Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-11-23

o Villars was received by the object 0
his bounty, with the most lively joy
d and most touching gratitude. Fal
from having forgotten his benefactor
Il belmont bad made every effort to
9 find him, though he had never re.
ceived the least proof Of his regard
for the valet had kept back the let.
ter for the sake of appropriating to
himself the bank note it contained
, They passed the day together, and
, In the course of it, Villars learned
from belmont the vicissitudes of his
life. We shall give them in his own
words:
"A few years ago, / was one of the
richest merchants in Lyons, and one
Of the happiest men in France per
haps in the world. Everything pros
pered with me; | enjoyed excellent
health, and, as / supposed, many sin
cere friends, and a beautiful and af-
fectionate child, who was the pride
and joy of my life. Next to my
daughter, was a friend in whom /
placed implicit confid enceJ | had
known him for thirty years : often
served him and always found him
punctual TO his engagements. One
day he came to ask sum OF money
much larger than any | had before
lent him. | complied and he went
away, promising to return to supper.
We waited for him some time; at
last We sat down to supper, and just
as we did SO, one of my neighbors
entered with horror in bis counte-
nance.
Good Heavens! cried. .he abruptly,
poor Mercer has just shot himselfri
Never shall | forget my feelings in
that terrible moment. The news
was true; the poor man had been for
a long time addicted to gambling.-
Seeing himself on the brink of ruin,
he resolved to make adesperate effort
to retrieve his affairs; he failed, and
wanting courage to face ignominy, he
rushed into the presence, OF an of.
Tended Deity.
This was the beginning of my
misfortunes; grief and horror over
whelmed me, sunk under the weight
Of my feelings, and violent fever
reduced me to the brink of the grave.
While thus suffering, losses came
| thick upon me, and with the return
of health, | found myself beggar,
nay, worse, for i owed a large sum of
money which | could not pay. My
Julia inherited her mother s fortune,
lie was settled upon her, out of my
power to touch; but, no sooner did
she learn the State oil my affairs, than,
unknown to me, she surrendered
every shilling.
Noble grill exclaimed Villars.
| Noble, indeed; but how was her
conduct appreciated where most it
ought to have been felt? / knew
/ that her affection for him was only
| that of a sister, but she acceded to
my wishes, and consented to give him
her hand; the day was fixed, when
my illness delayed the marriage, but
neither Julia nor myself ever doubt
ed his truth. No sooner did he learn
that she had given up her inheri-
lance, than he bade her an eternal
faEewell!'
i The scoundrel!
$50 | called him. Julia uttered
nc complaint; her cheek was pale.
J but her voice did not falter, when.
throwing herself into my arms, she
: exclaimed:
Father, from this time we have
: nothing in the world but each other.
d we quilted Lyons. lsousht EN-
: ployment in Paris, and found it; bot
: my salary was small, and J ulla's nee.
die added a little, and if we were mo-
: happy, We were at least content.
t But fortune had notdone persecu
e ting me; the loss of my place ant
my daughters illness reduced us t.
: the state in which you found US
Your bene6cenee relieved usfrom Ger
u tain death. T7Ah, never, from tina
# hour, haveiwe addressed prayer +
e heaven, in which you were not re
y membered. a. $
Il "A few days after Providence ha
+ sent you to our aid, we received IN
10 telligence of a most unhoped for rt
T. verse of fortune. The lover who ha
rel so cruelty deserted my child,- wa
dead; and repenting his conduct, ha