The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-03-02

sick-bed again. but this hurt, ike that
caused by the fall from the ladder, was
found to be durable and false promising
May had not departed when his restrung
energies we're once more concentrated
upon the solid realities of life and bust
ness And herein, at least, fortune did
not jilt or play the fool with him; year
after found him wealthicr stoutcr, jollier;
and he had not yet lived half century,
when he was elected to the civic common
council for the ward of Cripplegate.
This elevation proved an unfortunate one,
by stimulating for some time a growing
taste for the pleasures of the table and
corpuleuce, gout. and incipient apoplexy
soon displayed their fatal ensign Bus
mess becoming distasteful, he determln-
ed on resigning in favor Of his or
phan nephew Charles Passmore, who had
been for some time the managing man of
his establishment, and retiring for the
remainder of his days to the sweet rural
ilty of Islington--in which then sylvan
parish he possessed considerable proper
ty--as soon as house he had commenc-
ed building, near the spot where the An
gel Tavern now stands, should be COM
pleted.
Man proposes; God disposes' Mich
ael Benson was sitting alone one evening
after the close of the days business, re-
solving this and other pet projects in his
mind, when letter was brought him.
with message that the bearer. a young
woman in deep mourning. waited for an
answer He snatched the letter, NUT
tering as he did SO peevish expression
Of annoyance at being disturbed but
no sooner had his glance fallen upon the
superscription than fash ofwild surprise
broke over aud crlmsoned countenancc.
| Eagerly he tore it Open and read with
swimming eyes touching appeal to feel
ings of lang-syne, from his ever-beloved
Lucy,ir behalf of her only remaining child,
who would only deliver it after the wri
ter's death Mrs Haselgrove's husband
had preceded her to the tomb, to which
she herself was then fast hastening--a
dark and awful passage but cheered and
illumined by the certainty she felt, that
for her sake Lucy would find home
with the good Michael whose honest
worth and deep affection the writer had
learned rightly to value when too late.
The perusal Of this letter profoundly
agitated Michael Benson, and it was
some time before he could muster himself
sufficiently to ring the bell, and direct
the bearer of the note TO be shown in
He had extinguished the candles, prob.
ably TO mask from the young girl, thus
solcmnly committed to his charge, tho
notion which almost convulsed him
and it was by the softening light of tho
moon and stars,which streamed in through
uncurtained windows, that he silently
perused her features, and recognized in
them the image of the Lucy of his love.
The timid, trembling girl seemed toquail
before his eager, scrutinizng gaze; but
when he presently found words to assure
her, that the request of her dying par
ent should be sacredly, religiously fulfill
cd, she threw herself,i in an ecstasy of sor-
row and thankfulness, into his outstretch-
ed arms whilst he, utterly overwholm-
ed,wept and sobbed with an equally pas
sionate vehemence.
I his unexpected and charming addi-
tion to his household, quickencd for a
time the sluggish pulses of the civic
councillor with more healthy life ;
habits of indulgence are seldom perman-
emily eradcated in elderly persons.
They gradually rcgalned their wonted
ascendancy; and Lucy Haselgrove had
only been about three months with him,
when lightning stroke of apoplexy re-
vealed how nearly they had already
brought him to the tomb Surgical aid
having been promptly obtained, he was
for this time quit for the fright, and an
ever present dread ofa second visitation
1t was very lucky remarked the sur
geon, addressing Charles Passmore
that I was within call for even briei
delay in such cases is pretty sure pass
port to another world The nephew
made cold. matter .of-conrse reply
which it struck the medical gentleman
at the time contrasted oddly with tho
quick bright flush that at the same mo
ment suifused his pale features. NJ
further comment was, however, made
aud the conversation terminated.
Charles Passmore is described as Q
bold, stubborn, unprincipled, yet witha
specious young man, precocious alike IL
ambition and avprice, which master-pas
sions, it will be seen, he hesitated at nc
means, however base, to crafty. Mich
ael Benson, it seems at first cherished {
hope that mutual liking might spring
up between his nephew and adopted
daughter; but this, he early found, wa.
out Of the question. Charles Passmort
had views la a far higher quarter. whicl
! he doubted not the possession of his un
: cle's property would enable him to real
ize; and gentle, retiring, sensitive Lucy
Haselgrove could feel no sympathy fol
the rude, irascble person who, from thu
l first day Of her abode in Red Cros
Street, had manifestly regarded her will
extreme. and of late, quite savage dis
like. This feeling was, no question, ex
, cited by the apprehension, soon conver
, ted into certainty, that a considerabl
7 share Of the wealth to which he consid
, cred himself exclusively entitled woul
be bequeathcd to her. Two legacies, o
. mounting to $1,000, divided betwee
Guys and Bartholomew's Hospitals, i
= a will otherwise exclusively in his fa7ol
executed by Mr.. Benson some five or ST
b years previously, had greatly ofende
4 him and how much was this ire infam
J. ed when, in addition to that deductio
= from his coveted inheritance, he hear
y his uncle express his determination t
|. secnra Lncv a handsome maintenance