y themselves wore only the plainest and most sombre fabrics that
consisted with respectability.

People would have called them a family of misers, but for their goodness
of character in other respects, and for the undeniable fact that they
were by far the most liberal contributors to the church and to the
poor--not only in their own island, but in all the other islands around
them.

Another thing that puzzled the mercantile men of the place extremely was
the manner in which Mr Stuart kept his books of business. They soon
began to take note that he kept two ledgers and two distinct sets of
books--the one set small, the other set very bulky. Some of the more
audacious among his customers ventured to peep over his shoulder, and
discovered that the small set contained nothing but entries of boats
made, and repairs to shipping executed, and work connected exclusively
with the shipwright department of his business--while the large books
contained entries of those silks, and sugars, and teas, and spices,
etcetera, which turned so much gold into his coffers.

It thus became evident to these men of business that the merchant kept
the two departments quite separate, in order to ascertain the distinct
profits on each. They were the more amazed at this when they considered
that the shipwright work must necessarily be a mere driblet, altogether
unworthy the attention of one so wealthy. But that which amazed them
most of all was, that such a man, in such circumstances, could waste his
time in doing with his own hands the work of an ordinary mechanic--thus
(as they concluded) entailing on himself the necessity of devoting much
of the night to his more lucrative concern.

These long-headed men of business little knew the man. They did not
know that he was _great_ in the highest sense of the term, and that,
among other elements of his greatness, he possessed the power of seizing
the little things--the little opportunities--of life, and turning them
to the best account; that he not only knew what should be done, and how
to do it, but was gifted with that inflexible determination of purpose
to carry out a design, without which knowledge and talent can never
accomplish great things. The merchant did not, as they supposed, work
late at night. He measured his time, and measured his work. In this he
was like many other men in this struggling world; but he _stuck_ to his
time and to his work, in which respect he resembled the great