Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, September, 1850Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, September, 1850
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
A brief anecdote or two will serve to show what manner of men these
Grants were, and that Dickens, in his Brothers Cheeryble, has been
guilty of no exaggeration. Many years ago, a warehouseman published an
exceedingly scurrilous pamphlet against the firm of Grant Brothers,
holding up the elder partner to ridicule as "Billy Button." William was
informed by some "kind friend," of the existence and nature of the
pamphlet, and his observation was, that the man would live to repent of
its publication. "Oh!" said the libeler, when informed of this remark,
"he thinks that some time or other I shall be in his debt, but I will
take good care of that." It happens, however, that the man in business
does not always know who shall be his creditor. It turned out that the
libeler shortly became bankrupt, and the brothers held an acceptance of
his, which had been indorsed by the drawer who had also become bankrupt.
The wantonly libeled men had now an opportunity of revenging themselves
upon the libeler, for he could not obtain his certificate without their
signature, and without that he could not again commence business. But it
seemed to the bankrupt to be a hopeless case to expect that, they would
give their signature--they whom he had so wantonly held up to public
ridicule. The claims of a wife and children, however, at last forced him
to make the application. He presented himself at the counting-house
door, and found that "Billy Button" was in. He entered, and William
Grant, who was alone, rather sternly bid him, "shut the door, sir!" The
libeler trembled before the libeled. He told his tale, and produced his
certificate, which was instantly clutched by the injured merchant. "You
wrote a pamphlet against us once," exclaimed Mr. Grant. The supplicant
expected to see his parchment thrown into the fire; instead of which,
Mr. Grant took a pen, and writing something on the document, handed it
back to the supplicant, who expected to find "rogue,
scoundrel, libeler," instead of which, there was written only the
signature of the firm, completing the bankrupt's certificate. "We make
it a rule," said Mr. Grant, "never to refuse signing the certificate of
an honest tradesman, and we have never heard that you were any thing
else." The tears started into the poor man's eyes. "Ah!" continued Mr.
Grant, "my saying was true, I said you would live to repent writing
that pamphlet, I did not mean it as a threat, I only meant that some day
you would know us better, and repent that you had tried to injure us; I
see you repent it now." "I do, I do," said the grateful man, "I do,
indeed, bitterly repent it." "Well, well, my dear fellow, you know us
now. How do you get on? What are you going to do?" The poor man stated
that he had friends who could assist him when his certificate was
obtained. "But how are you off in the mean time?" and the answer was
that, having given up every farthing to his creditors, he had been
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