Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-01-30

en- years served 'nI wrought in acquiring l,,
art and mystery, rs NY inlcHurcs termed Il. o
, my tr3ue. Seven times in the course .. thi.
+. period it was my pleasant privilege to visit Mid
. vale, whore some Of inv relations dWClt. and AT
each visit ! renewed the intimacy with my old
school fellow, Griffith. He was qualifying hlll-
elf for the life oi a gentleman, by leading oma
Of idlencsS and Cuvlcd him not little his
proficiency IN the use of the angle and the gun
/ md the opportunity hc occasionally enjoyed Of
io.lnwiug tne hounds upon Il borrowed horse.
At my last visit, at the end Of my term Of ap-
pronticesi2 | felt rather hurt at the cold re-
ception his mother gave me, and at the very
naughty, oii-hand bearing of Griffith himself ;
ANA resolved to be Us independent as he by
giving liin AN opportunity Of dropping the nc
/ quaintance if he chose. understood. however.
/ that bo,h he and his mother were still feeding
upon expectation, ana that they hoped every
thing from General ---, to whom application
had been Inldc on Gritiitls behalf, as the son
Vi an officer, ANA TINT they confidently expect
ed CIdctstip That would open up the road to
promotion and fortune. The wished for ap-
polntment DID not arrive. Poor Gr.fth'S father
had died without leaving that reputation behind
INN winch mLnt have paved the way for his
sons Advancement ana the application was not
complied with. This WAS Il mortivmg blow
10 the mo her, whose PRIDE it painfully crushed
GnIiith, now Of agc. proposed that they should
remove t. London, whore. living i'll the very
source and centre Of official appointments, they
might BRING their iniiu nee to bear upon any
suitable berth that gIt be vacant They ac-
Cordngiy left Nidyale ana came to town, where
they lived III complete retirement upon u very
limited income. | met Griffith accidentally
after he had been i'll London about year. He
shook me heartily by the hand, was IN high
spirits. and Informed me that he had at length
secured tne promise OF an appointment to Il sit
uItion in L. House, in case T, the sit
tnr member. should be again returned for the
county. His mother had three tenants, each
with vote, at her command: and he was going
down to Midyllc, uS tu2 election was shortly
coming oil AMI wou,d bag hundred votes, at
least, he felt sure, Jc.Jre polling day. | could
not help thinking as he ratified away, that this
WAS just the ou- thing he was fit for. Wlth
mu,h Of the air, gllt and manners Of a gcntle-
nam, Ae combined perfection in the deals Of
tild.e-:aIl.e and ,lt.l talk rarely to be met
VITA; aud luln uNI.g no independent opinion
oil his own upon any subject whuteter, WIS 80
muc.I the better qualified to secure tn Voices
OF those who iIil. lie went down to Mjdya,c,
canvaSscd tn wnDie district with astonishing
success, aud bad tla honor Of dining with Ea
patron the triumph at candidate, at the close
OF the poll. 90 his return to town. IN the over
howinrs Of his JOY. he wrote a note to me OK
preS~lHe "l ms Improved prospects, ana glory
lnT III the certainty oi at length abrtnIng an
omclal appointment. was very glad To hear
Ill good news, but sun more surprised at the
terms IN "nIch II Was conveyed; the litt'e That
Grlihih lad learned ut school he mad almost
colItrVnd u lose altogether in the eight or nine
years mat h.H e''P'ed since ne nid lett IT, lie
seemed TO i@hofe the very existence OF suc4
con,FN"n;ea "s :! HIlN ana or'hogophy ana
really hhu grave DOUBTS as TO whether he was
comp tent to undertake even an otnclh stu1-
uon N tou-e
These doubts were not immediately resoiV-
ed. Members "t parliament, secure IN their
seats, are not precisely 50 ANXIOUS to perform
As ti-y son"t'neS are ready to promise when
their seats s'h.h ~..''nT ron under ;He.h. 1t
Wa very A,tr.y t"H years before HriiHth re-
ceiVel an: I.dli IRON his tlecuonacrinr IaOorN,
daring WhIch t"" he had been leaoi"g HE
o' l"uHgiHT' uo-ho'.iHE, dreamy semi conSc!-
business, octIS.pnh!y varied by sudden con
ciiFcd ana hH-nant remoh'tfanee, hurried ID
lo1'scapHt tIt h"td ul the deldIcttng member
oI tHe county. buHhs all TINS time fortune
used am D"t scuNi,y; MS moliefS tenants at
N'-''''N''' = ''' - i'r'iO'' VI 'D' ''I~
drcainPel without payment oi arrears; repairs
were necessary, ana hid 20 be done and pad
tor These drlwDachs reduced the snail IN
come upon winch tney wed, anl sensiDly allec-
Tea the outward mah "i the genlIemanIy Hn'-
nth ha neg'h to look seedy, and occasionally
borrowed 'eW SHl'.lngS OF Iae when we ca,u-
any met Wht'l ~ i"r@ II to pay must %
Wh t'r cr.a'l L. SiT UIat he never avoided me
on account "' ti''' tfihin-' d'1's' nut "l'h an
lhI'tt AtlN'''s' e." "liaclerl,t'c ol ms e9thDoi,
c''Ithu ~ '.S IfI"h.'" p ana ms c1nIdeA'c'-
Al !cn-ih '"' hi"pE day arrived liz received
ms aPpp htiH'A' bearing "A remF" r-'lon OF
t+oJ year, WA.th he deyouuy believed was
10 Ieid to something INFINITELY greater, and cal
lea on me on MS way to the oiilce where he
was to be ihSt"I'edaA indoirlnated into his
Junction
he grand ooIect oi her liie--the settlement
"i her Son-IluS acco olnPi!SAed, the m1ihsr re-
turned TO 1lldNhc' Wh're she shortly after
dled, III the i".i c"hFicuon that Griffith was on
TIE ROAD 10 pre''Uneht ana fortune. lhn little
eSlte-uPoh liIe proceeds OF wmch she had
l:nEaiIy mHntained herself ana Son-pas'cd,
at her DEATH INTO the hands Of one Of her
- ut fN| an