The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-26
The Crescent Supplement.
The Man who was Suspicious.
TALE WITH A MORAL.

Ia recent number of an English magazine we
find the following excellent sketch, written by AL
fred Crowquill. Our limits will not permit us to
give the long and less interesting introduction; but
will simply say, that a moderately wealthv( but
very happy and contented country gentleman has
gathered his family and friends around bright
and ruddy fire on Christmas Eve, and, in accord
ance with his long established custom, relates the
following story:
"You all know the sheep-seds in our lower croft.
by Windy Gap" said he. "Before | built those
sheds, when it first came into my possession had
often endeavored to reclaim it but after MANY vain
attempts gave the obstinate bit up in despair, and
put 1t to Its present use Ii is desolate looking
nook, and in its appearance carries out to miracle
the scenes OF happiness enacted upon its site.
William Mawby was born there. of parents
well to do in the world, with everything about
their farm in thriving state. As mere child, he
was OF peevlsh, solitary nature. This / have
heard from good authority; for l only became
quanted with him as entered my first school, and
he was just on the point of leaving it.
Consequently, when returned home for good
TO my parents roof he was grown man, and
mere STRIPPING. As so short distance divided his
fathers farm from ours, | soon fell over him, and
renewed our acquaintance. His occupation was a
foreshadowing of his miserable character: he was
diligently inspecting hedge that divided a close
from the main road. He thought that he had dis
covered evident traces of some one having passed
into the field through the said hedge.
81 laughed at his wise and serious face, drawn
into look of profound wisdom for so trfng an
occasion.
"' My young FRIEND said he, 'men are ruined
by trfes. 1t is not the broken hedge | value; but
! suspect the trespasser passed through that gap
upon some unlawful purpose: but I'll be even with
them now my suspicious are aroused
with that he tapped the side of his nose, and
went on his way most suspiciously uncomfortable.
THE next day, to the amusement of the village,
large board appeared staring over the hedge, with
the announcement of all sorts of penalties and
spring guns to the unwary trespassers. His old
father was merry-hearted, plain old man, who
never put himself under the infiction of doubts;
for he believed that men were all pretty considera-
bly, honest as the world went, and he had not the
slightest idea that he was better than anybody else;
consequently, he smoked his pipe in calm content
ment and let the world wag.
:" His suspicious son soon disturbed his blissful
equanlmity for, much to his annoyance, he found
padlocks placed upon things that had hitherto been
open TO ALL His neighbor had to wait for his glass
of ale while he found his son, and his son found
the key for he, the contriver, not always
where he had hidden it.
Poor Williams principal torment was his sus
picon of his own father His lynx-eyes soon faith
Omed the soft, easy temper of his parent, and saw
thousand ways wherein his disposition might be
turned to account by the cunning dealers on mar
simple friendly dinners, in which the old man de-
lighted, and which it would have been difficult to
wean him from-as, although yielding and good
natured, he was too tough and independent to be
dictated to by any body Another painful thorn in
his side was an aged aunt, TO whom the old man
took wellstored weekly basket She lived on a
small stipend in the market-town. She had two
daughters. The old man often took his SOLDERING
cup of tea with them on his return. He might
leave them something comfortable. The thought
tormenting.
Ellis suspicion carried him every marketday to
dodge his father with the show of the sincere
affection; which the unsuspicious old man, with
his heart glad, reported to his plain, simple dame,
who rejoced with him their imag lined treasure.
He was at this time about Extraordinarily,
and, dodge as he would, he could not escape a pair
of bright eyes and rosy cheeks that caught him in
the before mentioned market-town on one of his
suspicious visits.
" He soon scraped an acquaintance, after having
by great assduity found out that her father was a
retired miller, of good fortune, and that she
only child. He thought this safe investment. His
position and appearance soon gained him permission
10 continue his visits; which were, in fact, con-
tnua, for he was always under the apprehension
that when the cat is away the mice will play, and
that some other might snap up his valuable mouse.
He did not feel quite assured as 10 the old mans
positive possessions, so made it his business In
thousand tortuous ways to make inquiries.
This could not 60 on so quietly but 1t at last
reached the old miller's ears, who good-naturedly
put 1t down to the young mans prudent foresight
but, inquiry, he discovered that proceeded from
doubt of his responsibility and veracity. The
miller was shrewd old man, and determined, be-
fore it too late, to find out whether the young
sutton might not be wanting in some OF the qualities
he thought necessary for the girls happiness,
The old banker was a chum Of the millers,
through whose instrumentality he had invested
large sums in excellent mortgages. He allowed
himself to be pumped by Mawby, with the connI-
vance Of the miller and, consequently, by wlnklng
replies to his eager inquiries, made out the miller TO
be little less than insolvent
Williams affection sank down to zero, although
1t lad for months been burning, according to his
own account, like two or three Etnas combined:
His suspicious, then, were true. What an escape
thought he. So it was, for the fortunate girl He
proceeded to his intended-one's house. 1t being
dark, he crept the garden palings and sneak
ed up towards the shutter Here he valnly at
tempted to peep through the crevices. Here,
while endeavoring to make out murmured con-
versation, in which he thought he heard his own
name mentioned. he was pinned by the mers
dog, who, poor brute was cursed with the youth
fault of suspicion, and suspecting that he was a
thief, had seized him accordingly. Here was
rather an awkward denOuenent, and he had no
right there the path TO the door lay another way.
In his anxiety he had trampled down the flower
bed. He stammered out some excuse upon his re-
lease and departed home crest-fallen, hoping that
they did not suspect his suspicious.
The next morning he received polite note
from the miller, begging him not to repeat his
visits, as the dog appeared to have taken sudden
dislike TO him, in which he was joined by himself
and his daughter. At the same time, to ease his
mind as to the state of their affairs, he begged to
say that any respectable young man, who pleased
his daughters taste, might have ten thousand down
on the wedding day, and as much more at his!deal'
"For once William suspected right, VIZ that he
had made a sad fool of himself.
"Not many months after this, he lost his simple
minded mother Her death gave him plenty OF
exercise for his miserable fault-tor he was con,
tnuav LAYING trans for the servants if they had
been many MICE to catch them out IN their iittle
POPULATIONS, until his espionage made all around
him uncomfortable that many OF the Old domes-
tics left the farm in disgust.
"Wbeneyer he met me he was full of some deep
ly laid plan to find out some miserable suspected
one, and often in the midst of his selfsucient tale,
he would start off on sudden without any apology;
because a suspicion had flashed across his MIND
that h. had nor locked his corn-bn or preservecu