Desk and Debit; or, The Catastrophes of a Clerk

learned that there was a vacancy in the counting-room of Messrs. Collingsby and Whippleton, I was tempted to obtain it if I could. I did not expect or desire to make a viole

ld not plan anything bette

could see them occasionally. I did not like the looks of Mr. Whippleton, and I was afraid he had imbibed the worldly wisdom of his mother. But this feeling was not to weigh against the immense advantages I might derive from m

shed your nephew to fill, Mrs. Whipplet

to do his work out in the entry because the counting-room isn't big enough, or because h

do they

r they owed me some money I lent 'em. I told Charles he must take Rufus, and I put him off till I was able to go to St. Louis. The spring business was comin' on, and he couldn't wait; so I hurried off. I got the money my nephew owed me; but they wouldn't let the boy co

en she was doing all she could to make this a mean one; and I doubted whe

es does; and he owes me now for what I let him have to set up in business. H

y clerk immediate

that matter. He's all there is of the firm, except the money the Collingsbys put in. Howsomever, I suppose it's just as well that

k I could ge

know!" exclaimed the o

es

at fig

good,

wouldn't do, but I desisted on having on him; and Charles k

place in Chicago," I added; "bu

place, you shall have it. I say so, and I know what I'm saying;

but I don't know that I can s

right off, and som

have worked at carpentering for two years, and I know somet

be excited. "He don't board here; 'tain't smart

u, Mrs. W

a feller-cretur. I went clear down to St. Louis to help my n

ith me. If you will tell me

and if he dares to do any different from what I tell

nt, to take myself out of his way. We walked to the residence of Mr. Charles, which was a genteel house in a good section of the city. He had a parlor and bed-room,

y clerk," said Mr. Charles, when they re

eplied, with be

n you go

nce,

rrow m

ation in B

ge

s,

ld him I had been a carpenter, and knew all about lumber. I could keep a set of books by double entry, and thought I was competent to perform all sorts of mercanti

claimed he, as he

; that is

o the Farringfor

brought up on th

added, magnanimously; but fortunately he said no more on that subject. "Now,

tion out of his mouth, for my father had practised me t

his own mind, I was very prompt in my replies. He then wrote out an example in averaging acco

ppleton, "is simple addition. I don't like to wait ha

ise for months, until I flattered myself I could give the sum of a column as quick as any practised book-keeper. At the same time, he had taught me his own method, that of taking two figures at once, and adding their sum to the result already obtained. It was just as easy for one quick at figures to add thirteen, sixteen, eighteen, or nineteen, as

ngle figure at a time. Mr. Whippleton made his figures in duplicate when he wrote them, and a

rather have you use twice as much time, and have the result right, t

and I was rather mortified at the failure. I we

n I had added the columns in an opposite

nd time; but there was still two hundre

l add yours," said he,

ght; but I was also astonished to find t

rth item the five on your paper is a

thousand Michigan pine boards, clear, at thirty dollars;" and he proceeded to give me several items, which I coul

ed me for precisely the ordeal I was at present undergoing. I wrote the bill as handsomely as I could, though without straining over it, and figured up the prices, extending them and adding them. The

he. "Now, what wag

now; what

s a week. As you are pretty good a

an't afford to work for four dollars a

do you

weeks, say, at si

rms, but insisted upon making the time a year. I told him I could not agree for a longer time than I had named without consultin

ain assured me that she was always willing