Fred Turner's Friends; A Temperance Tale (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1885 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XI. THE BURSTING OF THE STORM. Meantime things were going from bad to worse across the water. Trade was dull, and David Dalrymple was having an anxious time of it. Banking business absorbed all his thoughts, and he had neither heart nor leisure for festivities and the like. He was worried, too, about Arthur. The only thing that old Dawson had done was to insist on the banking account being put straight. The two partners at once agreed, but Congreave said that it would be impossible to find the money at the present crisis. The over-draft amounted to several thousand pounds; and the matter was ended by Mr. Dalrymple taking the entire responsibility on himself, and almost turning old Dawson out of the directors' room. But what filled David Dalrymple with something like dismay was to find that his son was hopelessly at sea about the affairs of the firm. They left everything to Elias: Congreave understood all about it. The only thing, apparently, that the partners did was to entertain customers with biscuits and sherry, and to draw cheques for their personal expenditure. Mr. Dalrymple remonstrated with his son, kindly but firmly, on his reckless style of life, and Arthur readily promised reform. He undertook to eschew the club and card-playing altogether, to drink absolutely nothing before dinner--except it might be an odd glass of sherry with a customer from the country--and to endeavour to make himself master of the true state of his affairs. "Suppose we sell Loomville, and go and live in a quieter place V suggested the young man, who was honestly grieved to see his father looking so harassed and anxious. David Dalrymple took a turn across the room, then answered, laying his hand affectionately on his son's shoulder, --"The suggestion does you credit, A...