Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-09-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
TRUE STORY OF HUMAN NATURE.

There once lived in small town in Massa.
chusetts an old Indian woman. Somehow or
other the old woman had accumulated quite q
desirable little property Yet she was an Indian,
and was treated with cool contempt by her
neighbors. She had no seat in the social circle
received no attention from those around her oc.
cnpled bad pew In the church, down towards
the grave she travelled, without friend or COM
| forter.
! Old Nance had but one relative living that
| she knew of; and he wild, glaceless son. He
was the terror of the village, and spent his time
In anything but a respectable way. At last the
vagabond so worried the forbearanoe of his old
mother, that In hasty moment she resolved to
dlsnherlt him & leave her money to the church
Accordingly she started for the house of one of
the deacous, and made a clean breast of her
troubles and acquainted him with her determi.
nation. The deacon grew from cool to very
| amiable mood as she proceeded, and at last be-
came proiuse In his expressions of gratitude
The will, through the agency of the deacon,
was drawn; but the old lady feeling little COM
FUNCTION, had clause inserted which should
make it void; provided the son should totally re-
form his habits. Secrecy was enioned Upon
the deacon, who, of course, told nobody. but his
wife, who, OF course, said nothing about it save
| to one orfwo friends, who, of course, spread it
all oyer the village in the space OF one day.
But the change wrought in the situation of
old Nance was miraculous. "Such good old
woman ~ The nice bits troa the best tables
began to journey under neat napkins to her
humble abode. ,ona rainy Sabbath, carriage
took her up at the door, and carried her to
church, where she was kindly favored with a
front view near the speaker and near the stove
her praise was IN eyerybody's mouth, and her
lettering form commanded respect every where
But she thrived remarkably nnder this treat
ment, and lived, and lived, and lived. In the
meantime the son was looked upon with more
than usual distrust, and the poor widow was
deeply comm,serated on his diseraeeful course
Years passed away, and the kind attention of
friends were still continued to the widow, when.
at last, old Nance slept the sleep that knows no
waking. A large funeral, one of the largest the
little village had ever seen, attended her TO her
grave in the quiet churchyard There were
tears shed upon her bier, and benisons breathed
upon her memory.
and a number of the village notabes were gath.
cred in her dwelling, and in one corner Of the
room sat the sad and taciurn son.
Squire" said the deacon, ~ believe there is
a will"
eyes there is a will"
"Will you have the kindness to read it 2"
The will was produced. All was silent. The
VIII was read, in which all the widows proper
ty was bequaeathed to the church. Many an eye
sought the face Of the prodigal son, but saw no
change in his stolid features
When the reading was finished, the son arose.
and drawing piece of paper from his pocket,
inquired the date of E'that ar wiki"
The date was stated, and handing the squire
his paper the portionless asked him to read it.
Alas it was will one day younger than the
| other. The tond mother in her weakness had
told the son what she had done, and he manag-
ed to have will drawn twenty -four hours after
the previous one, in which he was the sole leg
atee.
The assembled wisdom and disinterestedaess
OF the village went home thinking, and the son
had the pleasant satisfaction of knowing that his
mothers last days We're her best days.
Reader this is not fiction. 1t is but an in
stance Of the weakness in our common nature,
which, in eimilar Developments, comes before
US with hnnliliating frequency, alike in the
highest and lowest walks of life.