know," replied Jacob, not in a very cheerful tone.
"I never was lucky in having friends ready to assist me."

"Well! perhaps there will be no need of that. You have had a good
salary for four or five years--how much have you saved? Enough,
probably, to answer every purpose--that is, if you are willing to join
me in taking advantage of one of the best openings for business that
has offered for a long time. I have a thousand dollars in the savings
bank. You have as much, or more, I presume?"

"I am sorry to say I have not," was poor Jacob's reply, in a
desponding voice. "I was unfortunate in business some years ago, and
my old debts have drained away from me every dollar I could earn."

"Indeed! that is very unfortunate. I was in hopes you could furnish a
thousand dollars."

"I might borrow it, perhaps, if the chance is a very good one."

"Well, if you could do that, it would be as well, I suppose," returned
the young man. "But you must see about it immediately. If you cannot
join me at once, I must find some one who will, for the chance is too
good to be lost."

Jacob got a full statement of the business proposed, its nature and
prospects, and then laid the matter before the three merchants with
whom he had at different times lived in the capacity of clerk, and
begged them to advance him the required capital. The subject was taken
up by them and seriously considered. They all liked Jacob, and felt
willing to promote his interests, but had little or no confidence in
his ultimate success, on account of his want of economy in personal
matters. It was very justly remarked by one of them, that this want of
economy, and the judicious use of money in personal matters, would go
with him in business, and mar all his prospects. Still, as they had
great confidence in the other man, they agreed to advance, jointly,
the sum needed.

In the meantime, the young man who had made the proposition to Jacob,
when he learned that he had once failed in business, was still in
debt, and liable to have claims pushed against him, (this he inferred
from Jacob's having stretched the truth, by saying that his old debts
drained away from him every dollar, when the fact was he was freed
from them by the provisions of the insolvent law of the state,) came
to the conclusion that a business connection with him was a thing to
be avoided rather than sought after. He accordingly turned his
thoughts in another quarter, and when Jones called to infor