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CITY SKETCHES. BY AN OLD CITIZEN. 

 NO. III.; 



THE MEETING OF CREDITORS. 



IT was about eight o'clock in the evening of a miserably wet day 

 that Mr. Walton, who during the preceding two hours had been 

 seated alone, busily engaged in posting his ledger, slowly closed that 

 ponderous and important volume, and placing it with its auxiliary 

 books carefully away in an iron safe, locked his counting-house, and 

 retired up stairs. 



Mr. Walton, having so done, took his accustomed seat by the fire, 

 complained of the chillness of the night, and presently sank into a 

 state of profound abstraction. It was a long while before lie shook 

 himself out of the reverie into which he had fallen. 



" Ellen," said he at length, addressing his wife, a pretty delicate 

 little woman, who occupied the opposite side of the fire, " I have 

 very unpleasant news to communicate to you. Now, pray do not 

 alarm yourself, promise me that you will be composed, bear it like 

 a woman, and I'll tell you." 



" What do you mean ?" faltered Mrs. Walton, whom this very 

 earnest exhortation to calmness and composure had, as is usually the 

 case, contrived in no slight degree to agitate, " what unpleasant 

 news can you have to tell me ?" 



" I shall be compelled, I fear," said Mr. Walton mournfully, " to 

 call my creditors together to-morrow, and I find, after taking every 

 thing into account, the debts due to me, the stock on hand, and my 

 assets, I find that I can only offer them a composition of seven and 

 sixpence in the pound.'' 



Mrs. Walton, it may be supposed, was exceedingly shocked at this 

 unexpected announcement, but as it is my present business to state 

 facts rather than to describe feelings, I forbear setting before the 

 reader a domestic picture, however interesting to some the exhibition 

 might appear. 



"The creditor I have most reason to believe hostile to me," re- 

 sumed Mr. Walton, "excuse me for saying so, my dear Ellen, is your 

 father. You know the antipathy I can call it nothing less which 

 he has for a long time past conceived against me ; and the 500/. he 

 lent me on our marriage, he has recently been very urgent to call 

 back." 



" I do not think you know him," said the wife, " if you suppose he 

 would frustrate your efforts to settle your affairs. I will intercede 

 with him ; and I am sure, for the children's sake " 



Walton shook his head, u It will be to no purpose, I feel that, 

 my three principal creditors," he added, " will not stand in the way 

 of an arrangement. Eager has always been extremely kind and 



