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Show HOW TO BECOME RICH. Once upon a time several rich Hindoo merchants Mere Mhiling awav the time talking over their affairs. All except one were of the opinion that in business no one could gather wealth who had not a solid capital to begin with. Then he Mho held differently and M-ho Mas the richest" of them all spoke up and said: "Of a truth it is very easy to acquire a great fortune Mhen one has- but to add treasure to treasure. As for me. I earned my riches, without so much as a groat to begin upon. Listen, and I will tell you my story: "My father died before I was born. Ho had been very rich, but my mother M-as ofily a poor MidoM' without support or protection. All the wealth that her husband had left her was taken from her by greedy relatives, and as she even feared for her life, she sought refuge at the home of a friend of my dead father. "There it was that I was brought into this M-orld. My dear mother, or whom later I became the sole support, was then obliged to gain her livelihood as best she could. She had to work very-hard very-hard for very small M'ages. NotMith-standing NotMith-standing she manuged to save enough from her scanty earnings to pay for a master who taught me to MTite and to figure. "On the day M'hen I completed these humble studies my mother called me to her and said: 'As your father M-as a merchant before you so also should you be a merchant. There is in our town a rich banker M-ho is called Wisakhila. This generous man makes a practice of lending capital to the sons of merchants M-ho have lost their own means. Go and pray him to open his purse unto you as he has done unto others.' "No sooner said than done. But M-hen I entered the private office of the banker he M-as in very bad humor. I found him scolding roundly a young man the son of a merchant, who stood before him with boM-ed head: " 'Do you see that dead mouse on the floor there?' he exclaimed, angrilyto him. 'There is a piece of merchandise out of Mhich a smart man might make a fortune. for-tune. As for you, good-for-nothing, I I have already lent you an ample sum. Not only have you failed to add to your capital, cap-ital, but by your folly you have squandered squand-ered it all.' At these words I advanced towards the banker and spoke: v " 'Allow me,' said I. "to borrow from you tho pie.ee of merchandise of which you spoke." So saying 1 picked up the mouse and M-ent my way. Notwithstanding Notwithstand-ing his anger the good man was so struck M-ith my simplicity- that he could not restrain re-strain a smile. "In the streot I came across a grocer standing in the doorway of his shop stroking a beautiful cat. I offered him my mouse. He accepted it and in ex- ; change gave me a few handt'uls of peas. I carried them home, roasted them and I made my M-ay to the outskirts of the j town, taking care to bring M-ith me a I watpp i;ir fillp,l .to thA hrim with frcV, cold M-ater. Arriving at a cross road I seated myself in the shade of a great troe. I was scarcely settled when along c:uno a party of wood cutters, their shoulders bent beneath their loads and their faces tanned by the sun. I arose and bowing humbly before them set forth my peas and refreshing drink. As a re-M-ard each made me a rresent of tM-o bundles of faggots which I carried to the market. I sold them, and with the money made in this way 1 bought some more peas, a larger quantity this time and I repeated my course of the previous day. Soon I was able to set aside the greater I part of my faggots, and notMMthstanding : by selling the remainder I quickly earned j so much money that at last I could buy ' up all the stock of the M-ood cutters. I continued selling some and saving some until I had collected a considerable quantity. quan-tity. "The rainy- season M-as approaching and in due course the rain fell in torrents and ' dark clouds obscured the sky. As for several weeks it did not cease raining, ! the roads leading to the M-oods M-ere soon ' quite impassable. The M-eather. too, M-as very cold, and soon fhere was a great scarcity of fire wood, which in consequence conse-quence rose in price. This M'as the time to sell my stock. I made a neat profit. I rented a stall at the market and stored it Mith different kind.s of merchandise, i By prudence and forethough I succeeded in my enterprise. My trade extended from day to day. so that after a Mhile I M-as aoia to retire with a competency, respected by all my fellow bitizfns. "Then I ordered from a skilled goldsmith gold-smith a golden mouse, which 1 sent to Wisakhila. the banker, from whom I had ! .borrowed my first capital. The good man ! perceiving that notwithstanding my youth j I was M-ell versed in business affairs and that I had turned to good account some- thing M'hich even he had reckoned at little ; value, gave me his daughter in marriage. "This, then, is' the history of my fortune. for-tune. M-hich proves that money is not alM-ays essential to amass wealth in business." busi-ness." ',.-... |
