Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-11-16
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI, SATURDAY NOVEMBER Q, $3.50

i was il possible that at some future day
be must relinquish it--ieave It forever
and aye, in the hands of others HE
could not support the idea.
spray, Sir,n said William CIernont,
J now in his twelfth year, as he was walk
ing with his guardian one fine summers
+ day, spray, sir, do let me see fathers
Will when we reach home-I have such
a desire to read it, SIR
wv ny will you so often ask me that,
4 WilliaFa-better mind your lessons, my
lad, the will IS safe enough, l assure
you.-
+ ss1es-but dear Sir, should so like to
see it-just to hare II IN nay hands" (such
is childhood) '.for a little while-T never
read will: wonder what father has
said in it about me, and about sisters.
! Wormsly paused--he had never once
/ thought before of the circumstance that
the little orphans were wholly unac-
lqualnted with the contents of their ia
/ theirs will-nor indeed was any one else
but himself, for he had kept it under
/ iock-and-key ever since it's execution,
without ever having made reference
to it a second time.
"WeIl, you shall see it, some of these
4 DAYS, w ilidlu.
Young Clermont was determined to
/ keep him to his word-so he waited a
full fortnight with great deal of pa
tience, and was on the point Of renewing
his request when his guardian came to
1 him, as he was sitting with his sisters
one morning, and handing him a paper,
the appearance of which was that Of no
recent date, observed, civilian, you
asked me some time ago, to show you
your fathers Willie was a fine man,
William--here it is: don't tear it--bless
mel it is 50 old let me see-the fifteenth
day Of October, seventeen hundred, nine
ty-six'
sVery DID," said William, as he ca
gerly looked at the but family remem-
bered writing Of his father, and he care
fully held II before him to peruse it.
He conn'd it over again and again, and
at length observed. eyes, Sir-how kind
father was to give you all this fine farm;
that is, when we grow up: | believe it is
so, is it not, Sir?''
'.Aye, aye, William; that is for the
trouble and expense / am at in educat-
ing you. and supporting you all, you
all, you know. ALL my lad, you little
know how dreadfuliy expensive it is to
bring up little children. | am glad |
have none Of my own, William; that
am, that | am.''
The unconscious boy perused once
more the instrument handed TO him as
the will of his father, and thoughtless of
the consequences to himself and sisters I
of being left pennylcss as soon as
they arrived at full age, for such was the
import of the writing before him, he
handed it complacentiy TO his guardian, |
thanked him, with child-like sincerity, /
for the perusal Of it, and returned to his /
boyish amusements.
The will Of his fatheri-no. my rea-
der, the document he read was the pro-
duction Of a villains pen dipped IN the
blacklist gall OF human depravity; a
forgery, so artfully and cunningly de-
signed to defraud the friendless orphans
of their own, as to render it next 10 inn
possible that human scrutiny should I'M
mask the deception.
With the worm of envy revelling in
his heart, and avarice, unsuitable ava
rice, squirting him on to the unholy deed,
he fabricated another will in place of the
genuine one, which bequeathed TO him
self, when the children should become
of age, al tie CiermoHt estate, IN conside-
ration, as the forgery stated, of various
unrepaid obligations of magnitude--in
to all which, Wormsly was to
rear, maintain, and educate the orphans
committed to his charge.
The same witnesses were affixed 10 II.
and the signature, to every appearances,
was that of the testator. In fine. the
executor had so manufactur-
\ ~ i, hov.a
the most equivocal appearance Of being
the reality, when it was in fact but foul
imposture.
From this time forward, Wormsly
would frequently talk to the Clermonts
of their good, Kind father, and of the
will, and how he used to lend their ia
Their sums of money, which his death, no
doubt prevented him returning, and-l
but the heart loathes the recital of his
many contrivances 10 4smake assurance
doably sure,- and of the success that at
tended all his iniquitous schemes.
And the little ones grew up TO the es-
tate of manhood and of womanhood. and
Jane, first admired, then ardentlv below 6
ed, became the wife OF an honorable and s
wealthy citizen of the coun-
"; he took her for her own sake, for al i
though it seemed strange. passing strange
that with all her fathers wealth, she and
her brother and sister should be left por-
lionless, such was the coEmon-rccelvcdI j
report. and he. therefore, gave the depri- J
walton not a thought
But it was otherwise with young Cler-I
mont--He could not understand why the l
whole Of his fathers vast estate should
pass into the hands of another: great :
indeed must have been the pecuniary OBJ 5
legations under which his father labored, I
10 have compelled him 10 grant SO extern
sive bequcst to the utter exclusion OF
his own offspring; and then he had
though but an indistinct
one, that the department and bearing Of
Mr.. Wormsly toward his departed pa
rent was that OF one who had rrceired .
fayors, certainly not of one who had !
granted thcm.-How could it be he pom
dered, and pondered, and ccuid not re-
~, . ha Ia 81 frnce IF an q xDreSSlOH.f