Chapter 7

           Inoneparticular,atleast,thefriendsofHildegardeMoncriefweremistaken.Thewholesalehardwarebusinessprosperedamazingly.InthefifteenyearsbetweenBenjaminButton’smarriagein1880andhisfather’sretirementin1895,thefamilyfortunewasdoubled—andthiswasduelargelytotheyoungermemberofthefirm.

           Needlesstosay,Baltimoreeventuallyreceivedthecoupletoitsbosom.EvenoldGeneralMoncriefbecamereconciledtohisson-in-lawwhenBenjamingavehimthemoneytobringouthisHistoryoftheCivilWarintwentyvolumes,whichhadbeenrefusedbynineprominentpublishers.

           InBenjaminhimselffifteenyearshadwroughtmanychanges.Itseemedtohimthatthebloodflowedwithnewvigourthroughhisveins.Itbegantobeapleasuretoriseinthemorning,towalkwithanactivestepalongthebusy,sunnystreet,toworkuntiringlywithhisshipmentsofhammersandhiscargoesofnails.Itwasin1890thatheexecutedhisfamousbusinesscoup:hebroughtupthesuggestionthatallnailsusedinnailinguptheboxesinwhichnailsareshippedarethepropertyoftheshippee,aproposalwhichbecameastatute,wasapprovedbyChiefJusticeFossile,andsavedRogerButtonandCompany,WholesaleHardware,morethansixhundrednailseveryyear.

           Inaddition,Benjamindiscoveredthathewasbecomingmoreandmoreattractedbythegaysideoflife.ItwastypicalofhisgrowingenthusiasmforpleasurethathewasthefirstmaninthecityofBaltimoretoownandrunanautomobile.Meetinghimonthestreet,hiscontemporarieswouldstareenviouslyatthepicturehemadeofhealthandvitality.