'Charge It': Keeping Up With HarryBacheller, Irving
General
'Charge It': Keeping Up With Harry
Bacheller, Irving
Didactic fiction; Humorous stories
"'But it is not nearly so universal as the love of money. If it were
possible to have millionaire carpenters and shoemakers there'd be more
hope! But I'll try to invent a mainspring for Harry. If he doesn't
marry some fool woman there's a chance for the boy--a good chance.
Tell me all about him.'
"In his own way, which amused me a little, the old man sketched the
character of his son, or rather confessed it.
"'A kind of Alexander the Great,' he said. 'We shall have to be
careful or lose our heads. Surfeited with power, you know. When he
wants anything he goes to a store and says, "Charge it." That has
ruined him. He's no scale of values in his mind.'
"He told me, then, with some evidence of alarm, that Harry had become
interested in a fool woman, older than he, noted for her beauty and
equestrian skill--by name Mrs. Revere-Chalmers, of a well-known
Southern family. I knew the woman--divorced from a rich old gentleman
of great generosity, who had taken all the blame for her sake. But I
happened to know that the circumstances on her side were not
creditable. The truth, however, had been well concealed.
"In her youth Frances Revere had two beautiful parents. In fact, they
were all that any girl could desire--obedient and respectful to their
youngers. She was always kind to them and kept them looking neatly and
helped them in their lessons and brought them up in the fear of
Tiffany and the hope of future happiness. They played most of the
time, but never chased each other in and out of the bedrooms or made
any noise about the house when she lay sleeping in the forenoon. Their
sense of chivalry would not have permitted it. When she arose she
called them to her and patted their heads and said: 'What dear parents
I have!' It might be thought that the fair Frances led an aimless and
idle life. Not so. The young lady was very busy and never forgot her
aim. She was preparing herself to be a marryer of men and the leading
marryer in the proud city of her birth. Every member of the household
became her assistant in this noble industry. Many storekeepers had
unconsciously joined her staff and 'charged it' until they were weary.
All her papa's money had been invested in the business, and he began
to borrow for a rainy day. Then there came a long spell of wet
weather. At last something had to be done. Frances began to use her
talents. No prince or noble duke had come for her, so she married an
old man worth ten million dollars and sent her parents to an orphan
asylum with a fair allowance of spending-money. They are her only
heirs, and now, at thirty, but with ample capital, she has set up
again in the marrying business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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