The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-05-25
Mis- cell m c o ~ s /.
BURNING OF THE WILL
TALE OF REAL L1FE.

~ was DUSK, us n ISeTuou CfoPc' VPc''o" C'"""''
of u sumptnous apartment in which was nurse,
now murmuring prayer and now falling back,
half asleep, in her arm chair; and tho bed was
SO arranged, that any one entering the room
could perceive the ivd face of the old man who q
few hours before had brea,hed his last The noise
made by Algernon awo.se the from her SLIM
bers She shook her head
Good morning, sir; you come to look once
more at your poor uncle? See, one would think
he slept a smile is on his coun,enance. Alas!
those ey es are closed lorevermoret
Yes, Margaret, answered Algernon; shut you
had better go and yourself will watch over
the corpse
$50 to the dining room, nurse; your break fast is
ready-go
| And under tn is benev olcnt clause he gently push
ed her ont of the room, and sat down tho chair
she had occupied, after which casting a last glance
at his dead uncle, he opened the bed curtain, and
! got up.
! sRe is dead at last! shall he rich now
| No sooner had he pronounced these words than
| he withdrew bunch of keys from under the pill
low, ran TO the desk in which the will was contain
ed, opened it and began reading
{ Il constitute my nephew, Algernon SIoper, sole
, executor
1T was 1ime!' exclaimed the heir. Il am enli>
tied TO what the law and society acknowledged my
| right
| And Algernon, who, for more than two years
had feared that his uncle would forget him, contin-
ued thus
/ Il will, &c. to Margaret and Joseph, the sum of
$4,000 each for the care bestowed on me by them
during thirty years
1.-Two thousand pounds to EACH ct these people
who are rich enough with what they have stolen
What foly Come, this is but an old mans mad
ness. II owever,1 will pay the $4,000 as it is impos
sible to do other wise.
! Il beaueaih TO Perrot, my valet, the sum OF
E5OO.'
I What! to that Pierrot, who should have been ex
PEELED long before now-'Que tc diaJle rcmporte!'
.To Mr. Martin, my notary, E25OO l wish TINS
sum TO he added TO the fortune Of Mariana, bis
daug h,cr and my god,daushtor'
sTwo thousand FIVE hundred pounds to that fell
low Martin! on old notary, retired from business,
| who has got handsome house ut Kensington.
what can be the meaning Of this? 1t is a loss at
i cards, pcrhaps, which my uncle has been ashamed
TO name. Oh Uncie, the story was true. lhis
will certainly pay. will see Martin and make
him understand the disgrace that would inialiioly
befall him he to accept such a legacy; ana u
;. he PERSISTS, we will go to law. 'More still eE-
claimed the heir, turning the lea f over.
Il beoueath Je25OO to Miss Chesterfield, daugh-
ter of a brave officer, killed on the field of battle
w HON do wish TO know want
D sTo her! Why the grained firi has reject
ed me She shall not touch penny of t-Ah
here another protegee''
sThere is now living in London young barrls-
ter who my nephew Algernon knows perfectly
) well. He is poor but virtuous and talented y
beouea,h to the said Edward fngestrie the sum o.
$4,000
Five thousand pounds! exclaimed Aigernon
: throwing the will on the floor. Five thousan'
pounds to Ingestrie, my rival-my successful rl"a
in the affections of Elizabeth Chesterfield. Ne'
err.
. Algernon got up, approached the WINDOW open
4 ed it, notwithstanding the cold, and overlooked
: Iandscape of beautiful meadows, on which immune
able aocks were resting. The Thames rolled hi
waters through the estate; and further on were 10
est forming par. Of tho succession he was entitled
to-
SAN this is mine NOW; the wool OF these MOCK
i, these forests; the produce of these he'ds-a' DE
4, long TO me by right. am the heir, ana almost IN
4 only relation the late possessor-Sha'' de'rau
myself by paying fiyolosis legac'es? 'ouppos
, now said he, alter lie had shut this window, an
4 resumed seat near the hre, suPP''" ny "' "
: not made any will at all, to whom wo'ild an thes
" riches come? To me only; to me they lawful
belong; and all abstraction thereirom is THEFT
/, my expense?'
,e And the evil spirits of AVERAGE, cuPidlty and sci
fshness took possession of this ungratei"l nephe"
pt He forgot that he had peverbeen loving and du'u
in IN his uncle but the reversetiis disSacetui con
N duct had indeed frequently irrated his rich rea
ir live Interested views alone had caused him TO I"
m proach for two years past; and now, without an
We moral consideration, whatever just listening
b. ascertain whether there was any ono coming :"
ed threw the will into the fire.