Three or four months after this, Jacob notified the merchant that he
was going to start for himself, and asked his interest as far as he
could give it, without interfering with his own business. His
employer did not speak very encouragingly about the matter, which
offended Jacob.

"He's afraid I'll injure his nephew," said he to himself. "But he
needn't be uneasy--the world is wide enough for us all, the old
hunks!"

Jacob borrowed a couple of hundred dollars, took a store at five
hundred dollars a year rent, and employed a clerk and porter. He
then sent his circulars to a number of manufactories at the East,
announcing the fact of his having opened a new commission house, and
soliciting consignments. His next move was, to leave his
boarding-house, where he had been paying four dollars a week, and
take lodgings at a hotel at seven dollars a week.

Notwithstanding Jacob went regularly to the post-office twice every
day, few letters came to hand, and but few of them contained bills
of lading and invoices. The result of the first year's business was
an income from commission on sales of seven hundred dollars. Against
this were the items of one thousand dollars for personal expenses,
five hundred dollars for store-rent, seven hundred dollars for clerk
and porter, and for petty and contingent expenses two hundred
dollars; leaving the uncomfortable deficit of seventeen hundred
dollars, which stood against him in the form of bills payable for
sales effected, and small notes of accommodation borrowed from his
friends.