Riches have wings; or, A tale for the rich and poor

by T. S. Arthur

In a day or two, the paragraph from the western paper appeared in all the city papers, and with various comments from the different editors. In one of them it was remarked, that a certain shipping merchant had, only a few weeks before, paid seventy thousand dollars for half of the “city.” “Of course,” the article went on to say, “here are seventy thousand dollars lost in a single gambling operation. When such splendid stakes as these are lost and won, we must not be astonished if we hear of failures by the dozens in the ranks of our merchant princes. In this number we shall not be at all surprised to find the owner of half of ‘Eldorado.’”

Mr. Townsend read this with pain, mortification, and a strange fear about his heart. In a little over a year, property, amounting to nearly a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, had melted away, and passed from his hands, irrecoverably. It seemed like a dream, so rapidly had transpired the singularly disastrous incidents. But worse than the mere loss of money, was the effect produced upon the merchant. His confidence in all business operations was gone; and he came into the unhappy state of those who believe that the fates are against them. If a ship came in, he was afraid to send her forth again, lest the voyage should prove unsuccessful; and he sold to even his best customers with timidity. To continue to do business in such a state of doubt as to the result, was not possible for Mr. Townsend, and he concluded, after a long and anxious consideration of the subject, to withdraw from trade, and seek some safe investment of the remainder of his property; the interest from which would be ample for the maintenance of his family in the style of elegance in which they had been accustomed to live.

The execution of this determination was hastened by the loss of another ship and cargo in a typhoon in the Indian Ocean. In this case insurance had been regularly effected; and the loss was promptly paid; but the disaster completed the overthrow of Mr. Townsend’s confidence in all business operations. More clearly than he had ever perceived it in his life, did he see the uncertainty that, as a natural consequence, must attend all commercial adventures, subject as they were to fluctuations and disturbances in the markets; the caprices of the winds and the waves, and the doubtful integrity of man. He wondered at the signal success that had attended his career as a merchant, and felt that something more than his own sagacity was involved therein.

The amount received from the underwriters for the ship and cargo which had been lost, was sixty thousand dollars. This sum was invested in stock of the United States Bank of Pennsylvania, as the safest productive disposition of it that could be made. Then, with an earnest devotion of his time and energies to the end in view, did Mr. Townsend proceed to wind up his business. His ships were sold; his goods disposed of as rapidly as possible, and, at last, his store was closed, and he removed his counting-room to a second story, retaining a single clerk to assist in the final settlement of his affairs.

As fast as money was realized, United States Bank stock was purchased, as a temporary disposal of it, until some other and safer investment could be made. Ground rents, and loans on bond and mortgage, were looked to as the ultimate mode of investing the bulk of his fortune—now reduced, he found, to a little over a hundred and seventy thousand dollars, and a portion of that in doubtful hands.

Months passed from the time the first purchase of United States Bank stock was made, and still no other investment of money had taken place. Several ground rents in the heart of the city, secured by costly improvements, had come into market, but Mr. Townsend hesitated about taking them until it was too late. He had received any number of applications for loans, to be secured by bond and mortgage, but could not make up his mind about the safety of any one of the operations. Thus, the time passed, and more and more of his property was daily becoming represented by United States Bank scrip, until nearly every thing he possessed was locked up in the stock of an institution, looked upon by every one as the safest in the country, yet, really, tottering upon the verge of ruin.

CHAPTER VI.
LOVE AND PRIDE.

Two years have glided away since the opening of our story. During that time the characters of Eveline and Eunice have developed themselves, more and more, toward a fixed maturity. While the former is still as gay and fond of dress and company as before, the latter has retired more and more, apparently, within herself, but really into the exercise of those purer thoughts and affections, that look to the good of others. All who come into close contact with her, love her for the sweetness of her temper, and the gentle spirit that utters itself in the tones of her voice, and the mild light of her calm blue eyes.

Neither Eveline nor Eunice have yet wedded. Henry Pascal has been home from his long European tour about six months, and, since his return, has been constant in his attentions to Eveline, with whom he corresponded, regularly, during the whole period of his absence. Eveline is deeply attached to him, and, although no formal offer of marriage has taken place, considers herself, as well as is considered by others, his affianced bride. Twice has the hand of Eunice been sought—once, all approved the offer but herself; and once, though her own heart approved, the objections of her parent and friends were so strong she yielded passively to their opposition. Passively, so far as act was concerned, but her heart remained the same, and turned faithfully toward the sun of its love.

The young man who had thus won the pure regard of Eunice, had recently been elevated from the position of clerk to that of limited partner, in a respectable mercantile house, and had, since this elevation, been introduced into a higher social grade than the one he had been used to. Here he met Eunice Townsend. The first time his eyes rested upon her, and before he had heard her name, or knew her connections, her image impressed itself upon his heart, and remained there ever after. He could not have effaced it, even if he had made the effort. This young man’s name was Rufus Albertson. His mother, a poor widow, had obtained for him, when he was quite a lad, a situation in a store, and dying shortly afterward, he was left without any relative. The owner of the store finding him active, intelligent, and honest, took him into his house; and raised and educated him. By his industry and devotion to business, from his fifteenth to his twenty-first year, the young man fully repaid the kindness he had received.