The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-02-18

AiDurn gathered around him gay companions
who were quite ready 10 live upon his bounty
and endure his caprices with never-failing
good humor.
Again Album House resounded threvelry
and mirth. The friends of the heir exhibited
power of facetiousness in the vain endeavor
to make him laugh. He only smiled bitterly.
They drank his wine with unaccustomed zeal,
and became intoxicated, all for his good.
The heir of Album was sad as ever. They
rode his maddest horses, leaped fences walls
and chasms, and sometimes perlled legs and
arms, and even their heads merely to crafty
him-all without avail. True, when Dan
Fleetfyer broke his neck in a fox chase,
Album actually appeared entertained, but in
six hours he was as melancholy as before.
| BY following Dams example, the heirs
twelve companions who were left, could, at
that rate, have kept him in good humor only
three days; and the bare idea of contributing
four necks day to his amusements, was not,
certainly, very encouraging.
Now, when Dan Fleethyer was comforta-
| bly, under the sod, and the excitement attend
ant on his exit from the world, was over, AL
burn remembered that he was the hardest RI
der, the hardest drinker, and the most fastid-
Gus reveler of all his comrades, and conse-
quently his most valuable man.
"What did that ungrateful wretch want to
break his neck for" growled the heir, on re-
turning one morning from dull and unsuc-
cessful hunt. ri would rather have lost any
six fellows Of the DEVILS own picking. Nay,
Dan was worth more than all of you, with
your vast stomachs, red noses, and insipid
nonsense"
These remarks were overheard by the heirs
companions, but so far from taking offence at
them, they sought to restore his good humor
by praising boisterous Dan, and repeating
some of his most admired sayings. Album
was only the more angry.
Don't exaggerate my loss, or | shall send
some of you to keep Dan company!' he said,
with an oath.
So the heirs followers were silent, and he,
with wrath and desperation in his heart, led
the way down long hill, in the direction of
the Album House.
At the foot of the hill was small humble
cottage standing on the Album estate, with
its doorway fronting the south. AS the heir
passed by. the happy voice of a female grated
harshly on his ear. She was a plainly clad
woman of middle age, and she was singing
lullaby to the baby, in the cottage door. On
lifting her eyes and pcrceiving the dark
scowl of the heir OF Album, she ceased sing
ing, and with an involuntary shudder, clasped
the infant to her heart.
Mutterng curse, the misanthrope passed
on only to meet another source of annoyance,
oh hos ha Fast
The husband of the woman was sitting un-
der the shadow Of a stack of corn, tearing the
husks from the ear, which he threw into a
basket. When the basket was full, he emp
tied its shining, yellow contents into crib
near by, singing all the time merly as a crick-
ct. Hard at work, in his stained and patch
ed garments, he appeared as happy as NOR
tai could possibly be.
Every day when he had passed that way,
the heir of Album had seen that man work.
ing and heard him singing the same, but he
had never remarked him so closely, and with
such bitterness in his heart, as on this occa-
sion.
"Wha, stupid boor is that he growled,
"who has found in n hovel, what have sought
the word over in vain? Why is he so hap
py in his dirt and rags, when am so wretch
ed in wealth and splendor! He enjoys him
self better alone than with my sporting
companions. To him labor is pleasure, while
to me pleasure is labor. will follow his ex-
ample; will dismiss my companions and
make my own happiness"
Accordingly, the heir sent away the COM
pany of jewellers, and for month afterwards,
hnth hot tbo nd o1i itota
on suicide; while oil the time the poor cotag-
er worked and sung as happily as ever.
One day the heir of Album, in his most bit
ter humor, called his steward to him g. said
"Who is this clown that lives under the
hill, singing forever and ever!''
"Surely, SIR" replied the steward, "you
have not forgotten Joe Jarvis!"
81 did not call you, to have you ask me
whether have forgotten this man or that
man." answered the angry heir. "Tell me
who and what is this mani"
The steward, TOO we'll accustomed to his
employers humors to be disturbed by them,
replied in quiet tone:
"His name is Jarvis, and l thought you
must remember him, from the TACT that he
once saved the life Of your father at the risk
of his own. This was when he was a boy,
but your father rewarded him as if he had
been a man. He gave him yonder cottag e
to live in, and the twenty acres around it to
work, as long as he lived, rent free"
Sand the fellow never pays any rent"
"No sir-I never supposed you would think
Of doing differently by him from your father
"How dare you to dictate to mel" thunder
ed the heir of Album. "Go-bring this hap
py man to me!'
Album was sitting in the room which had
been his fathers study, in the midst of the
long neglected, rusty books, when poor Joe
Jarvis appeared.
The misanthrope looked up from the wine
glass, in which he had been striving to drown
the blue devils which had been haunting his
brain, and scowled darkly upon the cottager.
The latter holding his faded and bruised
straw hat in his hand, bowed respectfully,
and stood patiently to know what service the
heir of Album desired at his hands.
"You did me the honor to send for me sir"
said he, after long silence, which the heir |