her form a business
connection. He is a man of good address, business habits, and, as far
as I know, good principles."

"Suppose you mention the subject to him this afternoon."

This was agreed to. The two men then entered the shop of a fashionable
tailor, for the purpose of ordering some clothes. While there, a man
having the appearance of a collector came in, and drew the tailor
aside. The conversation was brief but earnest, and concluded by the
tailor's saying, so loud that he could be heard by all who were
standing near,

"It's no use to waste your time with him any longer. Just hand over the
account to Simpson, and let him take care of it."

The collector turned away, and the tailor came back to his customers.

"It is too bad," said he, "the way some of these young fellows do serve
us. I have now several thousand dollars on my books against clerks who
receive salaries large enough to support them handsomely, and I can't
collect a dollar of it. There is Jacob Jones, whose account I have just
ordered to be placed in the hands of a lawyer, he owes me nearly two
hundred dollars, and I can't get a cent out of him. I call him little
better than a scamp."

The father and son exchanged glances of significance, but said nothing.
The fate of Jacob Jones was sealed.

"If that is the case," said the father, as they stepped into the
street, "the less we have to do with him the better."

To this the son assented. Another more prudent young man was selected,
whose fortune was made.

When Jacob received Lawyer Simpson's note, threatening a suit if the
tailor's bill was not paid, he was greatly disturbed.

"Am I not the most unfortunate man in the world?" said he to himself,
by way of consolation. "After having paid him so much money, to be
served like this. It is too bad. But this is the way of the world. Let
a poor devil once get a little under the weather, every one must have a
kick at him."

In this dilemma poor Jacob had to call upon the tailor, and beg him for
further time. This was humiliating, especially as the tailor was
considerably out of humour, and disposed to be hard with him. A threat
to apply for the benefit of the insolvent law again, if a suit was
pressed to an issue, finally induced the tailor to waive legal
proceedings for the present, and Jacob had the immediate terrors of the
law taken from before his eyes.

This event set Jacob to thinking and calculating, which he had never
before deemed nece