1856.] A Neiv Way to Pay an Old Debt. 43 



A NEW WAY TO PAY AN OLD DEBT. 



A MERCHANT, Very extensively engaged in commerce, and located upon 

 the Long Wharf, died February 18, 1806, at the age of 75, intestate. 

 His eldest son administered upon the estate. This old gentleman used 

 pleasantly to say, that for many years, he had fed a very large number of 

 the Catholics, on the shores of the Mediterranean, during Lent ; — referring 

 to his very extensive connection with the fishing business. In his day he 

 was certainly well known ; and to the present time is well remembered, 

 by some of the '' old ones doicn along sJwre/^ from the Gurnet's Nose 

 to Eace Point. Among his papers, a package of very considerable size 

 was found after his death, carefully tied up, and labeled as follows : 



"Notes, due-hills and accounts against sundry persons, down along 

 shore. Some of these may he got hy suit or severe dunning. But the 

 people are poor ; most of them have had fishermen's luck. My children 

 will do as they think hest. Perhaps they will think with me, that it is 

 best to hum this package entire.'^ 



" About a month," said my informant, " after our father died, the sons 

 met together, and, after some general remarks, our elder brother, the 

 administrator, produced this package, of whose existence we were 

 already apprised, read the superscription, and asked what course should 

 be taken in regard to it. Another brother, a few years younger than the 

 eldest, a man of strong, impulsive temperament, unable, at the moment, 

 to express his feeling by words, while he brushed the tears from his eyes 

 with one hand, by a spasmodic jerk of the other, toward the fire-place, 

 indicated his wish to have the package put into the flames. It was 

 suggested, by another of our number, that it might be well, first to 

 make a list of the debtors' names, and of the dates, and amounts, that 

 we might be enabled, as the intended discharge was for all, to inform 

 such as might oifer payment, that their debts were forgiven. On the 

 following day we again assembled — the list had been prepared — and all 

 the notes, due-bills, and accounts, whose amount, including interest, 

 exceeded thirty-two thousand dollars, were committed to the flames. 



" It was about four mouths after our father's death," continued my 

 informant, " in the month of June, that, as I was sitting in my eldest 

 brother's counting-room, waiting for an opportunity to speak with him, 

 there came in a hard-favored little man, who looked as if time and 



