The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-03-30

sid" hin, and snterel into earnest CONVEX.
! satlon. There was something so singular
IN tins, that the Sprouts htginning 10 sus-
pert ihelr relative might not he the poor
iIendless soul they Supposed, one after
another half opehed their doors, and Stood
bp"n their sills, while one ar two venture Il
- stroll down TO the piazza of the inn.
where now the three young gentlemen
whom We left IN the bar-room, had taken
j their seals, and were listening To the con-
sers ltlon over the way. The respect and
familiarity VIII which the gentleman treat
ed the oIi man, went so far tn confirm
these suspicious, that good deal of ma.
nnureling among the Sprout party soon
! fol'nued--the surmise was spread abroad,
and III half IN hour a dozen or more were
. soon collected al the mn, and several ven.
3tnred Ia so over 10 the strangers. Just at
this crisis, a zig drove up, aud an elegant
young man spIang ont of il, exclaimng,
= La father, what's the matter here
Nothing, NV son WAS the reply, =" only
our good relations, for the most part, have
forgotten ia, and those that remember, arc
90 busy, that we must 20 down To the cross
roads and put up for the night" The ST.
crrt revealed II was apugng to see how
the faces of the mistaken relatives of the
good man changed from White 10 red, and
back again ; they looked at each other, LOST
in mazcment--stupdly enough, 10 be
sure. Al length Charles veniurrd 10 speak,
" my dear uncle, if ynu Will honour my
house 50 much, YOU shall have every ac-
commodatiou it can Afford No. no, |
would not put you TO any Inconvenience
Tor the world, WE viii 50 1.-THE cross roads
4" Indeed Nou shall uot," said dozen at
once, Tor all the Sprouts came Aocking IA.
round by this time, every one inviting their
dear relative home-prrssing him, enreat
ing him, almost pulling him by force, lnsls-
ting there were no accommodations at the
cruos roads.
AS this scene was going on, the strange
gentleman, Who had come on horseback
, stepped over to the inn, and while drinking
glass ofpunch, whispered to Mrs. Sprout
that old Mr. Sprout MAS worth a hundred
thousand, aud that his relatives would lose
IA round sum, probably by this nnlncky
breach This news spread Iikcleectric fire
through the village, and the women an d
children came running out To see their rich
relation. aud shed tears of Joy at meeting.
- God bless ,eu, SIR and the most pr, s.
! sing invitations, were as plenty now, and as
! cheap as grass blades in the meadow. The
,ilane and all that il contained, one would
| have thought, WAS at his service, bat he
constantly shook his hrad---it was too busy
4 time with them, he said, aud his clothes
aere oil aud his appearance mean-he
night disgrace them--hr would at any
! rat. 90 back to the next tavern on the
road and from his purpose all the protes-
| tations If leisure, the praise of his person,
| and even uf his old clothes, even with thr
nffrr of lrw ones, on loan, IN abundance,
could not move him, and that night slept
at the Blue Ridge Inn, on his return home,
where he narrated the story with good hu-
mour From this place, that morning, he
had set eul for Alruwford, leaving his atten.
lants behind, that he might make trial Of
the value his long unyi,ittd relatives sci
a9on hin and which he deemed could on
" ftfly be estimated by presenting him
self before them in the garb Of his original
poverty.
Reader perhaps you may smile at this
simple tale. Doubtless You fancy the
Sprouts a set of rascals-bal look At home
how do YOU esteem poor relative II
your cunsciences do not condemn you,
neither do ; but sci IL down as a truth
lne Spreuts are not the only people in the
world VIII value rich relations higher than
poor ones.