"I AM sorry, Mr. Grasper, that you should have felt it necessary toproceed to extremities against me," said a care-worn,anxious-looking man, as he entered the store of a thrifty dealer intapes, needles, and sundry small wares, drawing aside, as he spoke,the personage he addressed. "There was no need of this."
"There's where you and I differ, Mr. Layton," replied Grasper,rudely. "The account has been standing nearly a year, and I havedunned you for it until I am sick and tired."
"I know you have waited a long time for your money," returned thedebtor, humbly, "but not, I assure you, because I felt indifferentabout paying i the bill. I am most anxious to settle it, and woulddo so this hour, if I had the ability."
"I can't lie out of my money in this way, Mr. Layton. If everybodykept me out of my just dues as long as you have, where do you thinkI would be? Not in this store, doing as good a business as any onein the street, (Grasper drew himself up with an air of consequence,)but coming out at the little end of the horn, as some of myneighbours are. I pay every man his just dues, and it is but rightthat every man should pay me."
"Where there is a willingness, without present ability, someallowances should be made."
"Humph! I consider a willingness to pay me my own, a very poorsubstitute for the money."
There was an insulting rudeness in the way Grasper uttered this lastsentence, that made the honest blood boil in the veins of hisunfortunate debtor. He was tempted to utter a keen rebuke in reply,but restrained himself, and simply made answer:
"Good intentions, I know, are not money. Still, they should beconsidered as some extenuation in a debtor, and at least exempt himfrom unnecessarily harsh treatment. No man can tell how it may bewith him in the course of a few years, and that, if nothing else,should make every one as lenient towards the unfortunate aspossible."
"If you mean to insinuate by that," replied Grasper, in a quickvoice, "that I am likely to be in your situation in a few years, Imust beg leave to say that I consider your remarks as little betterthan an insult. It's enough, let me tell you, for you to owe me andnot pay me, without coming into my store to insult me. If you havenothing better to say, I see no use in our talking any longer." AndGrasper made a motion to turn from his debtor. But the case ofLayton was too urgent to let him act as his indignant feelingsprompted.
"I meant no offence, I assure you, Mr. Grasper," he said,earnestly,--"I only urged one among many reasons that I could urge,why you should spare a man in my situation."
"While I have as many to urge why I shall not spare you," wasangrily retorted. "Your account is sued out, and must take itscourse, unless you can pay it, or give the required security underthe law."
"Won't you take my notes at three, six, nine, and twelve months, forthe whole amount I owe you? I am very confident that I can pay youin that time; if not, you may take any steps you please, and I willnot say a single word."
"Yes, if you will give me a good endorser."
Layton sighed, and stood silent for some time.
"Will that suit you?" said Grasper.
"I am afraid not. I have never asked for an endorser in my life, anddo not know any one who would be willing to go on my paper."
"Well, just as you like. I shall not give up the certainty of apresent legal process, for bits of paper with your name on them, youmay depend upon it."
The poor debtor sighed again, and more heavily than before.
"If you go on with your suit against me, Mr. Grasper, you willentirely break me up," said he, anxiously.
"That's your look-out, not mine. I want nothing but justice--whatthe law gives to every man. You have property enough to pay myclaim; the law will adjudge it to me, and I will take it. Have youany right to complain?"
"Others will have, if I have not. If you seize upon my goods, andforce a sale of them for one-fourth of what they are worth, youinjure the interests of my other creditors. They have rights, aswell as yourself."
"Let them look after them, then, as I am looking after mine. It isas much as I can do to see to my own interests. But it's no use foryou to talk. If you can pay the money or give security, well--if Inot, things will have to take their course."
"On this you are resolved?"
"I am."
"Even with the certainty of entirely breaking me up?"
"That, I have before told you, is your own look-out, not mine."
"All I have to say, then, is," remarked Layton, as he turned away,"that I sincerely hope you may, never be placed in my situation; or,if so unfortunate, that you may have a more humane man to deal withthan I have."
"Thank you!" was cuttingly replied, "but you needn't waste sympathyon me in advance. I never expect to be in your position. I wouldsell the shirt off of my back before I would allow a man to ask mefor a dollar justly his due, without promptly paying him."
Finding that all his appeals were in vain, Layton retired from thestore of his unfeeling creditor. It was too late, now, to make aconfession of judgment to some other creditor, who would save, by anamicable sale, the property from sacrifice, and thus secure it forthe benefit of all. Grasper had already obtained a judgment andtaken out an execution, under which a levy had been made by thesheriff, and a sale was ordered to take place in a week. Nothingcould now hinder the onward progress of affairs to a disastrouscrisis, but the payment of the debt, or its security. As neither theone nor the other was possible, the sale was advertised, the storeof Layton closed, and the sacrifice made. Goods that cost four timesthe amount of Grasper's claim were sold for just enough to cover it,and the residue of the stock left for the other creditors. Thesewere immediately called together, and all that the ruined debtorpossessed in the world given up to them.
"Take my furniture and all," said he. "Even after that is added tothis poor remnant, your claims will be very far from satisfied. HadI dreamed that Grasper was so selfish a man as to disregard everyone's interests in the eager pursuit of his own, I would, longbefore he had me in his power, have made a general assignment forthe benefit of the whole. But it is too late now for regrets; theyavail nothing. I still have health, and an unbroken spirit. I amready to try again, and, it may be, that success will crown myefforts. If so, you have the pledge of an honest man, that everydollar of present deficit shall be made up. Can I say more?"
Fortunately for Layton, there was no Grasper among the unsatisfiedportion of his creditors. He was pitied more than censured. Everyman said "no" to the proposition to surrender up his householdfurniture.
"Let that remain untouched. We will not visit your misfortunes uponyour family."
After all his goods had been sold off to the best advantage, alittle over sixty cents on the dollar was paid. The loss to allparties would have been light, had Grasper not sacrificed so much tosecure his own debt.
Regarding Layton as an honest man, and pitying his condition, with alarge family on his hands to provide for, a few of his creditors hada conference on the subject of his affairs, which resulted in adetermination to make an effort to put him on his feet again. Thefirst thing done was to get all parties to sign a permanent releaseof obligations still held against him, thus making him free from alllegal responsibilities for past transactions. The next thing was tofurnish him with a small, saleable stock of goods, on a liberalcredit.
On this basis, Layton started again in the world, with a confidentspirit. The old store was given up, and a new one taken at abouthalf the rent. It so happened, that this store was next to the oneoccupied by Grasper, who, now that he had got his own, and had beenmade sensible of the indignation of the other creditors for what hehad done, felt rather ashamed to look his neighbour in the face.
"Who has taken your store?" he asked of the owner of the propertynext to his own, seeing him taking down the bill that had been upfor a few days.
"Your old friend Layton," replied the man, who was familiar with thestory of Layton's recent failure.
"You are not in earnest?" said Grasper, looking serious.
Yes--I have rented it to Layton."
"He has just been broken up root and branch, and can't get creditfor a dollar. How can he go into business?"
"Some friends have assisted him."
"Indeed! I didn't suppose a man in his condition had many friends."
"Oh, yes. An honest man always has friends. Layton is an honest man,and I would trust him now as freely as before. He has learned wisdomby experience, and, if ever he gets into difficulties again, willtake good care that no one man gets an undue preference overanother. His recent failure, I am told, was caused by one of hiscreditors, who, in the eager desire to get his own, sacrificed alarge amount of property, to the injury of the other creditors."
Grasper did not venture to make any reply to this, lest he shouldbetray, by his manner, the fact that he was the individual to whomallusion was made. He need not have been careful on this point, asthe person with whom he was conversing knew very well who was thegrasping creditor.
A day or two afterwards, Layton took possession of his new store,and commenced arranging his goods. Grasper felt uneasy when he sawthe doors and windows open, and the goods arriving. He did not wishto meet Layton. But this could not now be avoided. Much as he lovedmoney, and much as he had congratulated himself for the promptnessby which he had secured his debt, he now more than half wished thathe had been less stringent in his proceedings.
It was the custom of Grasper to come frequently to his door, andstand with his thumbs in the arm-holes of his waistcoat, and lookforth with a self-satisfied air. But not once did he venture thus tostand upon his own threshold on the day Layton commenced receivinghis goods. When business called him out, he was careful to step intothe street, so much turned away from the adjoining store, that hecould not see the face of any one who might be standing in theentrance. On returning, he would glide along close to the houses,and enter quickly his own door. By this carefulness to avoid meetinghis old debtor, Grasper managed not to come into direct contact withhim for some time. But this was not always to be the case. One day,just as he was about entering his store, Layton came out of his owndoor, and they met face to face.
"Ah! How are you, friend Layton?" he said, with an air of forcedcordiality, extending his hand as he spoke. "So you have become mynext-door neighbour?"
"Yes," was the quiet reply, made in a pleasant manner, and withoutthe least appearance of resentment for the past.
"I am really glad to find you are on your feet again," said Grasper,affecting an interest which he did not feel. "For the misfortunesyou have suffered, I always felt grieved, although, perhaps, I was alittle to blame for hastening the crisis in your affairs. But I hadwaited a long time for my money, you know."
"Yes, and others will now have to wait a great deal longer, inconsequence of your hasty action," replied Layton, speakingseriously, but not in a way to offend.
"I am very sorry, but it can't be helped now," said Grasper, lookinga little confused. "I only took the ordinary method of securing myown. If I had not taken care of myself, somebody would have come inand swept the whole. You know you couldn't possibly have stood itmuch longer."
"If you think it right, Mr. Grasper, I have nothing now to say,"returned Layton.
"You certainly could not call it wrong for a man to sue another whohas the means, and yet refuses to pay what he owes him?"
"I think it wrong, Mr. Grasper," replied Layton, "for any man toinjure others in his over-eagerness to get his own, and this youdid. You seized four, times as many goods as would have paid yourclaim if they had been fairly sold, and had them sacrificed forone-fourth of their value, thus wronging my other creditors out ofsome three thousand dollars in the present, and taxing my futureefforts to make good what was no better than thrown into the sea.You had no moral right to do this, although you had the power. Thisis my opinion of the matter, Mr. Grasper; and I freely express it,in the hope that, if ever another man is so unfortunate as to get inyour debt without the means of present payment, that you will beless exacting with him than you were with me."
Grasper writhed in spirit under this cutting rebuke of Layton, whichwas given seriously, but not in anger. He tried to make a great manyexcuses, to none of which Layton made any reply. He had said all hewished to say on the subject. After this, the two metfrequently--more frequently than Grasper cared about meeting the manhe had injured. Several times he alluded, indirectly, to the past,in an apologetic way, but Layton never appeared to understand theallusion. This was worse to Grasper than if he had come out and saidover and over again just what he thought of the other's conduct.
Five years from the day Layton commenced business anew, he made hislast dividend upon the deficit that stood against him at the timehis creditors generously released him and set him once more upon hisfeet. He was doing a very good business, and had a credit much moreextensive than he cared about using. No one was more ready to sellhim than Grasper, who frequently importuned him to make bills at hisstore. This he sometimes did, but made it a point never to give hisnote for the purchase, always paying the cash and receiving adiscount.
"I'd as lief have your note as your money," Grasper would sometimessay.
"I always prefer paying the cash while I have it," was generally theanswer. "In this way, I make a double profit on my sales."
The true reason why he would not give his note to Grasper, was hisdetermination never to be in debt to any man who, in an extremity,would oppress him. This reason was more than suspected by Grasperand it worried him exceedingly. If Layton had refused to buy fromhim at all, he would have felt less annoyance.
Year after year passed on, and Layton's business gradually enlarged,until he was doing at least four times as much as Grasper, who nowfound himself much oftener the buyer from, than the seller to,Layton. At first, in making bills with Layton, he always made it apoint to cash them. But this soon became inconvenient, and he wasforced to say, in making a pretty heavy purchase--
"I shall have to give my note for this."
"Just as you please, Mr. Grasper, it is all the same to me," repliedLayton, indifferently. "I had as lief have your note as your money."
Grasper felt his cheek burn. For the hundredth time, he repented ofone act in his life.
A few months after this, Grasper found himself very hard pressed tomeet his payments. He had been on the borrowing list for a goodwhile, and had drawn so often and so largely upon business friends,that he had almost worn out his welcome. For one of his heavy dayshe had been endeavouring to make provision in advance, but had notsucceeded in obtaining all the money needed, when the day arrived.In his extremity, and as a last resort, yet with a mostheart-sinking reluctance, he called in to see Layton.
"Have you seven hundred dollars more than you want to-day?" heasked, in a tone that betrayed his unwillingness to ask the favour,although he strove to appear indifferent.
"I have, and it's at your service," was promptly and cheerfullyreplied. "Shall I fill you a check?"
"If you please," said Grasper; "I have a very heavy payment to maketo-day, and find money tighter than usual. When do you with me toreturn it to you?" he asked, as he took the check.
"Oh! in three or four days. Will that do?"
"It will suit me exactly. I am very much obliged to you, indeed."
"You are very welcome. I shall always be happy to accommodate you ina similar way. I generally have something over."
When Grasper returned to his own store, his cheek burned, his heartbeat quicker, and his breathing was oppressed. He felt humbled inhis own eyes. To the man whom he once so cruelly wronged he had beencompelled to go for a favour, and that man had generously returnedhim good for evil. He was unhappy until he could replace the moneyhe had borrowed, which was in a day or two, and even then he stillfelt very uncomfortable.
After this, Grasper of course was frequently driven to the necessityof getting temporary loans from Layton, which were always made in away which showed that it gave his neighbour real pleasure toaccommodate him.
Gradually, difficulties gathered around Grasper so thickly, that hefound it almost impossible to keep his head above water. Two thirdsof his time were spent in efforts to raise money to meet hispayments, and the other third in brooding sadly and inactively overthe embarrassed condition of his affairs. This being the case, hisbusiness suffered inevitably. Instead of going on and makinghandsome profits, as he had once done, he was actually losing money,and that, too, rapidly; for, when he bought, he often made imprudentpurchases, and when he sold, he made three bad debts where heformerly made one.
At last, a crisis came in his affairs, as come it must, sooner orlater, under such a system. A stoppage and ruin he saw to beinevitable. He owed more borrowed money than he could possiblyreturn within the time for which he had obtained it, and had,besides, large payments to make in bank within the period. Anyeffort to get through, he saw would be hopeless, and he determinedto give up; not, however, without securing something for himself.
"Twenty cents less in the dollar for my creditors," he argued, "willnot kill them, and that difference will be quite important to me.When the storm blows over, it will give me the means of hoistingsail again."
At this time, Grasper owed Layton two thousand dollars borrowedmoney, and two thousand dollars in notes of hand, given for goodspurchased of him.
"It won't do," he said to himself, "to let him lose any thing. Ishould never be able to look him in the face again, after what hashappened between us. No--no--I must see him safe."
On the next day, Grasper called in to see Layton. His face wasserious.
"Can I say a word to you alone?" he asked.
"Certainly," and the two men retired to a private part of the store.Grasper had never felt so wretched in all his life. After two orthree efforts to speak, he at last found voice enough to say--
"Mr. Layton, I have very bad news to tell you. It is impossible forme to go on any longer. I shall stop to-morrow, inevitably. I oweyou two thousand dollars in borrowed money and two thousand innotes, making, in all, four thousand dollars. I don't wish you tolose any thing by me, and, to secure your borrowed money, I havebrought you good notes for two thousand dollars, which is the best Ican possibly do. For the other two thousand dollars, I want you tocome into my store, and take your choice of any thing there, which Iwill sell you, and take my own notes back in payment. That is thebest I can possibly do for you, Mr. Layton, and it will be farbetter, I fear, than I shall be able to do for any one else."
Layton was taken entirely by surprise.
"What you say astonishes me, Mr. Grasper; I thought you were doing avery flourishing business?"
"And so I would have been, had I not ventured a little beyond mydepth, and got cramped for money to meet my payments. A neglect ofmy business was the inevitable consequence; for, when all my timewas taken up in raising money, I had none left to see after mybusiness in a proper manner. Bad debts have been one of theconsequences, and profitless operations another, until I am involvedbeyond the power of extrication, and must see every thing fall inruins about my head."
"It really grieves me to hear you say this," replied Layton, notoffering to take the notes which Grasper was still holding out forhis acceptance. "But, perhaps, you magnify your difficulties. Don'tyou think some temporary relief would help you over your presentembarrassments?"
"No: nothing temporary would be of any avail."
"Have you any objection to letting me see a full statement of youraffairs? Perhaps I can suggest something better than a failure,which is almost always the very worst thing that can be done."
"Most gladly will I do so, Mr. Layton," returned Grasper; "and ifyou can point out any way by which I can get over my presentdifficulties, I shall be for ever under obligation to you."
An examination into Grasper's business satisfied Layton that a fewthousand dollars would save it.
"You need not fail," he said, cheerfully, to the unhappy man, assoon as he fully comprehended the state of his affairs.
"What is to prevent it?" eagerly asked the embarrassed merchant.
"You want more money," said Layton.
"I know that. Seven or eight thousand dollars would relieve me, if Ihad the use of it for one or two years, so that I could devote allmy time to business. I have enough to do. All that is wanted is todo it well."
"Yes, I see that clearly enough."
"But the money, where is that to come from?"
"It can be raised, I think. In fact, if you will secure me againstloss, I will take your notes and raise it for you."
"I will secure you upon every thing that I possess," was instantlyreplied.
"Very well. That will do. How much money must you have to-morrow?"
"Two thousand dollars."
"That can be managed easily enough. I will see that it is raised. Inthe mean time, get all arrangements for the security in progress, sothat I can take your notes and pass them through bank as fast as youneed to have money."
Grasper was overpowered. He could hardly believe that he heardaright. This was the man who had been driven by his grasping spiritinto bankruptcy, and utterly ruined. The thought again flashedthrough his mind, and sent the blood burning to his face. Pride fora moment tempted him to refuse the offered kindness; but there wastoo much at stake--he could not do it. While the act of Laytonheaped coals of fire upon his head, he had no alternative but tosubmit to a thing only less painful than utter ruin. From ruin hewas saved; but he was an altered and an humbled man. Many timessince have unfortunate debtors been in his power, and, although hehas not acted towards them with much liberality, (for it was not inhim to do so,) he has not oppressed them.
THE END.
* * * * * * * * * * * *