The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-06-22

cludeo oy lnVItlng lin to call upon her at
her uncle's. Before she had finished this
sentence, Benson came up, and politeness
afforded her no alternative but 10 offer the
same invitation to him. He was about
TO offer to accompany her home, but Tim
had been too quick for him there. Tim ac-
companied the lady home, and Benson re-
turned mortified TO his room. He hcwev-
ell formed the determination Of visiting Miss
Ayers, feeling the full assurance that Tim
would come off second, when it became
known that Tim was the son of farmer,
in moderate circumstances, while he was
the son of Major Benson, with fortune at
his command. He accordingly often called
on Miss Ayres; and her uncle for reasons
which will hereafter be explained, encour-
aged his visits, and exerted himself to favor
him as suitor to his niece. Benson was
fairly in love, ard as many lovers do, he as
sumed a virtue and amiability of department
which was but i'll feigned, and his real cha
racter would often appear in spite of him
self. Tim had also avaied himself Of Eli
za's invitation and often visited her. A
mutual attachment was the consequence,
which soon ripened into an affection be-
tween the two-an exchange of vows and a
promise of her hand was won from Eliza.
Benson, under the encouragement of her
uncle, still continued his suit, proposed and
was rejected. He now grew amazing mel.
ancholy, or at least affected to be so /; and
would wander in this mood to the banks oi
the river, and gaze upon the stream proba.
bly, contemplating an acquaintance with SUI
icide, and giving his body to the fishes fol
dissection. But Benson was not such {
fool neither. His disappointment became
known to the college. and numerous were
the jibes and taunts the poor fellow go
from those he had so insolently domneeret
over. This OF course, did not tend tc
add much to the amiabilty of his temper
and on one occasion he showed his magma
nimity and courage by knocking down ;
bright eyed lad, some five or six years his
junior, for saying" that fellow who hat
been in the habit Of taking airs on himself
had found .AyreS that was not so easily
takon." Tim, who stood by, saw this ex
hibition of Benson's courage, and in return
gave him blow under the left ear which
sent him reeling on the floor. At this tn,
whole school shouted, and Tim was eve
after hailed by the youngsters, as protect
or against the tyranny of Benson.
But Tim himself was not entirely at east
on the score of Miss AyIes. The old un
Gle had frowned upon him, as he entered
the house, and had given him sundry hint:
that Eliza was not for him, while at the
same time he had atteg5Rt5a g5Rt5ad 10 lay S his com.
man0s upon Eliza respecting her accepting
of Benson. This uncle's name was PelI.
He had been msde sole executor of the will
of Eliza's father, himself having the profits
Of the large estate of the deceased gentle
man, after supporting and educating the
daughter during her minority or until she
should marry. An item in the will was to
this efect--that if Eliza married man of
moderate fortune, the whole estate amount
ing TO sixty thousand dollars was to become
hers, on her marriage day-but if her hus-
band was himself heir to thirty thousand
dollars, half the estate became the property
of the uncle-which sufficiently explains
the anxiety on the part of Mr.. Pell, that
Eliza should marry Benson, as he would
thereby become possessed Of snug pro-
perty.
Tim visited Eliza one evening and found
her in tears. On his inquring the cause,
she informed him that Benson had on that
day repeated his suit, and had been again
rejected-that on learning it her uncle had
come in and upbraided her, and that if she
did not accept Benson, to dispossess her
of her property, alledging that he possessed
the power of doing SO, as nobody had ever