L——, August 17, 19—.
My Esteemed Old Friend:—
We were exceedingly pained to learn from the newspapers of yesterday that, after a long struggle, you have been compelled to yield to the resistless pressure of these hard times. Success in business is often a mere accident and merits little praise, and in like manner, failure in business is often the sad and only return for a long and patient fight against tremendous odds. In these days of merciless competition, the spirit of fair trading seems to be almost buried out of sight. It is no longer a case of "the survival of the fittest," so much as of the survival of "the smartest." But we should not let undeserved defeat bring despair. As the poet says:
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast,"
and I most sincerely trust there are brighter days in store for you. We feel sure you can have nothing to blame yourself for in these reverses. Everybody who knows Alfred Baker knows that he is the soul of honor, that he holds integrity by the right hand and by the left.
I exceedingly regret that my letter must be one of words only, and wish it were possible to ask you to draw upon me for some useful, helpful amount. But that is utterly beyond my power. Letters are not of much value in such a crisis as you are now passing through, and yet we could not keep silent.
Pray accept these few words of heartfelt sympathy. Be brave! Be hopeful! Better days will come.
Very truly yours,
Phillip Smith.