Washington telegraph., 1854-05-31
rbe Romance of Making Wills.

noctors' Commons to look at the will of
Je,d man. The hand that signed it was in
tbe grave long before-dust, perhaps; but
tba record of the will which animated that
hand was there amongst those dusty folios,
pncrossed in an almost undecipherable hand,
which tell how all the real property in the
rmntry has been disposed of over and over
arain. l had no difficulty in finding it, for
Ihd note Of the precise day the deceased
died on. 1t is unnecessary to say anything
about the contents of that will, however,
far tbev have no relation to what | am wri-
fnc 1t is only the date which | have any
msiness with. The will was dated the day
before the man died. l. Of course, had Of
ten heard of men making their wills when
thew were Just at deaths door, without any
particular thought being excited but this
time | was surprised, as a single fact very
often does surprise us when we have passed
by host of similar ones unnoticed. [
knew the man who made that will He
was shrewed, prudent, sharp lawyer, who
had risen from nothing to be man of i'm
mense wealth. IF he was distinguished for
nv qualities in particular it was for pune
tuality aud promptitude. None of the clerks
of his office were ever five minutes too late.
That was an ofense not to be forgotten.-
No one ever knew him to be behind at an
appointment, or to let business 90 undone.
His housekeeper, who managed his bachelor
abode for many years, only kept her place
bv being exact to time Yet this man had
not made his will till a few hours before his
death; and, therefore. the possession of his
property formed the subject of very -four
ishing lawsuit.
When | went out of that dark, dismal
catacomb of dead mems wills, | went on
thinking of all the similar cases of procras-
tination which | knew or had heard Of
and they were not few-for this is piece
of experience of one who was law clerk
before he quarreled with red tape. What
a curious catalogue they were. There was
an old lady, toothless old dowager who
had a reprobate and discarded son, and
pretty gentle niece who lived with her
We used to manage all her affairs, and it
was pretty well known in the Office that the
nice girl with the long curis'' was to be
the old ladys heir. Our head clerk, red
whiskered dandy, who had no mean opinion
of himself, built, could see certain spec
ulations on that basis. The old lady never
came without Eliza aud when a visit was
expected Mr. Catchpole brushed his fiery
hair in the most killing curls, and changed
the out-at-the-elbows coat for the smart one
he wore out doors, and beautifed himself as
far as practicable Well, a message came
one day that the old lady was ill-very i'll
with an urgent request that some one should
90 at once and make her will Off went
our Adonis as fast as promise of something
liberal over the fare, could urge the cab
man.
When he arrived the old lady was alive
just alive enough to tell him that all her
property was to be left to Eliza. She told
him that in a kissing whisper which sup
piled the place of the cracked voice; but
when she came to the word "all," so full
was the poor old creature of love for the
niece, or, perhaps, of determination-let us
hope not hate-against her son, that she
half rose up in her bed, and clenched her
withered hand and shrieked out that word
again 1t must have been a terrible sight
life struggling with death for will 1t
was short matter to write that will down
and Catchpole's pen flew over the paper,
and the old eyes that were glazing so fast
stared anxiously the while, and the thin
finger actually held the pen she had asked
for beforehand ready to sign the paper.
In few mements all was ready; but
what difarence that few moments had
made The clerk had risen from his seat
and approached the couch, when the sur
geon, who stood on the other side, said with
that coolness that medical practice brings,
"It is too late ~ And it was too late
The dead fingers clenched the unused pen
so tightly that they had to be unclasped
from it. The son was heir Of all, and Eliza
beggar Death had translated that
scream-out "all'' into none. The sequel is
soon told. The property was wasted by the
reprobate son, and has long since passed in
to other hands, and Eliza, instead of pos
sesSing some thousands a year, and being
Wooed by Mr. Catchpole, is a faded daily
governess.
Every lawyers Office has plenty such sto-
sizes as this One | remember of a miser
who had ruined more than one family, and
IN his last moments wished to make such
reparation as bequeathed gold could com
pass. Poor wretch, the will was brought
catalepsy had seized him, and he lay there
living corpse-deaa in all but mind. He
could not move his and his tongue refused
It's office only his eyes were free to move;
and of those eyes | have been told a terri
bic tale. He was, as misers often are,
man of strong mind and iron nerve. Pas
slve 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 to him; the powerful volition
brought to bear, and persevered in, when
tho