T. S. Arthur

“ Townsend. Above and beyond man’s will and action, is a Power that rules events. Human prudence is not every thing in fact, it is nothing, when it comes in opposition to the designs of Providence.”
“Your profession, as a minister, naturally leads you to such conclusions,” replied the merchant. “But, as a man of business and close observation of men and things, I am satisfied that, in the ordinary pursuits of life, Providence interferes but little; and that all, or nearly all, of success or failure is chargeable to man’s own efficient or inefficient action.” ”

“ They are nature’s highest and loveliest achievements.”
“In the mineral kingdom,” said Eunice, in her gentle way. “But gold and diamonds I love not half so well as I do flowers, nor are they half so beautiful. There is your glittering diamond. There is a flower not only far more beautiful, but with a spirit of perfume in its heart. And when I look into your eyes, sister, how dim and cold appear the inanimate gems that sparkle on your bosom. There are lovelier things in nature, Evie, than gold and diamonds.”
[Pg 20]
“You are a strange girl, Eunie,” returned Eveline, playfully. ”

“ Trust us, at least, and be sure of one thing, that we are prepared to stand by your side, cheerfully, let what will come.”
“Eunice!” said the father, speaking with sudden energy, while an expression of pain settled upon his face, “you know not what you say! It will take stouter hearts than beat in your bosoms to meet that trial. Still, I thank you for this unexpected expression of your affection, as well as for the opportunity it affords me to say what must no longer be kept back. My children, fortune, that smiled upon me for years, no longer smiles—all, all is changed.” ”

“ The spontaneous acknowledgement of a Divine Providence, ruling in all the events of life by love and wisdom, which had fallen from his lips on the previous evening, in the passionate enthusiasm of the moment, did not pass away. He felt, deeply and thankfully felt, that there was an invisible Hand, leading men into better, and truer, and happier states of mind, by ways which they knew not; and that, in spite of all resistance, impatience, and even impious rebellion against the All-Wise guidance, love unchanged was ever, through seeming evil, leading on to good. ”

“ But a saying like this means a great deal. The will inspires to effort, and effort does not always go unrewarded.”
“I fear it will in this case; there is so little in favor of a hoped-for result.”
“It seems to me there is much, mother,” replied Eveline, appearing to gain confidence, while her mother desponded. “It is not possible that such earnest self-devotion as Eunice manifests can go unrewarded. Heaven must smile upon it.”
“I pray that Heaven may smile upon it,” said Mrs. Townsend, fervently.
“Heaven will smile upon it.” Eveline’s voice trembled, and the tears came, unbidden, to her eyes. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Townsend. Time enough had not elapsed for the stricken heart of the mother to react under the dreadful blow. To all Mr. Carlton’s words of consolation, tears were her only response. And it was just the same with Eveline. But Eunice seemed to forget her own pain of mind in the sympathetic concern she felt for her mother and father, and in her efforts to dry up their tears, her own ceased to flow. Thus it is, that in attempting to sustain others in affliction, our own hearts are comforted. Love is doubly blessed. ”

“ Townsend resolved to strive. Some business must be entered into. But the recollection of former disasters filled his mind with doubt, and made him hesitate and ponder long and anxiously the way before him. At length, he opened a store as a commission merchant, thinking that the safest, and used his capital in advancing upon goods. This was the aspect of things without. At home, Eunice and Eveline were doing all in their power to smooth the asperities of the change that had taken place, and to make every thing conform to their father’s reduced means. ”

“ A man who loves money for its own sake, and looks upon it as the greatest good, is not at all likely to have his false view corrected, while all is sunshine and prosperity; but, in reverses, he sees with a more purified vision.
In a word, then, we believe that the cause why wealth is so unstable a thing in this country, lies in the free scope that every man’s selfish impulses find, and instability is only a salutary reaction. And, in this seeming evil, we recognize a Divine Providence, still educing good. ”

“ HUMAN PRUDENCE.
“It’s my opinion, Mr. Carlton, that every man who remains poor through life, or who, once possessing wealth, loses it, has only himself to blame. I am out of all patience with these constant failures that occur in the mercantile community, and set them all down to sad mismanagement, or utter incapacity for business; and I am equally out of patience with the unceasing murmurs of those who have not the means of supplying their wants. ”

“ Life comes with its lights and with its shadows for all; and as surely as day follows night, will the darkness of these sad changes pass away; and, even while it remains, many a bright star will shine in the mental sky.”
But still Eveline wept, and continued to weep until Eunice drew her head down upon her breast, and soothed her with many words of cheerfulness and hope. ”

“ I will have faith in time. I would be unworthy of that true heart were I to give way to impatience and doubt.”
Eunice was sitting alone that evening, just after the twilight shadows had rendered all objects around her indistinct, when her father entered the room where she was sitting. She felt his presence like a weight upon her bosom.
“Eunice! Who is this Albertson?” he asked, abruptly and sternly.
Even from a child, Eunice had possessed great self-control and composure under agitating circumstances. ”

“ Willing as Eveline was to make her part of the sacrifice, in order to sustain her father, she shrunk from the exposure of an attempt to sell her jewelry, and, therefore, the whole task fell upon Eunice, who nerved herself to its performance by thinking of her parent’s extremity. Modest and retiring as she was, the thought of exposing herself among men, in places of business, as a vender of goods, made her heart beat low in her bosom. ”

“ There was a change, not to be mistaken, in his manner, and his visits were far less frequent. Pride, native independence, and a feeling of indignation, all arose, and lent their aid to sustain her; but, actively as they exerted their influence, they were not effective in calming the wild pulsations of a wounded heart; for Eveline truly loved the faithless Pascal. At last, and before any suspicion of the real cause of his estrangement had come to the maiden’s mind, the lover ceased to visit her altogether. ”

“ My father looks, I fear, to wealth and social standing, more than to qualities of mind. As I said before, his consent is, for the present, indispensable. The will of another may prevent an external union, although it cannot prevent an union of our hearts. If your regard for me is deeply based; if you can have patience to wait long in hope of more favoring circumstances, then the light you speak of need not go out in your mind. ”

“ Townsend, was the universally-prevailing spirit of cupidity existing among men of business, which led almost every one to seek his own good in a heartless disregard of others. Were he to make a full exposition of his affairs, and ask for consideration and aid from those for whom he did business, instantly their confidence would cease, consignments be withheld, and the destruction of business he was seeking to avoid become inevitable. ”

“ I mean, that a man’s end in seeking wealth may be of such a nature, that, after attaining what he has sought, the loss thereof may be necessary as a reaction upon that end, in order that it may be changed into one less useful and soul-destroying. The Divine Providence, which, I believe, governs in the most intimate things of every man’s life, has sole reference to what is spiritual and eternal, and so disposes of things, external and worldly, as to make them subserve man’s highest and best interests. ”

“ Great instability in the tenure of wealth must flow from the operation of these causes; for the balance of trade must ever be suffering disturbance by the inordinate action, at some point, of those engaged in commercial and business pursuits. This disturbance we see almost every day, in the dishonest spirit of speculation and overreaching that prevails to a melancholy extent. Business is not conducted, in this country, on the permanent, healthy, honest, and only true basis of demand and supply ”

“ Mr. Townsend said, after his mind had grown calm, and his thoughts began to move in a healthier circle. “You have inspired me to a new trial. To-morrow, instead of abandoning all, hopelessly, I will make an effort to sustain myself.”
“And you will not conceal from me the result, even if it prove unsuccessful?”
“No, Eunice; you deserve my full confidence, and you shall have it.”
“Even if you continue in business, it will be reduced very much,” the daughter said, “after this entire loss of all your capital; and the profits will not meet our present expenses.” ”

“ The anxious desire she felt to realize some money upon the diamond pin and watches, caused her to urge the jeweler strongly to advance one or two hundred dollars upon them, but he firmly declined doing so.
Eveline and her mother awaited the return of Eunice in doubt and hope. A gush of tears told the story of her ill success.
“Only a hundred dollars!” said Eveline, after her sister had grown calm enough to relate what had occurred. “That will be nothing. It can do father no good.” ”

“ Townsend’s state of mind during the few months that this steady decline in the price of shares continued, would be impossible. No man could be more wretched than he was. Carefully did he conceal from his family the condition of his affairs, fearing all the time to look his wife or daughters steadily in the face, lest they should read the truth in his eyes. ”

“ Rumors of this one having made twenty or thirty thousand dollars, and the other one fifty or one hundred thousand, in the course of a few months, were floating through all the circles of trade, and inspiring men who had never made a dollar in their lives, except in regular trade, to stake their fortunes on little better than the turn of a die. The whole commercial atmosphere was filled with the miasmata of speculation, and all men who inhaled it became more or less infected with the disease. ”

“ That is, men must see it to be an evil, and freely put it away. But, so long as a man secures the gratification of every lust, just so long he sees it to be good instead of evil. It is only when he is deprived of its gratification, through consequences growing out of its indulgence, that he is enabled to perceive its true quality. And this is just the effect produced upon the general mind by the instability that attends the possession of wealth in this country. ”

“ It is far better for us, Mr. Townsend, to suffer the destruction of our natural hopes, and the blighting of our natural affections, if by these means eternal hopes are rekindled in our minds, and the love of things spiritual and eternal formed in our hearts. ”

“ How truly has it been said, that ‘despair is never quite despair.’ In this last and severest of all your trials, while every thing is dark around you, let me say, be of good cheer. We will stand by your side; we will hold up your hands; we will be cheerful in all extremities—nay, more, we will work with our own hands, if need be; others have to do it, and it will be no harder for us. ”

“ Our real good, you know, father, does not lie in our worldly possessions or prosperity; and the failure of our worldly expectations is often but a salutary reaction upon our natural affections, when too intently fixed upon mere natural things. Still have confidence, father; still believe that all will come out right in the end. Even the failure [Pg 166] to meet this payment may not prove so great an evil as you now fear it will be.”
Thus Eunice sought to inspire her father with confidence, and succeeded in doing so for the moment, but he soon sunk back again into despondency. ”

“ It is possible for us to live at far less than our present expense. We can be just as happy in a smaller house; just as happy on a greatly reduced income.”
“But all is gone, Eunice! I have nothing. By a failure that occurred in the city, a short time ago, I lost every dollar that I had. And now I am done! To struggle is hopeless!”
“Oh, say not that!” replied Eunice, with energy. “Say not that! The darkest hour is just before the break of day. Hopeless? Oh, no! There is no condition in life so depressed [Pg 129] that hopelessness need accompany it. ”

“ It will come only when the whole nation, as one man, shall be guided in every transaction, small and great, by justice and judgment, and not till then. In the mean time, it is every man’s duty, who sees and acknowledges this truth, to do all in his power to give it vitality in the minds of the people. ”