3.  Mr. William Grant was there alone, and his first words to the delinquent were, “Shut the door, sir!” sternly uttered.  The door was shut, and the libeler stood trembling before the libeled.  He told his tale and produced his certificate, which was instantly clutched by the injured merchant.  “You wrote a pamphlet against us once!” exclaimed Mr. Grant.  The suppliant expected to see his parchment thrown into the fire.  But this was not its destination.  Mr. Grant took a pen, and writing something upon the document, handed it back to the bankrupt.  He, poor wretch, expected to see “rogue, scoundrel, libeler,” inscribed; but there was, in fair round characters, the signature of the firm.

4.  “We make it a rule,” said Mr. Grant, “never to refuse signing the certificate of an honest tradesman, and we have never heard that you were anything else.”  The tears started into the poor man’s eyes.  “Ah,” said Mr. Grant, “my saying was true!  I said you would live to repent writing that pamphlet.  I did not mean it as a threat.  I only meant that some day you would know us better, and be sorry you had tried to injure us.  I see you repent of it now.”  “I do, I do!” said the grateful man; “I bitterly repent it.”  “Well, well, my dear fellow, you know us now.  How do you get on?  What are you going to do?” The poor man stated he had friends who could assist him when his certificate was obtained.  “But how are you off in the meantime?”

5.  And the answer was, that, having given up every farthing to his creditors, he had been compelled to stint his family of even common necessaries, that he might be enabled to pay the cost of his certificate.  “My dear fellow, this will not do; your family must not suffer.  Be kind enough to take this ten-pound note to your wife from me.  There, there, my dear fellow!  Nay, do not cry; it will all be well with you yet.  Keep up your spirits, set to work like a man, and you will raise your head among us yet.”  The overpowered man endeavored in vain to express his thanks; the swelling in his throat forbade words.  He put his handkerchief to his face and went out of the door, crying like a child.

Definitions.—­1.  Ware’house-man (English usage), one who keeps a wholesale store for woolen goods.  Scur’ril-ous, low, mean.  Li’bel-er, one who defames another maliciously by a writing, etc 2.  Au-dac’i-ty, bold impudence.  Sig’na-ture, the name of a person written with his own hand, the name of a firm signed officially.  De—­fi’cien-cy, want. 3.  De-lin’quent, an offender.  Parch’ment, sheep or goat skin prepared for writing upon. 5.  Stint, to limit.

Note.—­l.  Acceptance.  When a person upon whom a draft has been made, writes his name across the face of it, the draft then becomes “an acceptance.”  The person who makes the draft is called “the drawer;” the person to whom the money is ordered paid writes his name on the back of the draft and is called “an indorser.”  Paper of this kind frequently passes from hand to hand, so that there are several indorsers.