self. Your behaviour to your late master was such, that it cannot fail of procuring you many customers. I have sent you the goods by Mr. Stafford's wagon, in 12 boxes, marked XI; and I doubt not but you will be punctual in your returns, which will always enable me to serve you as low as possible, and with the best goods which I can procure. I heartily wish you success in business, and doubt not but you well know, that honesty and assiduity are the most likely means to insure it. I am, Sir, Your obliged servant. Sir, LETTER XXII. From a Young Man, whose Master had lately died. I DOUBT not but you have heard of my late worthy master's death. I have served him as an apprentice and journeyman above twelve years, and as my mistress does not choose to carry on the business, I have taken the shop and stock in trade, and shall be glad to deal with you in the same manner he did. I have sent the enclosed note for payment of such bills as are due, and you may depend on punctuality with regard to the remainder, for which purpose let them be entered as my debt. Please to send the enclosed order, and let the goods be the best you have, which will oblige Sir, Your humble servant. LETTER XXIII. The Answer. YOURS I received, and am extremely sorry to hear of the death of my good friend, your late master; but at the same time pleased to find that his business has fallen into such good hands as yours. You have a double advantage over a stranger, as you are well acquainted both with your late master's trade and customers, which, by his dealings with me appears to be very extensive. I have sent your order, in ten bales, marked O P, by the Speedwell of Philadelphia, John Thompson, master, and you will find them as good and cheap as any that are to be had. I heartily thank you for your offered correspondence, and shall on all occasions use you with honour. I wish you all manner of success, And am, &c. LETTER XXIV. From a Person who had met with a sudden affliction in his Family, soliciting the Loan of a sum of Money. Dear Sir, I BELIEVE that ever since you first knew me, you will be ready to acknowledge, that no person was ever more bashful in asking favours, than myself. Indeed, I have always considered it as more pleasing to an honest mind to give, than to receive a favour; but an unexpected affliction in my family, obliges me to solicit your assistance, by the loan of about 200 dollars, for six months; but on this condition, that you can spare it without hurting yourself; for I would by no means choose that my friend should suffer in his present circumstances in order to oblige me. Indeed, Sir, I was some days engaged amongst my acquaintance to raise the money, before I could prevail with myself to ask it from you: Nor indeed would I have now done it, were I not morally certain of paying it at the time promised. I hope this will not give any offence, and, as I said before, if it be any way inconvenient, let me beg that you will refuse it. Dear Sir, Respectfully yours. LETTER XXV. The Answer. I COULD not hesitate one moment in answering your letter; and had I known that my worthy friend had been in want of the sum mentioned, his unaffected modesty should not have been put to the blush by suffering him to ask it: No, Sir, the offer should have come from myself. However, the sum is sent by the bearer; but let me beg, that if you consider me really your friend, that you will suit the payment to your own circumstances, without being confined to a particular time; and not only so, but that you will likewise command my assistance in every thing else wherein I can serve you. But lest you think me strictly formal, I have hereby given you leave to draw on me to the amount of five hundred dollars, or for any less sum, to be paid as is most suitable to your circumstances. I am, Sir, Your sincere friend LETTER XXVI. From a Tradesman to a Wholesale Dealer, to delay Pay ment of a sum of Money. Sir, MY note to you will be payable in ten days, and I am sorry to inform you, that although I have considerable sums in good hands, yet none of them are due these three weeks, which is all the time I require. It is a favour I never asked of any one till this moment, and I hope for the future not to have occasion to repeat it. I am really distressed for your answer; but as a proof of my sincerity, have sent enclosed, three notes, subscribed by persons well known to yourself, and although they exceed my debt, yet I have no objection to your keeping them as security till due. Let me beg to hear from you as soon as this comes to hand, which will greatly oblige Sir, Your humble servant. LETTER XXVII. The Answer. IT was extremely fortunate for you, that your letter arrived the day after it was written, for I was to have paid your note away yesterday, and I could not have had an opportunity of recalling it in time to have served you. Indeed it was imprudent not to communicate the matter sooner, as your credit might have been greatly affected by such unnecessary delay. However, I impute it to your unwillingness to reveal the state of your affairs, and shall keep the note in my hands till your own becomes due, and for that purpose have returned the others, not doubting but you will send me the money at the time promised, which will greatly oblige, Your sincere well-wisher. LETTER XXVIII. From a Servant of a Wholesale Dealer, to his Master in Philadelphia, giving an account of his Customers in the Country. Sir, I HAVE visited several of the towns between this and Philadelphia, where many of your customers reside, and al though they complain much of the decay of trade, yet their payments and orders have been as well as could be reasonably expected; and indeed I think trade is beginning to revive. I have the pleasure to inform you, that in the places where I have been, there is not any appearance of failing; and the people have been so well pleased with your goods and fair dealing, that I have obtained many new orders. I have likewise received a dividend of sixty cents in the dollar of the effects of Mr. Cambrick, the merchant in Northumberland, who failed last year, and there is still something remaining, so that upon the whole your loss will not be so great as was at first expected. I have finished your business in this town, and set off to-morrow for Harrisburgh, where I shall expect to hear from you, if you have any thing particular to transact before I return, and am, Sir, with duty and respect, Your obedient and faithful servant. LETTER XXIX. From a Country Shopkeeper to his Friend in New-York, desiring him to send him some Goods. Sir, THAT friendship which we contracted in our youth, is not yet, I hope, abated, although Providence has placed us many miles distant from each other. I have heard of your success in trade, and it is with pleasure I assure you that I am comfortably settled here. But you know that our returns are slow, and profits small, and therefore, however willing, I am not in circumstances sufficient to defray the expense of a journey to New-York, in order to purchase goods at the best hand; which has been attended with considerable loss. Relying therefore, on your former friendship, I have presumed to solicit your assistance, to purchase, from time to time, what goods I may happen to want, for which a draft shall be remitted on delivery. At present, I have only sent for a few articles, as you will see by the enclosed order, I doubt not of your getting them as good and as cheap as possible; and if there be any thing I can do to serve you in this part of the country, you may depend on its being executed with the utmost fidelity and despatch. I am, Sir, Your sincere friend. LETTER XXX. The Answer. Sir, YOURS I received, and am extremely glad to hear of your being so comfortably situated. There is a pleasure in looking back to those youthful days we spent together in harmless amusements, and it gives me great pleasure to think that I have it in my power to be any way of service to my friend. The goods you ordered are sent by the schooner Neptune, captain Hudson, to the care of Mr. Trueman, Lansingburg. They are as good and as cheap as any to be had, and I hope you will be a considerable gainer. With respect your kind proffer of service, I heartily thank you, and shall, as occasion requires, trouble you with something of that nature. In the mean time be sure to command me in every thing wherein I can serve you, as it will give the greatest pleasure to your sincere friend. to LETTER XXXI. From a Country Shopkeeper, to a Dealer in Philadelphia, complaining of the badness of his Goods. Sir, my WHEN I first began to correspond with you, it was fixed resolution to act with integrity and honour, expecting the same in return. I must, indeed, confess that the goods you sent me for some time were as good as any I could purchase from another, and so far I had not any reason to complain. But now the case is quite different. The two last parcels are so bad, that I dare not offer them to my customers. From what, Sir, does this proceed? Have I ever been deficient in my payments? No, you cannot accuse me with any thing of that nature. I am therefore obliged to tell you, that unless you send me others in their room, I must either withdraw my correspondence, or shut up my shop. You may choose which you please; and let me beg to have your answer by return of post, as I am in immediate want of these goods; and in danger of losing my customers by a delay. In so doing you will oblige Your well-wisher. |