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The next day Jenks devoted to a scrutiny of his accounts in general with the business world. He found things a great deal “mixed up;” his balance-sheet exhibited large surplusages accumulated on the score of his leniency and good nature; by the credit of those with whom he held business relations. A council of war, or expediency, rather,– solus, convinced Jenks, he had either mistaken his business qualifications, or formed a very vague idea of the soul–manners and customs of the business world; and he broke up his council, a sadder if not a wiser man.

“By Jove, this is discouraging; I’ll have to do a very disagreeable thing, very disagreeable thing: make an assignment! “

“Who’d thought John Jenks would ever come to that?” that individual muttered to himself, as he proceeded to his hotel. And ere he reached his plate, at the tea-table, a servant whispered that a gentleman with a message was out in the “office” of the hotel, anxious to see Mr. Jenks.

“Mr. Jenks–John Jenks, I believe, sir?” began the person, as poor Jenks, now on the tapis for more ill news, approached the person in waiting.

“Precisely, that’s my name, sir,” Jenks responded.

“Then,” continued the stranger, “I’ve disagreeable business with you, Mr. Jenks; I hold your arrest! “

“Good God!” exclaimed Jenks; “my arrest? What for?”

“There’s the writ, sir; you can read it.”

“A writ ? Why, God bless you, man, I don’t owe a dollar in the world, but what I can liquidate in ten minutes!”

“Oh, it’s not debt, sir; you may see by the writ it’s felony! “

If the man had drawn and cocked a revolver at Jenks, the effect upon his nervous system could not have been more startling or powerful. But he recovered his self-possession, and learned with dismay, that he was arrested–yes, arrested as an accessory to a grand scheme of fraud and general villany, on the part of Smith, a conclusion arrived at, by those most interested, upon discovery that Jenks had pronounced Smith “good,” and endorsed for him in sums total, enormously, far beyond Jenks’ actual ability to make good!

It was in vain Jenks declared, and no man before ever dreamed of doubting his word, his entire ability to meet all liabilities of his own and others, for whom he kindly become responsible; for when the bulk of Smith’s paper with Jenks’ endorsement was thrust at him, he gave in; saw clearly that he was the victim of a heartless forger.

But his calmness, in the midst of his affliction, triumphed, and he rested comparatively easy in jail that night, awaiting the bright future of to-morrow, when his established character, and “troops of friends” should set all right. But, poor Jenks, he reckoned indeed without his host; to-morrow came, but not “a friend in need;” they saw, in their far-reaching wisdom, a sinking ship, and like sagacious rats, they deserted it!

“I always thought Jenks a very good-natured, or a very deep man,” said one.

“I knew he was too generous to last long!” said another.

“I told him he was green to endorse as freely as he did,” echoed a third.

“Good fellow,” chimed a fourth–“but devilish imprudent.”

“He knows what he’s at!” cunningly retorted a fifth, and so the good but misguided Jenks was disposed of by his “troops of friends!”

But Perkins & Ball–they had got up again, were flourishing; they, Jenks felt satisfied, would not show the “white feather,” and the thought came to him, in his prison, as merrily as the reverse of that fond hope made him sad and sorrowful, when at the close of day, his attorney informed him, that Perkins & Ball regretted his perplexing situation, but proffered him no aid or comfort. They said, sad experience had shown them, that there were no “bowels of compassion” in the world for the fallen; men must trust to fortune, God, and their own exertions, to defeat ill luck and rise from difficulties; they had done so; Mr. Jenks must not despair, but surmount his misfortunes with a stout heart and a clear conscience, and profit, as they had, by reverses!

“Profit!” said Jenks, in a bitter tone, ” profit by reverses as they have!”

“Why, Powers,” he continued to his counsel, “do you know that if I had been a tithe part as base and conscienceless as they are now, Perkins & Ball would be beggars, if not inmates of this prison! Yes, sir, my casting vote, of all the rest, would have done it. But no matter; I had hoped to find, in a community where I had been useful, generous and just, friends enough for all practical purposes, without carrying my business difficulties to the fireside of my parents and other relations. But that I must do now; if, if they fail me, then—- I cave! “

Two days after that conference of the lawyer and the merchant, “honest John” learned, with sorrow, that his father was dead; estate involved, and his friends at home in no favorable mood in reference to what they heard of John Jenks and his “bad management” in the city.

John Jenks–heard no more–he “caved!” as he agreed to.

We pass over Jenks’ Smithsonian difficulty, which a prudent lawyer and discerning jury brought out all right.

We come to 1850–some fifteen or eighteen years after John Jenks “caved.” The John Jenks of 183- had been ruined by his good nature, set adrift moneyless, in a manner, with even a spotted reputation to begin with; he “profited by his reverses,” he was now a man of family–fifty, fat, and wealthy, and altogether the meanest and most selfish man you ever saw!

Jenks freely admits his originality is entirely–” used up! ” The reader may affix the moral of my sketch–at leisure.