honor. They could not
| but understand that an attempt to con-
tinue this hopeless struggle would only
sink us deeper. But, naturally, they
shrank from a public acknowledgment
of failure, and he whose recklessness and
insane speculation has wrought this ruin
| finds it very bitter to have it manifest to
the world that we by having placed en-
tire confidence in his integrity have
wrecked ourselves"
you refer to LIE Barron, father, do
you not?"
Eyes. In truth, | think the sin must
rest entirely on him. He has been long
in charge Of the financial department.
Indeed, for two years he has had the en-
tire supervision Of home business, Free
man acting under his directions, while l,
as you well know, have been in charge
of our foreign affairs during that period.
l needed the change after 20 years close
| application at home and also greatly de-
sired to consummate our long cherished
plan of giving you all the advantage OF
foreign travel, when your mother and
myself could share part OF the pleasure
with you. 1t was an unwise arrange
ment, as the results now prove, but
did not dream till since your return by
what cruel temptations Lac Barron was
surrounded You know, dear Lucy, his
wifes extravagaut tendencies, but can
not even imagine how fearfully she has
involved her husband by their gratifica-
ton His natural fondnesS for wild
speculation has always been his beset-
ting sin. In our business everything OF
the kind has been peremptorily forbid
den.
after LIE Darron's connection with us,
knowing Of this weakness in his charac-
ter, watched him very closely. 1t was
the only point where had the slightest
misgiving, but during the IS years we
have been together | have never until
now detected the least deviation from
the strictest line of honesty. Misguided,
miserable man, but he was fearfully
tempted. The net woven by his wife's
selfish love OF dress and fashion was gath
ering closer and closer around him; GER
tain destruction stared him in the face:
grand speculation was insidiously prof
fered him; he yielded to the infatuation;
the bubble burst, and pecuniarily we
must all go down together"
But, my dear father, why should you
suffer for his wrongdoing, SO contrary to
the well understood regulations of the
firm?''
Because, my son, he was the accred-
tied manager of the business in my alb
sence. By long and veXatiOus legal
| process and by hard measures | might
! possibly secure ourselves from any great
change. But it would be all uncertain,
and I cannot for many reasons feel this
to be the better way, certainly not the
kindest and most noble. Poor LIE Bar
ron. he has all that he can bear now
greatly fear all the disgrace and odlum
must in the end rest with him. Freeman
has been careless and Numbered. but is
not otherwise culpable, think.
s.When did you first apprehend any
danger, father
ssOnly short time before we left Eu-
rope I received friendly intimation
that while the present cloud overshadow-
ed our country generally it might be adj
yisable for me to return and resume the
charge of the business at home. | was
not at first greatly disturbed, although
I had for some time felt that LIE Barron
was not keeping me as fully posted with
regard to home affairs as was desirable.
And SO [ had admonished him several
times, and in my last letter had spoken
rather severely. He at first promised
more punctuality, but in his last he ex-
cused his seeming negligence on the plea
that business had been for some time SO
unusually brisk and prosperous it left
him but little leisure to communicate
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