Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-11-16


"Grandpnpa, want to ask you a
question" was the exclamation Of
rosy checked, intelligent boy about ten
! years Of age, who, leveling in the joy
BUSINESS OF the first day of the summer
holidays, presumed little on the liber-
ty Of speech which is generally accord
ed at such time. Old Mr.. Raymond
was seated in an easy chair, which had
been wheeled on to the shady terrace
for his accommodation around were
spread luxurious pleasure-grounds, and
! the summer breeze came laden with the
breath of flowers, and now and then
from distance might be distinguished
the odour Of newIy-made hay. As far
as the eye could see, was the property
either Of old Mr.. Raymond or OF his son,
the member for the county, and father
Of liltle Sidney. The house aud It's splen-
/ did appointments proclaimed wealth aud
station by evidences not easily mistaken.
! "WelI Sidney, am ready to answer
your question, was the old genlleman's
reply, as, taking off bis gold spectacIes.
and laying down the newspaper, he
drew the boy allrctionaiely towards him
is it true, grandpapa, tha, when You
were boy you were poor mean
very poor, without any money at all :"
"Qui,e true"
but you are very rich nov, are you
not :"
"Richos child are comparative, but
! thank God for the blessings which sur.
round me, aud am what the world calls
wealthy. But why do you ask these
questions :"
Because one Of the boys at school, "
returned Sidney, saw something about
you in The newspaper, though ! could
not understand from his account exactly
what aud when | noticed you reading
th" paper this morning, somehow or
other i, popped into my head, and de-
lcrm'ned to tell you about il, though ]
only remember he said you were quite
poor once"
! And would you like to know how,
Sidney, the change was effected :"
| "Oh yes. 1t will be llho hearing Il
story"
wNhy don't know. cannot prom
lsc TO give you perfect autobiography
but ] Will relate two or three circum-
stances which greatly influenced my
destiny, and which, taken together,
might be called the main-spring oi my
fortunes. W hen have done, you shall
tell me TO what | have been indebted
for my success in life.
was born in a seaport town, whore
my father struggled for years to bring
up his family. He was unfortunate ia
his business, from what cause it becomes
not me to inquire. But the recollection
of my childhood is crowded with painful
incidents, the most prominent OF which
seems to have arisen from the influence
of an opulrnt trader in the same line as
my father. This was Mr.. Bellon, who
IA early life had been his friend, for ,ho
few succeeding years his rival, aud al
Itcrwards, II was said, he had become his
lmplacablo enemy. You, Sidney know
nothing about the miseries which power
|ty engcnders, but ours was the worst
kind of povorty, which let me tell you,
is that which is associated with debt, aud
perpetual cndeayour to keep up ap-
pcaranccs. The very lreQuent cous,-
quenccs of this state of things are FAINT
ly discussions, aud the neglect of chil
dren. Unhappily, this was the case az
my home my only sister and were
mperlectly educated, and subjected to
all the capricious treatment which Is the
certain result of an iIl-regulated house
hold. One good, however arose out
of our misery our young hearts wero
drawn more alleciionatcly y together than
they might have been in prosperity
aud, Indeed, fell myself in som, sort
her protector, Tor was three years oil
der than Lucy
"Why |, too, have a sister Lucy,
three years younger thgn myself" M
,crrupicd little Sidney, apparently sur
prised a, the coincidence.
Perhaps" continued Mr.. RAYMOND,
"sho was named alter NY sister Lycy
but do not think, my deaf boy, there
4. anV ,.th,t pt,iut ,I ltn.ut,ltu.e h,-