Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-02-14
THE HEIR OF LINN.
By ". J. SMELLING.


ion on me- As the ballad is hot TO b
found, will endeavor to tell the story
= prose.
! The Laird of Linn. in Galway. wa
: one OF the richest landed proprietors i
Scotland Besides his lands and dwell
ings. he had focks and herds, and goo
/. store Of gold. Moreover he was ma
Of frugal and parsimonious disposition s
that the gentlemen Of Galway avoided hi
company. and the whole country sid
cried shame on his name. Nevertheless
his riches grew and increased 10 a might
sum, and there was no telling what heap
Of treasure he had srugly concealed.
The Laird Of Linn did not marry I'll
late in life. and his wife died within
year after their marriage. She left hin
one child, son. who was the Iov an
plague of his existence. Though natural
ly Of noble and generous temper, h
was wild. reckless and extravaganza
Seeing and hearing his father ridicule'
every day for his miserable temper an,
habits, he resolved at all events not to b.
like him, and spend all the funds he coul,
lay his hands on. among low and disso
lutte companions, in drinking and riotou
living. SO true it is that one extreme of
ten produces another. 1t was in vaif
that his father demonstrated with him: h
only grew worse as he grew older and Of
der.
At last the Laird Of Linn lay on hi
dcath-bead. He had outived all his nea
relations, and he had no friends, so tina
he was in a manner obliged to leave al
his substance to his son, and besides mex
to his field he loved his prodigal heir
Previous to his death, he called the Hei
Of Linn to his bedside and thus Spakc tc
him:
Ny son, when my lips are cold in dealt
and my tongue silent in the grave,
know how it will be with you. You vii
spend all the substance of your ancestors
and all the gold lrave got together. in
dissipation and extravaganza. Ncverthe
less, | do not wish my son to live a beg
gar. Therefore. give heed to nv only
command. and if you disregard it. may
fathers curse cling 70 you. You know
pletrigan. 1t is now locked up, and |
have thrown the key into the sea. When
you have not friend who will lend you
a bawbee. and when you are actually suf-
ferring for crust to appease your hun
ger break the door open, and you will
find relief; but if you open, the room be-
fore that time. say again, may a fathers
curse cling TO you.
With these words he fell back on his
pillow and expired
The Heir of Linn did not grieve long
for his parent. He soon threw open his
house to all corners. His forest fell be-
meath the axe his chmneys were always
smoking-a hundred men ate daily at his
board. and he bought him horses and
hounds, and lent his money without coun-
ting. to his dissolute companions He
Toasted and gained, as if he could not
get rid Of his substance fast enough in all
these ways. he took no care of his affairs
but gave up the guidance of them to a
bailitf or steward named John of the
Scales, who was a knave and notorious
cheated him in various
ways, and put more than half his rents in
TO his own pocket.
At last what his father had forcsecn.
came to pass.
His money was all gone, and he had
no means of keeping up his excuses, ex-
cept by selling his lands. but there was no
one rich enough to buy them except John
Of the Scales, and every one knew how
he came by his money. The L.airGAwas
in desperate want Of cash to pay his game /
ing debts, and was. moreover, heated with
vine when his unjust steward offered to
buy his estate. 1t was a hard case. but
after much reluctance. he agreed upon
The bargain at once. Give me gold. good /
John Of the Scales, and my lands shall be /
yours forever said the Heir of Linn. !
Then Inhn conn+a1 .1oxy,, he Hon
gold. and hard bargain he had of it. For
Every pound tina. John agreed to pay, it
vas well worth three /
Inc last money went like the first. and
he Heir of Linn was beggar. He went
irst to the house that had once been his
'wn. but now belonged to John Of the
scales. to seek some relief. He looked
nto the great banqueting hall, but there
vas no feast going on in it. The fire
vas out, the dinner table was taken away,
md all was desolate and dismal-Here'
cry sorry cheer, said the Heir of Linn.
John would not give him a penny, but
old him to go to his friends he had spent
is money upon SO foolishly. He did SO,
ut it did no good. Some Of them pre-
ended they did not know him, and not
ne would give him tarthing, or offer
i'm dinner SO he wandered about
orlorn and hungry for two days, for work
e could not. and to beg he was asham- ,,
d. At last, in his extreme misery, he
ethought himself of his fathers dying
words.
have not sold the old house in Kip
letrlgan yet, said he, for no one would .
NY it. will break open the upper cham
er. Nv father told me to find relief
mere. and perhaps he meant treasure. If I
should prove so / will be wiser man {
nan was, and not waste it upon knaves. i
To the house he went. and broke the I
hamber open. He found relief. indeed. t
here was nothing whatever in the room. s
keeping high stool. and directly over
halter dangling from hook in the I
cling. He looked up and read these
lords: l.
All. graceless wretch, and wanton fool, T
= II