Miscellany: Hope Vs. Despondency

You look dull, Harry,' said old Mr. Law, to his nephew, Ilenry Lewis, one day last Spring on coming into the young man's Store and finding hun with a face longer than usual. 'Do you think so?' returned Lewis, making an efibrt to look indifferent. 'You notonly lookeddull, wbon I carne in, but downright gloomy. Wlmt is the matter? How is business?' 'Good fornothing.' 'O, no, not so bad as that.' 'Yes, absolutely good for nothing!' 1 havn't made my expenses for these three weeks.' 'Indeed!' 'ít's a fuct and no mistake. Isn't that cnough to make me look gloomy 'f' 'No.' 'No, did you say?' ♦I did.' 'Humph! I beg leavc to differ from you.' ♦Why should you feel gloomy, Ilarry?' 'Why? havn't l just said.' 'You have mentioned that business was dull.' 'A.ndso it is dull, duller than I have ever known it.' 'But you are not gloomy on that account?' ♦Yes I am, and think the cause quite sufficient.' 'Which s more than I do.' Suppose I go to the wall?' And the young man compressed his lips tightly, and looked steadily into the old gentleman's face. 'It will be your own fault if you do.' ♦I don't see how. 1 cannot make business.' 'Yes you can.' 'How?' By trying.' 'I do try.' 'By sitting down and dreaming about going to the wall. Do you cali tiiat trying?' 'But I can't forcé customers to come to my store and purchase goods.' 'No, but I can teil you what you can do.' 'For which I will be infinitely oblidged to you.' 'The will is creative; that is my doctrine.' 'I don't undersland you,' ♦Where there isa will there is a wny. Do you understand that?' 'Yes, a little better, but don't' belicve the doctrine.''Though it is true notwithstanding. - Iope makes a man. - Despondency ruins iim. If you wish to succeed, you must mve confidence. If you wish to go to the wall as you say, doubt, and you will go here quickly enough. While you have been sitting liere, brooding over your dull sales, a more sanguine man would have een halfout of Iris diflïculties. His will would have created the means of his extrication.' 'I doubt it.' 'Doubt - doubt - doubt. I hate the word! t should be stricken f rom your language. Well has it been said. 'He that doubteth s damned.' For doubt will ruin any 3ne. It has already ruined its hundreds af thousands, and will ruin its hundreds af thousunds more. Hope - confidence, hese make success - while doubt and jespondency mar even the best laid schemes.' 'A very beautiful theory, uncle. But 1 should like to know how, to a man with three thousand dollars to pay in the next three weeks, confidence, or hope, or any mental state is going to bring the money. [ might sit hcre and hope till doomsday and not be a dollar bctter off, nor one step nearer to the end of my difliculties.' 'That is certainly true, if you sit still. But hope would not let you sit It would set you busily to work in the efibrt to get out of your diiïiculties.' 'Hope would have a hopeless task to perform.' The old gentleman shook his head, and looked vexed - walked backwardsand forwards before his nephew for a minute or two, and then pausing, said, 'Harry you are willing to succeed in business?' 'It is strange that you should ask such a quetion, uncle.' 'Well, we will admit that you are. - Success, then, must result from well directed conlidcnt action, not from gloomy inaction. Being both gloomy and inactive, you are, of course, not in the way of success.' 'But what can I do, uncle.' 'Let us see. You say that you have three thousand dollars to pay in the next three weeks?' 'Yes.' 'How much will you have towards this sum?''Not over fifteen hundred.' 'Youare certain ofthat much?' 'Quite so. 1 have now eight hundred in bank, and three or lour small notes, which will be paid in during the time. - Besides, my sales will omount to two or three hundred. But still, you s'ie, I will be fifteen hundred dolían short. Where is tliat to come from?' 'Havn't you a number of good bilis on your books?' 'Yes, to the amount of three times what I want.' 'Why don't you make an eflbrt to collect them?' 'I intend doing so, but, thus far have neglected to make out the accounts.' 'You have?' with a look of surprise. 'I shall do it at once. But all I can get in this way won't be over three or foui hundred at best.' 'Suppose you get three hundred?' 'Well?' 'You will still be short twelve hundrec dollars?' 'And where that's to come from, dear above knows, for I don't.' 'VVhat is your stock worth?' 'Twenty thousand dollars.' Can't you forcé a sale at cost, or a trifle above cost, to the extent you need.' 'No, I don't believe I can.' 'Why not?' 'VVho will I sell to.' 'Think. Havn't you goods in your store, which if put under the haimner, would bring cost?' ;Yes, I think l have.'. 'Then send them toauction f you can't make a private sale.' '1 don't like to send my goods to auction. It has a bad appearance, and might affect my credit.' 'Offer them at private sale, then.' 'I have never done such a thing, and hardly know how to go aboutit.' 'You would be willing to sell a portion of your stock at cos!, iu order to get money?' 'Certainly I would. It runs too heavily on a particular style of goods, and I should, therefore, have no objection to equalizing my stock by such a sale.' 'Very well. If you are willing to sell and your goods are worth in the market vhat you paid for them, what is thero to hinder you from sell ing? I can't see the difficulty. But good morning; when I next see you, I hope to find you in a more reasonable state of mind.' And tho old gentleman turned on his heel and walked off, leaving the young merchant with a few brighter ideas in his licad th'tin He was blesscd with halfanhour before. After his uncle had left him, Henry Lewifl mused for some time. Me feit the force of what had been said to hitn, and it inspired him with a portion of confidence. 'Well; what shall I do?' he at length said to himself. 'Something must, and 1 suppose can be done. Let me see. - First comes the accounts of which we spokc. Yes they must be made out. And he turned to his desk, took down his ledger, and commenced drawing off bilis. In this he was occupied for the remainder of that day and a part of the succeediiig one. The next operation, which was the attempt to sell ofl a portion of his stock, he thought of with feelings of rcluctance. Bul he did not wish to borrow; in fact he had borrowed as much as he could, and a great proporlion of what he had to pay was on this account; the only feasible plan, therefore, was to do what old Mr. Law had suggested. - VVhen his mind was once made up to do this, the difficulties that before seemed so great, gradually vanished, and the transaction did not seem so much like one of the labours of Hercules as before. Three days of active, persevering effbrt, accom)lished the sale of goods sufficient to make up the amount desired, and in no instance was any thing sacrificed, or sold even at cost. Notes had to be taken, it is true, jut their character was such that they could be discounted as easily as any paper in the murket. About five days after old Mr. Law hac put a little of the right spirit into his nephew, he dropped into the store again Me found the young man in a much more cheerful temper of mind. 'Things look brighter to-day, I shoulc think, Harry, judging from appearance about here,' he said. 'How are you get ting on? Have those fifteen hundred Jol lars made their appearance y et?' 'Not fully, but they will come in goo time.''Ah, well. That's right. I am glad to hear t. You see that therc is some truth in my doctrine, that the will is ere ative of the means to carry out its desires but it catinot only créate by thought: tho s the hand by which the will works. - If you let these hands lie idle, nothin can be done. But keep them busy, am you need not fear of succesf.' 'But suppose they work at an unprofita ble cnlling?' The old man shrugged his shoult ers. 'What then? Is your doctrine sti true?' 'O yes: my doctrine is well enough righlly underslood and faithfully practisec But a good will works by true thoughts Don't forget that.' 'Explain yourself.' 'You may tliink forever and never fine success as the result of thinking or eve act ing, i f you do not think wisely. - There must be, first, a good end in view and then the thoughts that seek out th accomplishment of that end must be wise so that the action resulting from the ene and the thought, can be rightly directec A good will, a wise thought, and judiciou action, when united, guarantee success i all casos. But ihe success will be jus in the measure that is best for the indi vidual; and f the three, just mentioned unite in him as one, and making him a good, wise, active man in his calling, do not secure him a fortune of half a mili ion, or even a fortune at all, they wil most certainly conduct him safely anc honestly through the world, and secure his life's best blessings, health,a comfortable subsistence, and contentment. Success in life, you must remember, Harry, does not always mean riches. Riches are not good lor all, and he who sees tho end from the beginning, perceives this-, and wisely guards ihe steps of every one of his creatures, and metes out to them just that measure of success, as the result of wisely directed eflbrts, that will be good for them.If your doctrine be Irue, somo men will not grow rich, no matter how wisely they may strive.' lTrue; becnuse there are some men to whom riclieswouldbo an injury. Tl)at is, tliey would not lead so good lives as rieh men, as they would if Ouly in moderate circumstances. But even with these, success, as far as it goes, is dependent upon truc thoughts ilowing down into corresponding actions. Let them, with prudent coníidence, and a cheerful, hopeful spirit, enter into their business, and they will have that measure of prosperity which is good for them. " But i f they sufler thcmselvcs to doubt, and in consequence hang down their hands inactively, they will f;u! in all their effbrts, and lose the full measure of those blessings that Providencc dasigned they shculd enjoy.' 'A new doctrine to me.' 'And a true onc.' Terhaps so. At any rnlc, it bears ruth on ito face. 1 caji undèrsiand moreearly than I did a few days ago the ïeaning of what you said about the will'a eing creative. No man knowswhat he an do until he tries, as I have fully provd. I shall have no difficulty in meeting ny nayment now. Before I thought and cted with Ihe wise decisions your prcepts inspired me with, I did not believe possible for me to pay the notes that are bout falling due. Still, uncle, my mind s not at ease. I am still in doubt. Don't mile. I must doubt a little. How can help it, when things look so gloomy head. Business dosen'i improve at all. n fact, I am very fearful, that, with my leavy expenses here, and the gradual acumulation of unsaleable goods and remants, I am retrogading instead of adancing. Is this not enough to make me eel a little despondency?' 'No.' 'I think it is.' 'Not at all. Bring true thoughts and visely directed actions to your aid, and 11 these clouds will vanish Hke night"nists in Ihe sunshine.' 'But what can I do1?' 'Think.' 'It is easy to say think, uncle; but it is lardto think out a wise result.' 'Did you find it so a few days since?' 'It was hard to get at it. In fact, you did most of the thinking for me, I believe, and in a very few minutes.' 'Try and think for yourself. You are old enough.' 'But you are older and wiser, and can think to better purpose than I can. I shall have to cali on you again.' 'No, Harry. Reason has been given you for your own guidance. Do not let it grow weak for want of proper exer cise. If I think for you now, you wil depend upon me to think for you again and so on, until you merely lean upor my reason. And then where will yot be when 1 fail. No - no. To every marreason sufllcient is given him to enable him to go safely tbrough the world, and to fill tlmt place in it that is best for botli himself and the world. If, therefore, you have not the mental acuteness, nor the moral forcé of character to occupy for yourselfyour present posit on, you had better descend a liltle lower, lest you presently fall down, headlong, and dash yourselfto pieces. Sogood day, Harry! I am going to New York in the morning, and shall not be back for some weeks. - When l return, I hope to see you in a more manly state of mind,' 'But stop, uncle; don't be in a hurry. I should like to have some more talkwith you.' 'I can't now Harry. I have a good denl to attend to before I go. So, good day, and try to think for yourself. Remember, that if you succeed in business it will be the result of a good wil), united to true thought, ín jirompt action.' And the old gentleman turned away and left Henry Lewis to his own reflections, which were not of a very pleasant kind. For the whole of the day he feit cast down in spirits. There was an oppressive weight upon his feelings. It was hours, that night, after he went to bed, before he could sleep. He thought, and thought, and thought. But it must be ovned,to littlegood purpose; for there was no confidence in his thoughts. On the next morning he feit calmer, and his mind was much clearer. On going to his store, he directed his clerksto commence taking an account of stock, in doing which he actively assisted. This occupied several days before it could be fully cornpleted. After that, he had his books posted, and a balance sheet drawn oiF. Over his stock book, balance sheet, and bill book, he sat and thought and made calculations for the most part of two days, bccoming more and more dis turbed in mind as the true state of his business became more and more apparent.'riveyears navel been toilingon here cari y and late,' he said gloomily to himself, and now I am not a dollar belter off than when I begun! To-day; I should have been worth at least twenty lliousand dollars. But 1 am not worth one cent really. And if I sliould be forced to wind up niv business, I should come out worse than nothing.' Doubt and despondency overshadoued his mind, as he bent his head down, and rested his face on his hands that wcre laid upon the desk at which he wassilting. - He remained thus fpr some time, no light breaking in upon him. Day after dny passed on but the young merchant did not regain his buoyancy of spirits. The result of his cxatnination into his aflairs so thoroughly disheartened him, that he could not altend even to his ordinnry business w.itb efficiency. His clerks rcmarked (he changeand wondcred what could have happoned. To add to li 's gloom of mind, bis sales feil offto one lialf what they had been, without any nparent cause. Corifideuce! Hope!' hc exelaimed, ashe paced the floor of his room long after every one else liad retired to rest. 'It takes a man of stronger nerves than I am, i to hope with the sea breaking over his vessel. 1 shall go down inevilably, 'spite of every eíTort! what can save me? - Nothing!' Henry Lewis had started n i about five years previously, with a tal of three or four thousand dollars. - His únele wished him to take a small store with a cheap rent, and gradually : work his way uptvard. But he had served ! his time in a large mercantile house, where very large pro fits were made on the year's business, and his ideas of what a young man ought to realize when he had a store of his own, were, in consequence, pretty large. Against thendvice of some, and with the concurrence of othersof his friends, he look a large store, at a rent of two thousand dollars a year, and on the credit he could readily obtain, stocked it heavily. For the first year every thing went onswimmingly. - :1e sold a greatmany goods, and set down lis profits at six or seven thousand dolars. After that, his sales rather diminished than increased, and he began to experience difficullies in meeting his payments. Still, his business was large, and he took it for granted that he was making a snug little fortune quite rapidly. Year after year passed on, and Lewis experienced greater and greater perplexities, until thingsarrived at the crisis just presented to the reader. And now hothing but failure stared him in the face anc made him halfbeside himself. The idea of a failure when he began to look at that result, distressed him deep ly. It wounded his high sense of hono and juslice.'I would willingly givc up all,' he mus ed, in a more subdueu mind, 'and go ou of business pennyless. But to become a bankrupt is more than I can think of. - It would kill me. I hoped, ere this, t have realized something handsorne. Bu that idea has proved vain. Now I woulc be content if I were certain of a business and a slow but sure advance towardscom petency.' Oíd Mr. Law was detained m Ne York a good deal longer than was expec ted. He was gone nearly síx weeks. - During his absence he had heard nothing from his nephew, in whom he took mucli interest, at the same time that he saw clearly his faults of character, and strove in his own way, to correct them. On the day afterhis return, and as he had disposed of various matters requiring his attention, he thought he would cali in at his nephews's store. Mucli to his surprise, he saw that it was closed and had a bilí on it. The old man's heart gave a quick bound. ■W nat ad the matter be?' he aiked himself, with concern. 'Harry would certainly not havebroken up without writing to me?' A nearer approach to the closed store explained the matter. HenryLewis had removed ot No. 10 Street. 'Aha! I think I understand,' the old man said, as he turned his steps in the di rection of his nephew's new place of bus mess. 'What is the meaning of all this, Har ry?' asked Mr. Law, as he shook the young man's hand warmly, on meèliog him. 'I have been thinking,' returned Lcwis with a smile. 'Have you? Well, what was the na ture of you r thoughts?' 'I thought, in the first place, that i would require me to sell a great man) goods in order io cloar two thousand dul lars for rent. A wise thought. Strange that you jievermade that discoverv bcfore.' 'A little thinking, no doubt, would have made it clearlong ago.''No doubt. Wei!, to what othcr conclusión did your thoughls lend you?' 'To this very natural nue; thaf, KI could get a store forfive hundred dollars a year,l would have tosell only one-iouith as many goods to pdy rent. And furihor, that as in five years, 1 had üot made any thing bcyond my expenses, t was folly to try any longer wliere I was.' 'And so yon determined to take tiiis store at five hundred?' 'I did.' 'Is the stand a good onc?' 'I have been open for two weeks, and my sales are as goodj and even bcitcr llinn thev were before.1 'Then 1 should say you had though: to some good purpose. But wliy didn't you think of this two years ago?' Because I was not so abólutoly compelled todo il. Aftcr you went away, 1 commenced thinking as you suggested and the first result was, a determination to mako a thorough examination of my ailhiiü. I took stock, baJanced my bocks, and made up a stal eraent. Thatment frightencd ino half out of mysehses, II showed me llifil I was not worlh eighty I cents ín llie dollar, f all my stock werè l foreed into market. Thai I had not, in five years advanccd a single step.' 'Hump!' klt's a fact. For nearly a week I was ■ so disheartenëd Ihat I couid scarcely eat or sleep. A fier tliat í Torced myselfto hope for being something botter than a failure, and set niyself to thinking out i some means of preventing it. Here you see the resull of my thoughts. It went ' hard with me to give up thnt beautiful ; store. 'What will be said if I go into a plainer establishment? I asked rnyself. - But all this weaknesssoon gave way, and I met the whole thing ns a man sliould meel it. One of my fears was, that the change would affect my credit.' 'Has it done so?' 'Not in the lerst I believe. Every body seemstothink I have acted wisely.' 'Of course. A young man, with your light capital, should never have dreamed of dashing out in the style that you did. uccess in this world results, in almost very instance, fromsmall bodnnings.''I can believe so nosv. But when I ommcnccd, my ideas were something fie rent, lo have made a fortune in a few ears.' 'And carne very near ruining yourself.' 'True.' 'Nüw. however, you are in a much airer way in my opinión, than you have ever been.' 'Of making a comfortable living, at least.' 'And with that you should be content. If more crown your labors. take it and be thankful, and be very sure thafyou make a good use of it.' Nearly a year has passed since Henry Lewis thought and acted as lias been seen His business has been quite as good in his new store as in his old one; conse quently, he is over a thousand dollars bet ter off, supposing that, previously, h made only his expenses. He might hav gone on where he was, doubting and desponding, until overwhelmed in ruin. - .Eutalitllc riglit thoughf,followeu by coufidence and prompt action, saved him. Let no one, then, who is in diflicult}', give way to doubt ; that will tend to bring on the ruin he dreads. But with wise forethought, and a hopelul spirit, press ! onward. 'A wise man foreseeth the evil, and hideth hirasell; but the simple pass on and are punished.'