Retiring from Business CHAPTER 2.
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THE STEP TAKEN.
The wife of Howard Franklin was a woman of clear perceptions. She saw, the moment her husband declared his intention of retiring, that he was wrong. He had always said that he did not intend remaining in business a day after securing a competency, but the act of retiring had presented itself to her as something yet far in the distance. When, however, he told her that he had actually entered into arrangements for affecting a sale of his establishment, she could not help expressing both surprise and disapproval.
"What do you intend doing?" she very naturally asked; the fear crossing her mind that he would risk his money in some other business, and lose it. Her father had once retired from a profitable business, in order to engage in one he imagined he would like better, and lost in consequence, nearly all his property. She was therefore aware of the danger attending such a change.
"I intend living at my ease," replied Mr. Franklin, "I've worked hard enough, during the last twenty-five years, and now want to enjoy the fruit of my labor."
"But can you remain idle, Howard? Your health is still good, and your mind active."
"Why not?"
"The habits of a whole lifetime cannot be suddenly changed. The mind, after years of earnest devotion to business, will become restless and discontented, if it has no pursuit. You will be unhappy, with nothing to do."
"Is the prisoner unhappy, when his prison doors are thrown open? or the slave, when his chains are knocked off? I have been both a prisoner and a slave for years. Do you thinkfreedom will make me discontented?"
"Habits of mind are not easily changed," said Mrs. Franklin. "I can easily understand how a prisoner, long deprived of his liberty, would, under certain circumstances, find himself less contented beyond, than he had been within the bounds of his prison walls; and a slave set free, less contented at liberty, than while in bondage. For a long series of years, you have been deeply intent upon your business. This interest in business, has been the nourishment upon which your mind has existed, and whereby it has retained a healthy vigor. Now, what will sustain you, when this interest is removed?"
To a certain extent Mr. Franklin felt the force of his wife's questions; but the impression was not permanent. The idea of throwing aside all the labor and care attendant upon business, was so pleasant, that he could not seriously believe the change from toil of body and mind, to ease and quiet — was going to make him less contented. Why should it? With plenty of money, and freedom to go where he pleased, and do what he pleased, why should he not be happy? The conclusion was so natural, that it quickly dispelled all doubts suggested by other minds.
Nothing occurred to produce hesitation on the part of Mr. Franklin. His first purpose was fully carried out, and his whole establishment, healthy and flourishing in every department, was sold to others.
At this period, Mr. Franklin's family consisted of his wife and four children. His two eldest children had died young, and those that remained, were yet at school. Edwin was eighteen, Florence sixteen, James twelve, and Louisa ten years of age. One of the arguments used by Mr. Franklin in justification of his withdrawal from business, was the leisure it would afford him to attend to the education of his children. But he was about as well fitted to direct the education of his children as he was to build a steam engine or navigate a ship. While in business, his whole soul had been in what he was doing. His reading was limited to the pages of a newspaper, and his interest in things beyond the sphere in which he was moving, confined mainly to the state and condition of the political party to which he had attached himself. A speech in congress, a message from the president, or an annual report from one of the departments at Washington, was a literary achievement beyond which he rarely went. Since the age of twenty-five he had never succeeded in reading a volume of any kind regularly through. He took no interest in books; and at one time was known to declare that they were, at best, merely incentives to idleness.
With a mind thus educated, and more hardened by time into a fixed form, it may readily be supposed that, so far as the education of his children was concerned, it would go on just as well, and perhaps better, if Mr. Franklin continued his attention to business, and left the work, as begun, entirely in the hands of the schoolmaster. But the declaration in regard to the children was only an invented reason to give force to the real ones that led to the step he had taken. It was easy to talk about the importance of education, and theduties of parents to their children. Moreover, it sounded well. And now that Mr. Franklin no longer had business to occupy his thoughts, he had more leisure to think about his position in society, and the impression his actions and opinions would make upon other people.
Like most men who know little or nothing about a subject to which they first direct their thoughts, under the idea of its paramount importance, Mr. Franklin saw, or imagined that he saw, abuses and defects in the system of education pursued with his children, and soon began to inveigh against their teachers, and to talk about sending them to other schools. This was not right, and that was positively wrong. Trifles were magnified into importance; and even excellencies, viewed through a distorting medium, were deformed into evils. Finally, much against the wishes of the mother and children, the latter, except Edwin, who was at College, were removed from the schools to which they had been going, and sent to another establishment about which Mr. Franklin knew even less than he did of those from which he had removed them.
The result did not prove the wisdom of the act. A week only elapsed after the change had taken place, before Florence, who shed many tears in consequence of being removed from her school and sent to another, failed in the usual regularity of her return after the close of the afternoon session. When questioned by her mother, she gave as a reason, that she had gone home with a certain Miss Redding, belonging to the new school, who had invited her to come and look at a beautiful rose-wood secretary, just sent to her by an uncle in Paris."
This was considered a sufficient excuse, and nothing more was thought of it. But in a few days Florence absented herself again for an hour or two.
"Where have you been, Florence?" asked Mrs. Franklin, when her daughter came in.
"I went home with Anna Redding."
"You were there two or three days ago." "Yes, Ma'am."
"Who is Anna Redding?" inquired the
mother.
"Her father is a rich merchant. Anna introduced me to him this afternoon. He said he knew papa very well."
"Why did you go home with Anna Redding again?"
"She wanted me to go. She is a very pleasant girl, and I like her."
Although Mrs. Franklin did not feel altogether satisfied about this little matter, yet no good reason why she should forbid Florence again going home with Anna, presented itself. When she mentioned the name of Mr. Redding to her husband, he spoke very highly of the merchant, and said his family was one of the first standing in the city. The fact that Mr. Redding had said to Florence that he knew him very well, was grateful to his feelings.
From that time a warm intimacy grew up between the two young ladies, and they spent a good deal of time together, when not at school. Sometimes Anna would come home with Florence, and sometimes Florence would go home with Anna. This was Florence's first friendship, and the effect upon her mind was by no means favorable to advancement in her studies. Anna was a mirthful girl, and had seen a good deal more of the world than Florence. She was older by a year. Neither at home, nor in the school where she had been for years, had Florence heard much about dress or company. But, among the girls with whom she mingled in the more fashionable establishment to which her father, in his wisdom, had sent her, she heard of little else. Study was lightly esteemed among the mirthful misses who daily congregated in the spacious rooms of the school; while gossip of all kinds passed from lip to lip, and proved far more interesting and more easily remembered than the teacher's lessons.
To one like Florence, Anna Redding was anything but a suitable companion. Under her tuition, the sweet simplicity of girlhood soon passed away, and Florence, from being quiet, reserved, and modest — became a mirthful young miss; and when not in the presence of her parents, could talk of boys, dress, parties, and fashion, as freely as any.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Franklin saw with pain that their daughter, at this most interesting and critical age, was changing for the worse. The latter did not hesitate to affirm it as her belief that this change was in consequence of new associations in the new school. Mr. Franklin would not admit this, though in his heart he felt that it was too true, and secretly regretted having proposed and insisted upon the unfortunate change which had been made.
Late one afternoon, about six months following the change just mentioned, Mr. Franklin, in returning home from some time-killing expedition, came suddenly, in turning a corner, upon Anna Redding and his daughter, gallantly attended by a fashionably dressed young man, who was engaging their attention so fully that neither of the young ladies perceived him. The young gentleman he happened to know, having frequently met him at his barber's, where he generally showed off a little. He was the idle dissipated son of a broken merchant, and by some means, not clearly apparent, managed, without work, to keep up a fashionable exterior, and by dint of a bold face, to force himself into the society of people who would willingly have dispensed with his company.
By Mr. Franklin, he had always been utterly despised. To find, then, his daughter in company with this man, and evidently pleased with the fellow's attentions, half maddened him. So astonished was he when he first saw them, that he had not sufficient presence of mind to speak to Florence; and she passed on, unconscious that her father's eyes had just been upon her.
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