As to my keeping a horse and chaise, I have not rode in one, except yours, these three years, only once on this occasion: B who owed me a great deal of money, was absconding near the sea coast; I learnt where he was, and having got a writ out against him, went down to the place with my attorney, that it might be properly executed, and the chaise was his, so I only paid for the hire of the horse, which was, on the whole, a saving to me. The state of my poor wife's health is such as to require country air, and I have taken a lodging for her near K. but this is so small an expense, I am persuaded, were you the most miserable economist in the world instead of a liberal minded man, you would think such a trifle ought not to be spared to preserve your cousin's health, and perhaps life. As to clubs, I belong to none, except the lodge of Free-Masons, to which you yourself introduced me, and you, who know all the members, can judge whether they are proper company or not; and with respect to gaming, I can declare I never played at any game of chance in my life, except whist, and not that for more than a shilling a point. But let assertion go for nothing between us, and facts speak for themselves. If you will favor me by eating a bit of dinner at my house tomorrow, we will go over my books together, and you will see by the regularity and general state of them, how I attend to business; and as it will be Saturday, on which day I generally go to K. if you will have the goodness to take your tea there, you will see what sumptuous country lodgings I have got. If you insist on instant payment of the balance of your account, I must arrange matters accordingly; but though it will put me to some inconvenience, it will not efface the memory of past kindness, nor prevent my acknowledging myself Your much obliged friend, and humble servant. LETTER 72. To a Person who wants to borrow money of another, without any claim but assurance. SIR, While I was out of town I find you did me the favor of inquiring two or three times for me; and among my letters I found one from you, desiring the loan of fifty dollars. You must certainly have mistaken me or yourself very much, to think we were enough known to each other for such a transaction. I was twice in your company; I was delighted with your conversation, and you seemed as much pleased with mine. Should I answer the demands of every new acquaintance, I should soon want power to oblige my old friends, and even to serve myself. Surely, sir, a gentleman of your merit cannot be so little beloved as to be forced to seek new acquaintance, and to have no better friend than one of yesterday. Be this as it may, it does not at all suit my convenience to comply with your request, and therefore I must beg you to excuse Yours, &c. SIR, LETTER 72. I am exceedingly sorry that your request comes to me at a time when I am so pressed by my own affairs that I cannot, with any convenience, comply with it. On any future opportunity, when I have money to spare, I shall be ready to oblige you. I hope, sir, you will therefore Your most humble servant. excuse SIR, LETTER 73. Compliance to lend money. I consider myself much obliged in the request you make me. I most cheerfully comply with it, and inclose a note for the requested sum payable at sight; and am not a little glad it is in my power to show you how much I am, sir, Your faithful friend and servant. LETTER 74. From a young Tradesman in distressed circumstances, to another of age and experience. DEAR FRIEND, Your knowledge of the world, joined to your goodness of heart, and adorned with the most exalted picty, encourages me to seek your advice in a case of real distress. You know I have not been full five years in business, and although the beginning promised fair, yet, alas! I have been deceived. So does the sun shine upon us in the morning, we take our pleasure in the fields for a few hours, we are overtaken by a sudden storm, and the day concludes in thunder and lightning. To speak in plain words, the many failures which have taken place in the commercial world have brought me to the brink of temporal misery two thirds of my property has been fraudulently taken from me, and I see no prospect before me besides a prison or the insolvent law: the former is dreadful, the latter is disgraceful. Under such unhappy circumstances, how shall I act? I have not been indolent or extravagant, but by an ill-timed and ill-placed confidence, I have been injured. A good character is what I strove to preserve; a good conscience is what I still enjoy: but the world is often deaf to our pretensions to integrity. No sooner are we fallen than we are trodden under foot; our misfortunes are considered as crimes; we are despised by some, hated by others, pitied by few. Ah! sir, when shall we learn to do as we would be done by? When shall we love our neighbors as ourselves? It is a great misfortune in trade, that every failure is considered as criminal, although the person accused is often innocent. I know you have abilities to give me advice. I know you have a tender, compassionate heart, and your charity will shine with a distinguished lustre, if displayed on the present melancholy occasion; and by your advice perhaps my ruin may be prevented. I have sent this by my poor afflicted wife, and will wait on you as soon as I receive your orders for that purpose. In the mean time, I am your sincere, though afflicted friend. SIR, LETTER 75. From a Tenant to a Landlord, excusing delay of payment. I have been your tenant above ten years in the house where I now live, and you know that I have never failed to pay my rent quarterly, when due. At present I am extremely sorry to inform you, that from a variety of losses and disappointments, I am under the necessity of begging that you will indulge me one quarter longer. By that time I hope to have it in my power to answer your just demand, and the favor shall be ever gratefully acknowledged by Your obedient humble servant. SIR, LETTER 76. It was never my intention to oppress you. I have had long trial of your honesty, and therefore you may rest perfectly satisfied concerning your present request. No demand shall be made upon you for rent until it suits you to pay it; for I am well convinced you will not keep it from me any longer. I am yours sincerely.. LETTER 77. From an insolvent Debtor to his principal Creditor, requesting the acceptance of a Composition. SIR, When I first entered upon business, I little thought that ever I should be under the necessity of writing to you on such a subject as this; but experience convinces me that it is much better to acknowledge the state of my affairs to my creditors, than put them to the expense of taking out a commission of bankruptcy. To you, therefore, sir, as the person to whom I am principally indebted, do I address myself on this melanchoły occasion, and must freely acknowledge that my affairs are very much perplexed. I have been these ten years past endeavoring to acquire something for myself in vain. The variety of different articles which I have been obliged to sell on credit, and the losses sustained thereby, always kept me in low circumstances; and often when I paid you money I had none left for the support of my family. If you will be pleased to employ any prudent person to examine my books, I doubt not but that you will be convinced that the whole of my conduct has been consistent with the strictest rules of honesty; and if it shall appear so to you, I must beg you will be pleased to call a meeting of the creditors and lay it before them. I have not spent any more than was absolutely necessary for the support of my family, and every thing remaining shall be delivered up. When all this is done I hope you will accept of it, as it is not in my power to do any more; and consider me as one whose misfortunes call for pity, not resentment. SIR, I am, sir, your most humble servant. LETTER 78. The Answer. It is with the greatest concern I have perused your affecting letter; and should consider myself as very cruel if I refused to comply with a request so reasonable as that made by you. I have employed a worthy person, a friend of mine, to examine your books, the result of which shall be immediately laid before the other creditors, and if it is as you represent you need not be afraid of any harsh usage. I always considered you as a man of the greatest integrity, and am determined to lay down a plan for your future support. In the mean time, I have sent a trifle to defray your expenses till the other affairs are settled, and am Your sincere well wisher. LETTER 79. From a Tradesman to a Wholesale Dealer, to delay payment of a sum of money. SIR, My note to you will be payable in ten days, and I am sorry to inform you, that although I have considerable sums in good hands, yet none of them are due these six weeks, which is all the time I require. It is a favor I never asked of any one till this moment, and I hope for the future not to have any occasion to repeat it. I am really distressed for your answer; but as a proof of my sincerity, have sent enclosed three notes, subscribed by persons well known to yourself, and although they exceed my debt, yet I have no objection to your keeping them as security till due. Let me beg to hear from you as soon as this comes to hand, which will greatly oblige Your humble servant. LETTER 80. SIR, It was fortunate for you that your letter arrived the day after it was written, for I was to have paid your note away yesterday, and I could not have had an opportunity of recalling it in time to have served you. Indeed it was imprudent not to communicate the news fo me sooner, as your credit might be greatly affected by such an unnecessary delay. However, I impute it to your unwillingness to reveal the state of your affairs, and shall keep the note in my hands till your own becomes due, and for that purpose have returned the others, not doubting but that you will send me the money at the time promised, which will greatly oblige Your humble servant. LETTER 81. From a young Man, who had an opportunity to set up in business, but destitute of money, to a Gentleman of reputed benevolence. HONORED SIR, When you look at the subscription, you will remember my serving you with goods when I was apprentice to Mr. Carter, grocer, in New-York. I have been a little above two years out of my time, which was spent in Mr. Carter's service, and the greatest part of my wages have been given to support an aged mother, confined to a sick bed. Mr. Carter died about ten days ago, and having no family, his executors, who are almost strangers to me, are going to let the store. My worthy master has left me by his will one thousand dollars, but that is no way sufficient to purchase the stock in trade; nor will they give any-longer credit than twelve months. Being well acquainted with the trade, as also with the customers, and having such a fair prospect of settling in business, I have presumed to lay it before you. I have often heard of your willingness to serve those under difficulties; especially young people beginning in the world. If you approve of this, and will advance so much on my bond, payable in a limited time, it shall be as safe as if in the hands of your banker. I shall be as frugal and industrious as possible, and the whole of my time shall be employed in the closest attention to the duties of my station, and shall acknowledge your kindness with gratitude as long as I live. I hope this will not give any offence; and, sir, if you give me leave, I will wait on you with one of the executors, that you may hear their proposals. My character, as to honesty and fidelity, will bear the strictest inquiry, as is testified in my late master's will, and also by all with whom I have any dealings. SIR, I am, honored sir, your obedient humble servant. LETTER 82. The Gentleman's Answer. I have just received yours, and although I am indisposed with the gout, yet could not hesitate one moment in sending an answer. There is such an appearance of honesty, together with such an unaffected simplicity, runs through the whole of your letter, that I am strongly inclined to comply with your request, and happy shall I think myself if your honest endeavors are attended with the desired success. You need not give yourself the trouble of calling on me, lest it should interfere with your business. I will either call on you tomorrow, or send a friend to inquire into the particulars. In the mean time it gives me the greatest pleasure to hear that you have not been wanting in filial duty to an aged parent; and while you continue to act consistently with the principles and regulate your conduct by the practice of virtue, you will have great reason to expect the divine blessing on whatever you undertake. Trade is of a very precarious nature, and if not attended to with assiduity and regularity, generally involves those engaged in the greatest difficulty, if not ruin. Let me beg, therefore, that when you become a master, you will avoid mixing in company with those who spend their time and substance in the fashionable follies of the present age. Such practices are inconsistent with the business of a tradesman, and I am afraid that it is greatly owing to such that we see the papers so often filled with the names of bankrupts, who, if they had attended with steadiness to the duties of that station in which Providence has placed them, might have been a comfort to their families, and an honor to their different professions. But, although I have no fears concerning your integrity, yet the best of men cannot be too often reminded of their duty. I am your sincere well wisher. LETTER 83. From the Servant of a Wholesale Dealer, to his Master in NewYork, giving an account of his customers in the country. SIR, I have visited several of the towns between this and New-York, where |