LETTER 66. From a Tradesman to a Customer, demanding payment of money. SIR, Your bill for goods supplied last year, has now been delivered upwards of three months, and I have waited on you several times to solicit payment, but have not been so fortunate as to find you at home; I have a very large sum to make up in the course of a week, and shall esteem it a particular favor, if you can let me have the amount of my bill delivered within that time; I trust you will excuse the liberty I take in writing to you on this subject, and believe me, sir, Your obedient, humble servant. SIR, LETTER 67. Answer to the preceding. I am sorry you have had the trouble of calling so often for your money, and still more that it is not in my power to pay your bill within the time you mention; I am at present very short of cash, and shall be so for six weeks; at the end of that time I will settle with you. I am, sir, your humble servant. SIR, LETTER 68. The Tradesman's reply. I should be sorry to appear troublesome to any customer; but you who are not in any business, may not probably know how subject tradesmen are to large demands for cash, and how much an omission of payment may injure them in the world; the credit on your bill already exceeds, by some months, what it is usual in trade to give, and what I give my customers in general; I hope therefore, you will not take it amiss, that I have drawn on you at six weeks for the amount of my demand; and have sent the bill by my clerk for your acceptance, not doubting that it will be duly honored, and that you will excuse this liberty from, Your most obedient humble servant. LETTER 69. From a Tradesman unable to honor his Acceptance, to a Merchant. DEAR SIR, It gives me the greatest pain to be under the necessity of writing to you on the subject I am now about to do, but I think it better to apprise you of the circumstance beforehand, than to permit a bill with your name on it to be dishonored without your knowledge. The failure of Mr. C. who is my debtor to a considerable amount, and from whom I was in daily expectation of payment, has strained me for cash so much that I can only raise $30 towards the amount of the bill for $97 17, which I accepted in your favor, and which will become due the day after tomorrow. If you would have the kindness, if the bill remains in your hands, to receive that sum in part, and my acceptance at two months for the remainder, I will take care it shall be duly attended to; or if the bill is out of your hands, if you would favor me with cash to supply the deficiency, I will give you the like bill and allow you discount, with pleasure. I am given to understand there will be a considerable dividend of Mr. C's effects: if an assignment of my claim on him would be any satisfaction to you, as a collateral security, I am willing to make it, or to do any thing else in my power to convince you that I mean to act honestly. I am, dear sir, Your most obliged humble servant. LETTER 70. From a Merchant to a Tradesman, demanding money, and expressing disapprobation of his proceedings. SIR, Inclosed is your account, and I am sorry the state. ment of your mode of living which has been reported to me, is such, that I must in justice to myself, demand an immediate payment of the balance. It is not my disposition to act unkindly, or to distress any one; but when I see people with my property in their hands, squandering away their substance in wanton extravagance, it becomes necessary for me to see a little to my affairs. Sir, I am informed you keep a horse and chaise, and country lodgings; that you belong to clubs, and are a buck of fashion, a Free and Easy, and I know not what else: in a word, that business is but a secondary concern with you; nay, what is worse, I have heard it hinted that you game. I began the world, sir, with a greater capital than you, and with as good a connexion, in cheaper times, but I never kept a horse till I was unable to walk, and other men no richer than myself, kept their coach; as to the sin and folly of wasting my time in debauchery and gaming, I was above it, for whatever you may think, a man is much more creditably employed in his business, than in sotting amongst mimics or stage players, or wasting money not his own, among sharpers. Sir, you having married my kinswoman will not protect you against my taking the necessary steps to recover my money; were you my own son I would not act other. wise, and am very sorry to have reason to cease subscribing myself LETTER 71. The Answer. Your sincere friend. DEAR SIR, For so I will persevere to call you, notwithstanding the unkindness of your last: you have lived long enough in the world to know, that when a man is fortunate, in any respect, there are envious persons to do him an injury; I considered myself happy in the possession of your good opinion, and have found an enemy to supplant me. I will answer the charges you bring against me, one by one, and you will see at once how little they are founded in truth. As to my keeping a horse and chaise, I have not rode in one, except yours, these three years, only once on this occasion; B who owed me a great deal of money, was absconding near the sea coast; I learnt where he was, and having got a writ out against him, went down to the place with my attorney, that it might be properly executed, and the chaise was his; so I only paid for the hire of the horse, which was, on the whole, a saving to me. The state of my poor wife's health is such as to require country air, and I have taken a lodging for her near K. but this is so small an expense, I am persuaded, were you the most miserable economist in the world instead of a liberal minded man, you would think such a trifle ought not to be spared to preserve your cousin's health, and perhaps life. As to clubs, I belong to none, except the lodge of Freemasons, to which you yourself introduced me, and you, who know all the members, can judge whether they are proper company or not; and with respect to gaming, I can declare I never played at any game of chance in my life, except whist and not that for more than a shilling a point. But let assertion go for nothing between us, and facts speak for themselves; if you will favor me by eating a bit of dinner at my house tomorrow, we will go over my books together, and you will see by the regularity and general state of them, how I attend to business; and as it will be Saturday, on which day I generally go to K. if you will have the goodness to take your tea there, you will see what sumptuous country lodgings I have got. If you insist on instant payment of the balance of your account, I must arrange matters accordingly; but though it will put me to some inconvenience, it will not efface |