ItwasaWednesdaymorningwhenthethingsarrived，andsetmeintheseventhheavenofsatisfaction。MyfatherforIcanscarcelysaymyselfwastryingatthistimea“straddle“inwheatbetweenChicagoandNewYork；theoperationsocalledis，asyouknow，oneofthemosttemptingandleastsafeuponthechess-boardoffinance。OntheThursday，luckbegantoturnagainstmyfather’scalculations；andbytheFridayevening，Iwaspostedontheboardsasadefaulterforthesecondtime。Herewasarudeblow：myfatherwouldhavetakenitillenoughinanycase；forhowevermuchamanmayresenttheincapacityofanonlyson，hewillfeelhisownmoresensibly。Butitchancedthat，inourbittercupoffailure，therewasoneingredientthatmighttrulybecalledpoisonous。Hehadbeenkeepingtherunofmyposition；hemissedthethreethousanddollars，paper；andinhisview，Ihadstolenthirtydollars，currency。Itwasanextremeviewperhaps；butinsomesenses，itwasjust：andmyfather，althoughtomyjudgment
quiterecklessofhonestyintheessenceofhisoperations，wasthesoulofhonourastotheirdetails。Ihadonegrievedletterfromhim，dignifiedandtender；andduringtherestofthatwretchedterm，workingasaclerk，sellingmyclothesandsketchestomakefutilespeculations，mydreamofParisquitevanished。Iwascheeredbynowordofkindnessandhelpedbynohintofcounselfrommyfather。
Allthetimehewasnodoubtthinkingoflittleelsebuthisson，andwhattodowithhim。Ibelievehehadbeenreallyappalledbywhatheregardedasmylaxityofprinciple，andbegantothinkitmightbewelltopreservemefromtemptation；thearchitectofthecapitolhad，besides，spokenobliginglyofmydesign；andwhilehewasthushangingbetweentwominds，Fortunesuddenlysteppedin，andMuskegonStatecapitolreversedmydestiny。
“Loudon。”saidmyfather，ashemetmeatthedepot，withasmilingcountenance，“ifyouweretogotoParis，howlongwouldittakeyoutobecomeanexperiencedsculptor？”
“Howdoyoumean，father？”Icried。“Experienced？”