How To Be Independent
Mr. Peter C. Brooks' rnuxiin wasihat " the wholü valuó of wealth consista i i tho personal independeuce it socures." An amusing and singular illustration of that distinguished merchant's maxini is tliua givou : " A meiühant nained Porter, once had a clerical friond betwoen whom and himaolf thure oxisted gieat intimaoy. Every Saturday night, aa Porter was sitting balancing his cash, a note would como requesting.the loan of a " fivedüllar bilí." Tho inoney was always punctually rostored at oight o'clock on the Monday morning following. But whut puzzled tho lender was, the person always returncd the identical note he borrowed. Siuce the discovery of thia fact he had mado private marks on the note : still the same was haudod back on Monday morniog. " One Saturday eveniog Porter sent a five dollar gola pieeo instoad of a note and marked it. Still the rery same coin was returned on Monday. Portor got nervous and billious about it ; he would wake his wife in the middle of the night, and ask her what she thought of Buoh a strango occurrenco. He was fast boiling over with curiosity, when news carne from the reverend borrower, one Chr8tma8 eve, asking the loan of ten dollars. A brilliaut thought now struck him. Ho put on his great coat, rcsolring to cali and demand an explanation of the myatery. When he was shown iuto his friends, study, he lound him plunged in the profoundest melancholy, " 'Mr. B„' said the lender, ' If you will answer me one question I will lend you that ten dollars. How does it happen that you always pay me the money you borrow on Saturday night in the very same coin or note on Monday moraing ?' " The parsoa raised his head, and, after a violent ioternal struggle, as though he were about to unveil the hoarded mystery of his soul, said in faltering tones : ' Porter, you are a gentleman, aCfaristian, and New Yorker; I kpow I cao rely on your inviolable secrecy. Listen to tho secret of my eloquenee. You know that I am poor; and when, on Saturday, I have bought ' my Sunday dinner, I seldom have a '■ Ctd cent left in my pocket. ]N"o 1 ' mainiaia that no man can preach the ' Gospel acd blow up his congregaron ' properly without he has somothing in ' his pocket to inspire him with dence. I have, therefore, borrowed five ' dollars of yon every Saturday, that ' I might fel it occasionally as 1 i ed on Sunday. You know how inde I pendently I do preach - how I raake the ' rich shake in their sboes. Well, it is all owing to my kuowing tüat I have a f five-dollar bilí in mv Docket. Ofcourse f iicver having to uso it for any other purpose, it ifi not changed, but iuvariably returnd to you the nest morning. But, to-morrow Mr. Goorgo Law is coming to hoar me preaoh, and I thought I would try tho etfeot of a tea-dollar bil! sermón on him !' "- Cyclopedia of Commerdal and Business Anecdotes.
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Old News
Michigan Argus