swer to give you two years credit, and then be at an uncertainty, for goods which I sell at a small profit, and have only six months credit for myself? Indeed, sir, this will never do. I must be more punctually used by you, or else must deal as little punctually with others; and then what must be the consequence? In short, sir, I expect a handsome payment by the next return, and security for the remainder; as I am very bath to take any harsh measures to procure justice to myself, my family, and creditors. For I am, if it be not your own fault, Your faithful friend and servant. SIR, LETTER 61. The Answer. I acknowledge with gratitude the lenity you have always shown, and my being obliged to disappoint you so often has given me much uneasi ness. I do assure you, sir, that I am not so ungrateful as my conduct has given you reason to believe. From the state of my accounts you will find that the greatest part of my property is in the hands of country dealers, who, although they seldom fail, yet their times of payment are very precarious and uncertain. However, to convince you of my integ rity, I have sent by this day's post an order for 250 dollars,and next week you shall receive one much larger. The remainder shall be sent in a very short time. I am determined, for the future, to make the rules laid down in your excellent letter, a guide in my dealings with those people, whose dilatoriness in making good their payments to me, obliged me to disappoint you; and to convince you further of my integrity, the goods which I order until the old account is paid off, shall be for ready money. I doubt not but you will continue to treat me with the same good usage as formerly, and believe me unfeignedly, Your obliged humble servant. LETTER 62. From a young Man in trade, to a Wholesale Dealer, who had suddenly made a demand on him. SIR, more, Your demand coming very unexpectedly, I must confess I am not prepared to answer it. I know the stated credit in this article used to be only four months; as it has been always a custom to allow two months I did not think you would have sent for it till that time, and consequently trusted to a practice so long established in trade. Sir, I beg you will not suppose it is any deficiency which hinders me from complying with your request, nor shall I ask any more than is usual. If you will be pleased to let your clerk call this day three weeks for the one half of the sum, it shall be ready, and the remainder in a fortnight after. In the mean time I beg that you will not let any word slip concerning this, as very little will hurt a young beginner. Sir, you may take my word with the greatest safety, that I will pay you as I have promised; and if you have any reason to demand the money sooner, be pleased to let me know, that if I have it not I may borrow it; for if I have lost credit with you, I hope I have not done so with all the world. I am, sir, your humble servant. SIR, LETTER 63. The Answer. There is no person in the world, who would more willingly show every sort of indulgence to a young beginner than myself, and I am extremely sorry to press you on the present occasion; but I have reasons; and although it is not always either fair or prudent to mention them, yet you will give me leave to ask the following question: Whether you have any dealings with an usurer in your city, and what is his name? If you give me satisfaction on this head, I shall not urge the demand I have made upon you sooner than the time you mention; but as it done at once, I expect your answer by the bearer, whom you well know, for he was, as he informs me, very lately your clerk. may be I assure you, sir, it is in consideration of the great opinion I have of your integrity, that I refer the payment of my demand to a simple answer to this question; but I fear it cannot be done. DEAR SIR, I am your friend and well wisher. LETTER 64. Soliciting the loan of money from a Friend. I believe that, ever since you first knew me, you will be ready to acknowledge that no person was ever more bashful in asking favors than myself. Indeed I have always considered it as more pleasing to an honest mind to confer than to receive a favor; but an unexpected affliction in my family obliges me to solicit your assistance by the loan of about two hundred dollars, for six months; but on this condition, that you can spare it without hurting yourself; for I would by no means choose that my friend should suffer in his present circumstances in order to oblige me. Indeed, sir, I was some days engaged among my friends to raise the money, before I could prevail with myself to ask it from you; and that I have now done it is from a principle far more noble than any lucrative motive; nor indeed would I have asked it all were I not morally certain of paying it at the time promised. I hope this will not give any offence, and as I said before, if it is any way inconvenient, let me beg that you will refuse it. DEAR SIR, I am, dear sir, yours with the greatest sincerity: LETTER 65. I could not hesitate one moment in answering your letter; and had I known that my worthy friend had been in want of the sum mentioned, I should never have put his unaffected modesty to the blush by suffering bim to ask for it; no, sir, the offer should have come from myself. However, the sum is sent by the bearer, but let me beg that if you consider me really as your friend, that you will suit the payment to your own circumstances, without being confined to a particular time, and not only so, but that you will likewise command my assistance in every thing else wherein I can serve you. But, lest you think me strictly formal, 【 have hereby given you leave to draw on ine to the amount of two hundred dollars, or for any less sum, to be paid as is most suitable to your circumstances. I am, sir, your sincere friend. LETTER 66. From a Tradesman to a Customer, demanding payment of money. SIR, Your bill for goods supplied last year has now been delivered upwards of three months, and I have waited on you several times to solicit payment, but have not been so fortunate as to find you at home. I have a very large sum to make up in the course of a week, and shall esteem it a particular favor if you can let ine have the amount of my bill delivered within that time. I trust you will excuse the liberty I take in writing to you on this subject, and believe me, sir, SIR, Your obedient, humble servant. LETTER 67. Answer to the preceding. I am sorry you have had the trouble of calling so often for your money, and still more that it is not in my power to pay your bill within the time you mention. I am at present very short of cash, and shall be so for six weeks; at the end of that time I will settle with you. SIR, I am, sir, your humble servant. LETTER 68. The Tradesman's Reply. I should be sorry to appear troublesome to any customer; but you who are not in any business, may not probably know how subject tradesmen are to large demands for cash, and how much an omission of payment may injure them in the world. The credit on your bill already exceeds by some months what it usual in trade to give, and what I give my customers in general; I hope therefore you will not take it amiss, that I have drawn on you at six weeks for the amount of my demand; and have sent the bill by my clerk for your acceptance, not doubting that it will be duly honored, and that you will excuse this liberty from Your most obedient humble servant. LETTER 69. From a Tradesman unable to honor his Acceptance, to a Merchant. DEAR SIR, It gives me the greatest pain to be under the necessity of writing to you on the subject I am now about to do, but I think it better to apprise you of the circumstance beforehand, than to permit a bill with your name on it to be dishonored without your knowledge. The failure of Mr. C. who is my debtor to a considerable amount, and from whom I was in daily expectation of payment, has strained me for cash so much that I can only raise thirty dollars towards the amount of the bill for ninety-seven dollars, which I accepted in your favor, and which will become due the day after to-morrow. If you would have the kindness, if the bill remains in your hands, to receive that sum in part, and my acceptance at two months for the remainder, I will take care it shall be duly attended to; or if the bill is out of your hands, if you would favor me with cash to supply the deficiency, I will give you the like bill and allow you discount with pleasure. I am given to understand there will be a considerable dividend of Mr. C.'s effects: if an assignment of my claim on him would be any satisfaction to you, as a collateral security, I am willing to make it, or to do any thing else in my power to convince you that mean to act am, dear sir, your most obliged humble servant. honestly. LETTER 70. From a Merchant to a Tradesman, demanding money, and expressing disapprobation of his proceedings. SIR, Inclosed is your account, and I am sorry the statement of your mode of living which has been reported to me, is such, that I must in justice to myself, demand an immediate payment of the balance. It is not my disposition to act unkindly, or to distress any one; but when I see neople with my property in their hands, squandering away their substance in wanton extravagance, it becomes necessary for me to see a little to my affairs. Sir, I am informed you keep a horse and chaise, and country lodgings; that you belong to clubs, and are a buck of fashion, a Free and Easy, and I know not what else: in a word, that business is but a secondary concern with you; nay, what is worse, I have heard it hinted that you game. I began the world, sir, with a greater capital than you, and with as good a connexion, in cheaper times, but I never kept a horse till I was unable to walk, and other men no richer than myself, kept their coach; as to the sin and folly of wasting my time in debauchery and gaming, I was above it; for whatever you may think, a man is much more creditably employed in his business than in sotting amongst mimics or stage players, or wasting money not his own among sharpers. Sir, you having married my kinswoman will not protect you against my taking the necessary steps to recover my money; were you my own son I would not act otherwise, and am very sorry to have reason to cease subscribing myself Your sincere friend. LETTER 71. DEAR SIR, For so I will persevere to call you, notwithstanding the unkindness of your last you have lived long enough in the world to know, that when a man is fortunate, in any respect, there are envious persons to do him an injury; I considered my self happy in the possession of your good opinion, and have found an enemy to supplant me. I will answer the charges you bring against me one by one, and you will see at once how little they are founded in truth. |