s well-selected English goods.
His strict old-fashioned notions of commercial honor and punctuality
gave a tone to the whole trade of the place, which lasted for a long
time. His modest shop was a pattern of neatness and economy. His
punctual attendance at all hours, his old bachelor gallantry to the lady
customers, and his perfect urbanity to all, furnished an example to
younger traders; while his stiff adherence to the "one price" system,
while it saved the labor and vexation of chaffering, gave a stability to
his establishment which made it respectable in the view of all sensible
people.

Worthy Captain Garrow! well do I remember you at the meridian of your
glory, the head "merchant" of our village, the acknowledged _arbiter
elegantiarum_ in all matters of chintz and linen, and lace and ribbons,
and all the _et ceteras_ of ladies' goods. Your opinion was law; for you
were known to be the soul of honor, and your word in all engagements was
reckoned as good as another man's bond.

But, in an evil hour, an invasion of Goths and Vandals came down upon us
in the shape of cheap English goods' merchants. They inundated the place
with gaudy, worthless trash at half price, gave unlimited credit, sold
at almost any price you would offer, and seemed only anxious to have all
the villagers' names in their books, and to double the consumption of
English goods. The consequence was that the thoughtless part of the
population deserted the worthy captain's shop, which henceforward
received the custom only of the old steady-going people. His
ancient-looking wooden tenement, with its weather-beaten sign, was put
out of all countenance by the new brick stores, and flaring gilt signs,
and plate glass windows of his rivals. The captain, however, foreseeing
the result, bore it all with a dignity and quiet worthy of his
character. He "guessed" that the importers in Boston and New York were
destined to suffer at a future day; and so it turned out; for, after
charging many thousand dollars in their books to people who were not
very punctual about payment, his rivals, one by one, all failed; their
stocks were sold out by the sheriff, and their book debts were handed
over to the lawyers by assignees.

After the lapse of a few months, a new swarm of cheap merchants
succeeded them, with precisely the same result. Meantime, the captain
kept the noiseless tenor of his way, and maintained the original
character of his own modest establishment. He