Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-08-31

terrible tale. He was, as misers often are, 6
man of strong mind and iron nerve. Passive as
he was in every other part, the eyes told all that
was passing within. You could have seen in
them intelligence when the will was read tc
him; the powerful voltion brought to bear,
aud persevered in, when the written word which
was to make it testament, was required; the
terror and horror which came over him when
he found the right hand, which had 50 often
aided him for evil, would not help him for good
tho despair which burst the unseen bonds
around him, and with convulsive notion let
out the last of life. 1t must have been spec
tacle of horror, when punishment came in the
shape of prohibtiun of the one act of mercy,
which might have made some amends for a
whole lifetime Of wrong.
Then there was another legend of 4 man whose
daughter married against his will. He lived
somewhere in q retired country-houso far off
from any town. This man WAS subject to Il dis
ease of the heart, and one night, feeling the
symptoms of an approaching attack, and that
strange presentiment which 50 often comes be-
fore death, he reused his household and sent off
a messenger on horseback, not for surgeon,
but for a lawyer. He wanted his will made in
stantly. The messenger could not be expected
back for at least two hours, and long before
that the spasnodic attack had come on, but still
in the intervals of his paroxysms, that determ-
ined man wrote as against time. When the
lawyer did arrive all that was left of the living
will which had been SO active and energetic a
few hours before, was that last piece Of writing.
1t expressed the deceased's intention, in the
strongest terms, utterly to disinherit his rebel-
ious child, AMI to give his property to some char
liable institution. 1t was complete, even to the
signature; only the flourish usually added to
the name was wanting, as though there the
hand had failed. But the writing was not a
will, it was not in proper form, nor attestcd.
In the eyes of the law, it was but an invalid
piece of paper, and the daughter took that
which her birthright entitled her to.
Wills generally afford frightfal temptation
to the worst part of oar natare. really be
lieve that more cunning, more falsehood, more
worldly anxiety, and more moral wrong ara
blended with the subject Of " Wills" than with
the whole mass Of law parchments extant. 4
will should not only be properly made, bat
properly placed, and more than one should be
cogniant of ito whereabouts have known
many cases of gross turptude in the shape Of
destroying wills. and can record one rather GU
rious anecdote, afording a vivid illustration of
unprincipled gre ed defeating itself Two gen
tlemen in the city, close friends from their
school days, were in the decline of life. Mr.
Edmonds had large family, With, comparative
y Small meins, While Mr. Raym}hd was worth
two hundred thousand pounds, with no living
relative but a nephew of the most proagato and
hopeless character. The nephew had been ex-
pensively educated, and had spent unlimited
money for the worst of purposes, and the uncle
at length became weary and disguised with the
young mans dcpravity. Edmonds," said
Raymond, one day to his friend, as he handed
him roll of paper, " here is my will. | have
left my nephew ten thousand pounds, and the
rest Of my property to you, who, | know will
make good use of it." Edmonds demonstrated
and implored, but was eventually compelled to
take the will, and lock itup in his private desk.
Within few months, however, by dint of con-
stant entreaty Mr.. Edmonds prevailed upon bis
friend to make another will, and just revms.
the bequests, giving the nephew the bulk Of his
property and Edmonds the ten thousand pounds
This will Edmonds read, and saw safely deposit
ted in Rayinond's iron chest at his private resi-
deuce. Within the following year Raymond
died. The nephew found the will, and, as it
afterwards appeared, such was his baseness, that
to secure in addition to the rest the ten thousand
pounds LETT to Edmonds, he Immediately burnt
the document, knowing that if his uncle died
intestate, he himself was heir-at-law. Edmonds
sinking his conscientious scruples, produced the
first will made by Raymond, and claimed the
chief of the property, and tho unprincped
nephew, after making full confession during a
fit of delirium trsmens, killed himself