{"id":"01KG8AKAMTJWJT06J0AHZED0Y7","cid":"bafkreib7fjjicdae4b7ywjokldzi2bts4pov7kbxl5bcgqx3vhneculwfm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":9323,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:57.726Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 5","source_file":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","start_line":9262,"text":"of the question, China Aster was so worked upon at last, by musing over\r\nhis dream, that nothing would do but he must get the check cashed, and\r\nlay out the money the very same day in buying a good lot of spermaceti\r\nto make into candles, by which operation he counted upon turning a\r\nbetter penny than he ever had before in his life; in fact, this he\r\nbelieved would prove the foundation of that famous fortune which the\r\nangel had promised him.\r\n\r\n\"Now, in using the money, China Aster was resolved punctually to pay the\r\ninterest every six months till the principal should be returned, howbeit\r\nnot a word about such a thing had been breathed by Orchis; though,\r\nindeed, according to custom, as well as law, in such matters, interest\r\nwould legitimately accrue on the loan, nothing to the contrary having\r\nbeen put in the bond. Whether Orchis at the time had this in mind or\r\nnot, there is no sure telling; but, to all appearance, he never so much\r\nas cared to think about the matter, one way or other.\r\n\r\n\"Though the spermaceti venture rather disappointed China Aster's\r\nsanguine expectations, yet he made out to pay the first six months'\r\ninterest, and though his next venture turned out still less\r\nprosperously, yet by pinching his family in the matter of fresh meat,\r\nand, what pained him still more, his boys' schooling, he contrived to\r\npay the second six months' interest, sincerely grieved that integrity,\r\nas well as its opposite, though not in an equal degree, costs something,\r\nsometimes.\r\n\r\n\"Meanwhile, Orchis had gone on a trip to Europe by advice of a\r\nphysician; it so happening that, since the lottery-prize came to him, it\r\nhad been discovered to Orchis that his health was not very firm, though\r\nhe had never complained of anything before but a slight ailing of the\r\nspleen, scarce worth talking about at the time. So Orchis, being abroad,\r\ncould not help China Aster's paying his interest as he did, however much\r\nhe might have been opposed to it; for China Aster paid it to Orchis's\r\nagent, who was of too business-like a turn to decline interest regularly\r\npaid in on a loan.\r\n\r\n\"But overmuch to trouble the agent on that score was not again to be the\r\nfate of China Aster; for, not being of that skeptical spirit which\r\nrefuses to trust customers, his third venture resulted, through bad\r\ndebts, in almost a total loss--a bad blow for the candle-maker. Neither\r\ndid Old Plain Talk, and Old Prudence neglect the opportunity to read him\r\nan uncheerful enough lesson upon the consequences of his disregarding\r\ntheir advice in the matter of having nothing to do with borrowed money.\r\n'It's all just as I predicted,' said Old Plain Talk, blowing his old\r\nnose with his old bandana. 'Yea, indeed is it,' chimed in Old Prudence,\r\nrapping his staff on the floor, and then leaning upon it, looking with\r\nsolemn forebodings upon China Aster. Low-spirited enough felt the poor\r\ncandle-maker; till all at once who should come with a bright face to him\r\nbut his bright friend, the angel, in another dream. Again the cornucopia\r\npoured out its treasure, and promised still more. Revived by the vision,\r\nhe resolved not to be down-hearted, but up and at it once more--contrary\r\nto the advice of Old Plain Talk, backed as usual by his crony, which was\r\nto the effect, that, under present circumstances, the best thing China\r\nAster could do, would be to wind up his business, settle, if he could,\r\nall his liabilities, and then go to work as a journeyman, by which he\r\ncould earn good wages, and give up, from that time henceforth, all\r\nthoughts of rising above being a paid subordinate to men more able than\r\nhimself, for China Aster's career thus far plainly proved him the\r\nlegitimate son of Old Honesty, who, as every one knew, had never shown\r\nmuch business-talent, so little, in fact, that many said of him that he\r\nhad no business to be in business. And just this plain saying Plain Talk\r\nnow plainly applied to China Aster, and Old Prudence never disagreed\r","title":"Chunk 5"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJNPWB4PV4EMCJY73T33E","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKAMT149RTEFAPZDPZKYS","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKAMTG5KGKNDGAK483M52","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:00.666Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.559Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}