Off-Hand Sketches | Page 7

thousand dollars; and the smallest sum I
have named was about the extent of my real capital. There was one
firm importunate above the rest, and they were successful in getting me
into their debt more heavily than I was to any other house. If I
happened to be passing their store, I would be called in, with--
"Here, Jones, I want to show you something. New goods just in; the
very thing for your sales."

Or--
"Ah! how are you, Jones? Can't we sell you a bill, to-day?"
They were for ever importuning me to buy, and often tempted me to
make purchases of goods that I really did not want. I was young and
green then, and did not know any thing about shelves full of odds and
ends, and piece upon piece of unsaleable goods, all of which had to be
paid for.
For two or three years, I managed to keep along, though not so
pleasantly as if I had used my credit with less freedom. By that time,
however, the wheels of my business machinery were sadly clogged.
From a salesman behind my counter, I became a "financier." (!)
During the best hours of the day, and when I was most wanted in the
store, I was on the street, hunting for money. It was borrow, borrow,
borrow, and pay, pay, pay. My thoughts were not directed toward the
best means of making my business profitable, but were upon the ways
and means of paying my notes, that were falling due with alarming
rapidity. I was nearly all the time in the delectable state of mind of the
individual who, on running against a sailor, was threatened with being
knocked "into the middle of next week." "Do it, for heaven's sake!" he
replied--"I would give the world to be there."
On Monday morning, I could see my way through the week no clearer
than this note-haunted sufferer. In fact, I lived a day at a time. On the
first of each month, when I looked over my bill-book, and then
calculated my resources, I was appalled. I saw nothing ahead but ruin.
Still I floundered on, getting myself deeper and deeper in the mire, and
rendering my final extrication more and more difficult.
At last, I found that my principal creditors, who had sold me so freely
from the first, and to whom nearly the half of what I owed was due,
began to be less anxious about selling me goods. They did not call me
in, as of old, when I passed, nor did they urge me to buy when I went to
their store. Still they sent home what I ordered; but their prices, which
before were the lowest in the trade, were now above the average rates. I
noticed, felt, and thought I understood all this. I had been careful not to
borrow money from that firm; still, I was borrowing, somewhere, every
day, and they, of course, knew it, and began to be a little doubtful of
my stability.
At last, I was cornered on a note of a thousand dollars, due this house.

Besides this note, I had fifteen hundred dollars of borrowed money to
pay. At nine o'clock, I started forth, leaving good customers in the store,
to whom no one could attend as well as myself. By twelve o'clock, I
was able to return my borrowed money, and had the promise of a
thousand dollars by half-past one. Until half-past one I waited, when a
note came from the friend who had promised the loan, informing me
with many expressions of regret, that he had been disappointed, and,
therefore, could not accommodate me.
Here was a dilemma, indeed. Half-past one o'clock, and a thousand
dollars to raise; but there was no time for regrets. I started forth with a
troubled heart, and not feeling very sanguine of success. Borrowing
money is far from being pleasant employment, and is only endurable as
a less evil than not meeting your obligations. For that day, I had
thought my trials on this head over; but I erred. I had again to put on
my armour of brass and go forth to meet coldness, rebuffs, and polite
denials. Alas! I got no more; not a dollar rewarded my earnest efforts.
Two o'clock found me utterly discouraged. Then, for the first time, it
occurred to me to go to the holders of the note and frankly tell them
that I could not lift it.
"But that will ruin your credit with them."
Yes, that was the rub; and then it was so mortifying a resource. After a
short space of hurried reflection, I concluded that as I had twice as
much credit in other quarters as it was prudent to use, I would ask a