After the silence of a few moments, Mr. Townsend said—
“What has been, perhaps, too long concealed from you, I will now reveal. Three years ago, I was worth three hundred thousand dollars, and believed myself beyond the danger of a reverse. At a time when I thought myself most firmly established, losses came, and followed each other in quick succession. I became alarmed, and my mind was thrown into confusion. From that time every thing I have done has been wrong—every move I have made, has been a false move. The last, and the one that has swept from me the remainder of my shattered fortune, was the investment of my money in United States Bank stock, which I considered as safe as any thing in the country. That for which I paid a hundred and forty thousand dollars, is now worth but little over ten or twelve thousand, and, judging from the past, will not be worth half of that in a month.”
“Then why not sell it and save that little?” said Eunice, in a tone of decision that made Mr. Townsend lift his eyes to her face. The failing light gave him but an indistinct view of its expression.
“I shall do it immediately,” he replied. “You understand, now, my children,” he added, “precisely the nature of my circumstances, and how low we have fallen. To maintain our present style of living, would exhaust our little remnant of property in two years.”
“But of that folly we will not be guilty,” said Eunice. “Let us withdraw quickly from our present position, and retire into one that corresponds to our altered circumstances. We may be just as happy in that as we have ever been in this. I am sure that Eveline and I will; and, if you will let us, we will make you so.”
“God bless you! my children,” said the father, as he drew an arm around each: “you have taken a mountain-weight from me. With such true, loving-hearted, cheerful companions in adversity, I feel that it will not be hard to bear. Why did I not know you better? Why did I not confide in you sooner?”
CHAPTER XIII.
MORE REVERSES.
In a far different spirit did Mrs. Townsend receive the news of their altered circumstances. It broke her down completely for a time. But the example of Eveline and Eunice, in a cheerful submission to what was unavoidable, gradually tended to give her strength of mind, and to nerve her for her new and severer duties in life.
The first step taken was to procure a smaller house in a retired part of the town, move into it, and reduce expenses at every point, so as to make them, in some measure, correspond to their reduced circumstances. In the carrying of this out, Eveline and Eunice were foremost, and acted with a decision and energy that, while it surprised, gave strength and hope to the minds of their parents.
When Mr. Townsend made sale of his stock, which was in a few days after the interview with his children related in the last chapter, the price had fallen still lower. The net proceeds were just ten thousand dollars. Shortly afterward, his house was sold to satisfy the judgment mentioned as having been obtained against him.