The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-02-10


hotel in the city. My visions of one thou
sand dollars kept my tongue bridled, and |
was led in silence up two flights of stairs
into suit of rooms comprising parlor and
two bed rooms. The parlor, however, was
occupied by bed, in which lay an old and
evidently dying man. A servant was with
him, but he left upon a motion from the
hand OF my companion, who approached
the bedside and said
81 have an attorney here, sir shall he
proceed? p
The old mans eye frightened up, and after
glarlng on me for a moment, he spoke:
" If you can draw up my will, do it quick,
now, for | must save my BREATH
turned to the table where found paper,
pens, ink, and everything necessary and by
the light of two sperm candles in heavy sill
yer candlesticks, was soon busily engaged
at the will.
will not trouble you with the details.
nor, in fact, do remember them; but it is
enough to say that large amount of pro-
perty, real and personal, bonds, mortgages,
&c, were left in the words of the will, "to
my good and faithful housekeeper, Angeline
-, as token Of gratitude for her long,
faithful and meritorious service" But the
concluding words of the will | shall never
forget; they were written from his own
mouth, and made me shudder as | wrote
them. There is something fearful, dreadful,
in thus deliberately recording, in what pur-
ports TO be your last written wish, curse
upon your own offspring. And felt, as
wrote it. an involuntary desire to tear the
paper into fragments, and to rush from the
room, but the thousand dollars were like so
many anchors, and staid and wrote.
Il 10 10 r.. III
isfacton she can obtain from my hearty
curse. When rags whip about her in her
only home, the street, and the dogs share
with her the refuse of the gutter, she NAV re-
gret that she disobeyed him who once loved
her, but who. dying, cursed her."
There was something like chuckle in the
direction of old Angeline -, as the dying
wretch dictated these fearful words; but as
looked and saw the stern face as rigid as
marble, concluded must have been mis-
taken. | could not, however, divest myself
of certain feeling that all was wrong. Al
rich old man, accompanied by an old house
keeper, and dying in strange city her
anxiety to have the will so strong the curse
on his daughter, and the large fee, all con-
spred to make me feel that | was being in.
strumental in the accomplishment of some
villainous object. Again | meditated the
destruction of the paper. and again my fee
and wants conquered. The will was finish
ed, and | read it over aloud, the old man
groaning. and the old woman looking an oc-
casional assent; but when | read the terrible
curse, new actor appeared on the scene.
"Oh, tear it tear it, Oh, God, you know
not what you dor
The plantive tones of the voice touched nv
heart, even before my eyes beheld its owner;
but when saw her, heavens and earth, what
an angel she was The language is yet un-
discovered, Harry, that is competent to give
you a description of that face the eyes
dancing with excitement, yet liquid with
tears; the mouth proud as Juno's, yet COM
pressed with anguish. But why do attempt
description? The most majestic, yet the
sweetest countenance ever beheld, appealed
to me, and not in vain. For a while the
old man, weak as he was, jumped from his
bed, screaming: "Kill her, kill her."
tore the will into fragments. and we both
fell to the floor-he dead, and stunned bv
blow from the heavy candlestick, welded by
the old hag Angeline. ......
When my consciousness returned, I found
myself in my own bed at my boarding-house,