Books: Lessons in Life, For All Who Will Read Them
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T.S. Arthur >> Lessons in Life, For All Who Will Read Them
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"And you knew all this before?" said Jordan.
"Certainly I did. In fact, I built the saw-mill owned by Tompkins,
and after sinking a couple of thousand dollars, was glad to get it
off of my hands at any price. Tompkins makes a living with it, and
nothing more. But then he is his own engineer, manager, clerk, and
almost every thing else, and lives with the closest economy in his
family--much closer than you or I would like to live."
"And you let me go on blindly and ruin myself, when a word from you
might have saved me!"
There was something indignant in the young man's manner.
"You didn't consult me on the subject. It is not my place to look
after everybody's business; I have enough to do to take care of my
own concerns."
Both were getting excited. Jordan retorted still more severely, and
then they parted in anger, each feeling that he had just cause to be
offended.
On the next day, Jordan, who was too well satisfied that Mr. Page
was right, stopped his mill, discharged his hands, and sold his
oxen. On looking over his accounts, he found that he was over a
thousand dollars in debt: In order to pay this, he sold the balance
of his land, and then advertised his saw-mill for sale in all the
county papers, and in the State Gazette.
Meantime, the suit which had been instituted on the note given to
Barnaby came up for trial, and Jordan made an effort to defend it on
the plea that value had not been received. His fifty acres of land
were gone, and all that remained of his six thousand dollars, were a
half-weatherboarded, frame building, called a saw-mill, in which
were a secondhand steam-engine, some rough gearing, and a few saws.
This stood in the centre of a small piece of ground--perhaps the
fourth of an acre--upon which there was the moderate annual rent of
one hundred dollars! More than the whole building, leaving out the
engine, would sell for.
After waiting for two months, and not receiving an offer for the
mill, he sold the engine for a hundred and fifty dollars, and
abandoned the old frame building in which it had stood, to the owner
of the land for rent, on condition of his cancelling the lease, that
had still three years and a half to run.
His defence of the suit availed nothing. Judgment was obtained upon
the note, an execution issued, and, as there was no longer any
property in the young man's possession, his person was seized and
thrown into the county prison.
From the time old Mr. Page considered himself insulted by Jordan,
all intercourse between them had ceased. The latter had not
considered himself free to visit any longer at his house, and
therefore no meeting between him and Edith had taken place for three
months.
The cause of so sudden a cessation of her lover's visits, all
unknown to Edith, was a great affliction to the maiden. Her father
noticed that her countenance wore a troubled aspect, and that she
scarcely tasted food when at the table. This did not, in any way,
lessen the number of his self-reproaches for having suffered a young
man to ruin himself, when a word from him might have saved him.
Edith was paying a visit to a friend one day, the daughter of a
lawyer. While conversing, the friend said--
"Poor Jordan? Have you heard of his misfortunes?"
"No! What are they?" And Edith turned pale. The friend was not aware
of her interest in him.
"He was terribly cheated in some saw-mill property he bought," she
made answer, "and has since lost every dollar he had. Yesterday he
was sent to prison for debt which he is unable to pay."
Edith heard no more, but, starting up, rushed from the house, and
flew, rather than walked, home. Her father was sitting in his
private office when she entered with pale face and quivering lips.
Uttering an exclamation of surprise and alarm, he rose to his feet.
Edith fell against him, sobbing as she did so, while the tears found
vent, and poured over her cheeks--
"Oh, father! He is in prison!"
"Who? Jordan?"
"Yes," was the maiden's lowly-murmured reply.
"Good heavens! Is it possible?"
With this exclamation, Mr. Page pushed his daughter from him, and
leaving the house instantly, took his way to the office of the
attorney who had conducted the suit in favour of Barnaby.
"I will go bail for this young man whom you have thrown into
prison," said he as soon as he met the lawyer.
"Very well, Mr. Page. We will take you. But you will have to pay the
amount--he has nothing."
"I said I would go his bail," returned the old man, impatiently.
In less than twenty minutes, Mr. Page entered the apartment where
the young man was confined. Jordan looked at him angrily. He had
just been thinking of the cruel neglect to warn him of his errors,
of which Mr. Page had been guilty, and of the consequences, so
disastrous and so humbling to himself.
"You are at liberty," said the old gentleman, as he approached him
and held out his hand.
Jordan stood like one half-stupified, for some moments.
"I have gone your security, my young friend," Mr. Page added kindly.
"You are at liberty."
"_You_ my security!" returned Jordan, taking the offered hand, but
not grasping it with a hearty pressure. He felt as if he couldn't do
that. "I am sorry you have done so," said he, after a slight
pause--"I am not worth a dollar, and you will have my debt to pay."
"It's no time to talk about that now, Mr. Jordan. I have gone your
security, because I thought it right to do so. Come home with me,
and we will soon arrange all the rest."
Jordan felt passive. A child could have led him anywhere. He did not
refuse to go with Mr. Page.
Edith was sitting in the room where her father left her, when the
opening of the door caused her to start. There was an exclamation of
delight and surprise; a movement forward, and then deep blushes
threw a crimson veil over the maiden's face, as she sank back in her
chair and covered her face with her hands. But the tears could not
be hidden; they came trickling through her fingers.
Enough, further to say, that within two months there was a wedding
at the house of Mr. Page, and Edith was the bride.
It has been noticed since, that the old gentleman does not stand so
much on his dignity when there is a chance of doing good by
volunteering a word of advice in season. "Had I been consulted," is
a form of speech which he is now rarely, if ever known to use.
THE MISTAKES OF A "RISING FAMILY."
MR. MINTURN was a rising man; that is, he was gaining money and
reputation in his profession. That he felt himself rising, was
clearly apparent to all who observed him attentively. His good lady,
Mrs. Minturn, was also conscious of the upward movement, and
experienced a consequent sense of elevation. From the height they
had gained in a few years, it was but natural for them to cast their
eyes below, and to note how far beneath them were certain
individuals with whom they had once been on a level. The observation
of this fact as naturally created an emotion of contempt for these
individuals as inferiors.
Among those ranging below the Minturns,--in their estimation,--was a
family named Allender. Mr. Allender was, or had been, a merchant,
and was highly esteemed by all who knew him, as a gentleman and a
man of fine intelligence. He and Minturn started together in life;
the one as a lawyer, and the other as a merchant. Possessing some
capital, Mr. Allender was able, in commencing business, to assume a
comfortable style of living in his family, while Minturn, who had
nothing but his profession to depend upon, and that at the time of
his marriage a very small dependence, was compelled to adopt, in his
domestic relations, a very humble scale.
Having been well acquainted, for some years, with Mr. Minturn, Mr.
Allender, soon after the marriage of the former, called upon him
with his wife. The visit was promptly returned, and from that time
the two families kept up intimate relations. The Minturns lived in a
small house, in a retired street, for which they paid the annual
rent of one hundred and seventy-five dollars. Their house was
furnished with exceeding plainness, and their only domestic was a
stout girl of fourteen. The Allenders, on the other hand, lived in a
fashionable neighbourhood, so called. For their house, which was
handsomely furnished, they paid a rent of four hundred dollars; and
lived in what the Minturns thought to be great elegance. And so it
was, in contrast with their style of living. Mrs. Minturn felt quite
proud of having such acquaintances, and of being able to visit
familiarly in such good society as was to be found at the house of
Mr. and Mrs. Allender. You could not be in her company for ten
minutes, at any time, without hearing some allusion to the
Allenders. What they said, was repeated as oracular; and to those
who had never been in their house, Mrs. Minturn described the
elegance of every thing pertaining thereto, in the most graphic
manner.
Well, as time went on, Mr. Minturn, by strict devotion to business,
gradually advanced himself in his profession. At the end of four or
five years, he was able to move into a larger house and to get
better furniture. Still, every thing was yet on an inferior scale to
that enjoyed by Mr. Allender, to whose family his own was indebted
for an introduction into society, and for an acquaintance with many
who were esteemed as valued friends.
Ten years elapsed, and the Minturns were on a level with the
Allenders, as far as external things were concerned. The lawyer's
business had steadily increased, but the merchant had not been very
successful in trade, and was not esteemed, in the community, a
rising man. No change in his style of living had taken place since
he first became a housekeeper; and his furniture began, in
consequence, to look a little dingy and old-fashioned. This was
particularly observed by Mrs. Minturn, who had, at every upward
movement,--and three of these movements had already taken
place,--furnished her house from top to bottom.
Five years more reversed the relations between to families. The
Minturns still went up, and the Allenders commenced going down. One
day, about this time, Mr. Minturn came home from his office, and
said to his wife
"I've got bad news to tell you about our friends the Allenders."
"What is that?" inquired Mrs. Minturn, evincing a good deal of
interest, though not exactly of the right kind.
"He's stopped payment."
"What?"
"He failed to meet his notes in bank yesterday, and to-day, I
understand, he has called his creditors together."
"I'm sorry to hear that, really," said Mrs. Minturn. "What is the
cause?"
"I believe his affairs have been getting involved for the last four
or five years. He does not seem to possess much business energy."
"I never thought there was a great deal of life about him."
"He's rather a slow man. It requires more activity and energy of
character than he possesses to do business in these times. Men are
getting too wide awake. I'm sorry for Allender. He's a good-hearted
man--too good-hearted, in fact, for his own interest. But, it's
nothing more than I expected."
"And I am sorry for poor Mrs. Allender," said his wife. "What a
change it will be for her! Ah, me! Will they lose every thing?"
"I have no means of knowing at present. But I hope not."
"Still, they will have to come down a great way."
"No doubt of it."
A week passed, after news of Mr. Allender's business disaster had
reached the ears of Mrs. Minturn, and in that time she had not
called to see her friend in distress. Each of these ladies had a
daughter about the same age; and that age was fifteen.
"Where are you going, Emeline?" asked Mrs. Minturn of her daughter,
who came down, with her bonnet on, one afternoon about this time.
"I'm going to run around and see Clara Allender," was replied.
"I'd rather you wouldn't go there, just now," said the mother.
"Why not?" asked Emeline.
"I have my reasons for it," returned Mrs. Minturn.
Emeline looked disappointed. She was much attached to Clara, who was
a sweet-tempered girl, and felt a week's absence from her as a real
privation. Observing the disappointment of Emeline, Mrs. Minturn
said, a little impatiently:
"I think you might live without seeing Clara every day. For some
time past, you have been little more than her shadow. I don't like
these girlish intimacies; they never come to any good."
Tears were in Emeline's eyes as she turned from her mother and went
back to her room.
Mr. Allender, at the age of forty, found himself unable, through the
exhaustion of his means, to continue in business. He would have
resigned every thing into the hands of his creditors before
suffering a protest, had he not failed to receive an expected
payment on the day of his forced suspension. When he did call
together the men to whom he was indebted, he rendered them up all
his effects, and in all possible ways aided in the settlement of
every thing. The result was better than he had anticipated. No one
lost a dollar; but he was left penniless. Just then, the president
of one of the Marine Insurance Companies resigned his office, and
Mr. Allender was unanimously chosen to fill his place. The salary
was two thousand dollars. This was sufficient to meet the expense at
which his family had been living. So there was no change in their
domestic economy. This being the case, the Minturns had no good
reason for cutting the acquaintance of their old friends, much as
they now felt disposed to do so. The family visiting, however, was
far from being as frequent and as familiar as in former times.
Still, on the part of the Minturns the movement was upward, while
the Allender's retained their dead level. The lawyer, who was a man
of talents and perseverance, and withal not over scrupulous on
points of abstract morality, gained both money and reputation in his
profession, and was at length known as one of the most acute and
successful men at the bar. At last, he was brought forward by one of
the political parties as a candidate for a seat in Congress, and
elected.
If Mrs. Minturn's ideas of her own elevation and importance in the
social world had been large, they were now increased threefold. A
winter's residence at the seat of government,--during which time she
mingled freely with the little great people who revolve around
certain fixed stars that shine with varied light in the political
metropolis,--raised still higher the standard of self-estimation.
Her daughter Emeline, now a beautiful and accomplished young lady,
accompanied her mother wherever she went, and attracted a large
share of attention. Among those who seemed particularly pleased with
Emeline was a young man, a member of Congress from New York, who
belonged to a wealthy and distinguished family, and who was himself
possessed of brilliant talent, that made him conspicuous on the
floor of Congress, even among men of long-acknowledged abilities.
His name was Erskine.
Soon after meeting with the Hon. Mr. Erskine, Mrs. Minturn felt a
strong desire to bring him to the feet of her daughter. He presented
just the kind of alliance she wished for Emeline. In imagination she
soon began to picture to herself the elevated and brilliant position
her child would occupy as the wife of Erskine, and she resolved to
leave no means untried for the accomplishment of her wishes.
Accordingly, she was particularly attentive to the young man
whenever thrown into his company; and sought, by flattering his
self-love, to make him feel in the best possible humour with himself
while in her society. In this way she succeeded in drawing him
frequently to her side, where Emeline was always to be found. A
sprightly, well-educated, and finely accomplished girl, Emeline soon
interested the young M. C.; and he showed her, as has been said, a
good deal of attention during the winter, and Mrs. Minturn flattered
herself that her daughter had made a conquest.
When the session of Congress closed, the Minturns returned home in
the enjoyment of a much higher opinion of themselves than they had
ever before entertained, and quite disposed to be rather more choice
than before in regard to their visiting acquaintance. A few days
after their reappearance in old circles, a card of invitation to
meet some friends at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Allender was
received. It extended to themselves and their eldest daughter,
Emeline. Mrs. Minturn handed the card to her husband on his return
from his office in the evening.
"What is this?" he asked, on taking it. "Ah, indeed!" he added, in
rather an equivocal voice, on perceiving its tenor. "Are you going?"
"I rather think not."
"Just as you say about it," remarked the acquiescing husband.
"The truth is," said Mrs. Minturn, "a regard for our position makes
it necessary for us to be more select in our acquaintances. I don't
wish Emeline to be on terms of intimacy with Clara Allender any
longer. There is too great a difference in their social relations.
As people are judged by the company they keep, they should be a
little choice in their selection. I like Mrs. Allender very well in
her place. She is a good, plain, common-sense sort of a woman, but
she occupies a grade below us; and we should remember and act upon
this for the sake of our children, if for nothing else."
"No doubt you are right," replied Mr. Minturn. "Mr. Allender has
neither energy of character nor enterprise; he, therefore, occupies
a dead level in society. At that level he cannot expect every one
else to remain."
"Not us, at least."
"No."
"Clara called to see Emeline yesterday. I saw her in the parlour,
and asked her to excuse Emeline, as she was a little indisposed. It
is true, I had to fib a little. But that was better than a renewal
of an acquaintance that ought now to cease. She seemed a little
hurt, but I can't help it."
"Of course not. I am sorry, for their sakes, that we must give up
the acquaintance. No loss can come to us, as we have more friends,
now, than are just convenient."
"It would help Clara a good deal," remarked Mrs. Minturn, "to mingle
in our circle. Her mother feels this, and, therefore, does not wish
to give us up. I've not the least doubt but this party is made on
our account. It won't do, however; they will have to let us go."
"It will be sufficient to send our regrets," said Mr. Minturn.
"We'd better not even do that," replied his wife. "That will
indicate a wish to retain the acquaintance, and we have no such
desire. Better sever the relation at once and be done with the
matter. It is unpleasant at least, and there is no use in prolonging
disagreeable sensations."
"Be it so, then," remarked Mr. Minturn, rising; and so the thing was
decided.
Mrs. Minturn had lapsed into a small mistake touching the reason
that induced Mr. and Mrs. Allender to give an entertainment just at
that time. It was not in honour of their return from Washington, and
designed to unite the families in a firmer union; no, a thought like
this had not entered the mind of the Allenders. The honour was
designed for another--even for the Hon. Mr. Erskine, who was the son
of one of Mr. Allender's oldest and most valued friends, whom he had
not seen for many years, yet with whom he had enjoyed an
uninterrupted correspondence. On his return home, Mr. Erskine
remained a few days in the city, as much to see Mr. Allender as for
any thing else, his father having particularly desired him to do so.
He had never met Mr. Allender before, but was charmed with his
gentlemanly character and fine intelligence at the first interview,
and still more pleased with him at each subsequent meeting. With
Mrs. Allender he was also pleased; but, most of all, with Clara.
About the latter there was a charm that won his admiration. She was
beautiful; but how different her beauty from that of the brilliant
belles who had glittered in the gay circles of fashion he had just
left! It was less the beauty of features than that which comes
through them, as a transparent medium, from the pure and lovely
spirit within. Erskine had been more than pleased with Miss Minturn;
but he thought of her as one in a lower sphere while in the presence
of Clara, who, like a half-hidden violet, seemed all unconscious of
beauty or fragrance.
Yes, it was for Mr. Erskine that the party was given, and in order
to introduce him to a highly refined and intellectual circle, of
which Mr. Allender and his wife notwithstanding external reverses,
were still the centre. Not from any particular pleasure that was
expected to be derived from the company of the Minturns, were they
invited; for, in going up, they had changed so for the worse, that
their society had become irksome, if not offensive. But, for the
sake of old friendship, they were included. But they did not come;
and no one missed them.
On the next day, Mr. Erskine called upon Mrs. Minturn and her
daughter, as he intended leaving the city in the afternoon.
"We looked for you all last evening," said Mrs. Minturn. "Why did
you not call around?"
"I was at a select party last night," replied the young man.
"Were you, indeed?"
"Yes. At Mr. Allender's. Do you know the family?"
"At Allender's!" The tone of surprise, not altogether unmingled with
contempt, with which this was uttered by Mrs. Minturn, put Erskine a
little on his guard.
"Do you know them?" he asked, with some gravity of manner.
"Not very intimately. We had some acquaintance in former years, but
we have broken it off. They sent us cards of invitation, but we did
not notice them."
"What is their standing?"
"Not high. I believe none of our first people visit them."
"Ah!"
"Who was there?" asked Emeline.
The tone in which this was spoken caused Mr. Erskine to turn and
look somewhat closely into the young lady's face, to mark its
expression. She had never appeared less lovely in his eyes.
"Not a great many," he replied.
"I suppose not," said Mrs. Minturn.
"It was a select party," remarked the young man.
"And select enough, no doubt, you found it."
"You speak truly. I have never been in one more so," replied
Erskine.
"You have not answered my question as to who were there," said
Emeline.
"Young ladies, do you mean?"
"Yes, young ladies."
"Do you know Miss B--?"
"I have no particular acquaintance with her. But she was not there!"
"Oh, yes, she was. And so was her father, General B--."
"You astonish me!" said Mrs. Minturn. "Certainly you are in error."
"I believe not. I had a good deal of interesting conversation with
General B--, who is well acquainted with my father."
"Who else was there?"
"Senator Y--, and his beautiful niece, who created such a sensation in
Washington last winter. She and Miss Allender, who is, it strikes me, a
charming girl, seemed delighted with each other, and were side by side
most of the evening. They sang together many times with exquisite
effect. Then there were Mr. and Mrs. T--, Mr. and Mrs. R--, Miss
Julia S--, and Miss G--."
All these belonged to a circle yet above that in which the Minturns
had moved.
"I am astonished," said Mrs. Minturn, but poorly concealing her
mortification. "I had no idea that the Allenders kept such company.
How did you happen to be invited?"
"Mr. Allender is one of my father's oldest and most valued friends.
I called at his desire, and found both him and his family far above
the 'common run' of people. I do not in the least wonder at the
class of persons I met at their house. I am sorry that you have been
led so far astray in your estimation of their characters. You never
could have known them well."
"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Minturn, in a subdued voice. "Did you hear
us asked for?" she ventured to add. "We were invited, as I
mentioned, and would have gone, but didn't expect to find any there
with whom it would be agreeable to associate."
This remark did not in the least improve the matter in the eyes of
Mr. Erskine, who now understood the Minturns rather better than
before. A feeling of repugnance took the place of his former
friendly sentiments; and in a briefer time than he had intended, he
brought his visit to a close, and bade them good morning.
What was now to be done? The Minturns had fallen into an error,
which must, if possible, be repaired. The Allenders were of far more
consequence than they had believed, and their estimation of them
rose correspondingly. A note of regret at not being able to attend
the party, in consequence of a previous engagement, was written, and
this enclosed in another note, stating that in consequence of the
neglect of a servant, it had not been delivered on the day before.
Both were despatched within half an hour after Mr. Erskine left the
house.
On the day after, Mrs. Minturn and her daughter called at Mrs.
Allender's, and offered verbal regrets at not having been able to
attend the party.
"We wanted to come very much, but both Emeline and I were so much
indisposed, that the doctor said we mustn't think of going
out,"--forgetting at the moment the tenor of the note she had
written only the day before. But scarcely were the words out of her
mouth, when a glance of uneasy surprise from Emeline brought a
recollection of this fact, and caused the blood to mount to her
face.
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