Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-08-21

village school. Ny worl-house name was Ed
ward Brooke; but here l got all sorts of nick
names expressive ofmy pauperism. / was the
soeiai iootstool upon which they all mounted
win compiacent satisfaction, surprised to find
themselves SO high; poor simple rogues, if they
mao only known what was likely to befal me,
they would have treated me well enough as my
master did was going to say that he per-
celved was protege, and played his cards &C
cordlngly; but you will think am too bitter up
on all these good folks. Well, then, he was a
q errng on the side of kind
ness, II at all, and he gave my patron such as
.onlshlng accounts OF my progress. He even
learnt all in school hours. Young ladies who
came to teach on Sundays were enraptured
with the way in which disposed of the kings
OF Judah; the rector dared not ask me question
III arithmetic, for his own credit; and browning
SUGGEST Sir William himself came down to the
school IN the twelfth year of my age, and pre-
| sented me with Euclid and pat on the head.
How my master worked me at that dis tressing
volume! | wished myself hundred times back
at the work-house with Crutchey and Biller; for,
although was sharp boy l was not miracle,
and stuck at the asses bridge as long IS any
Etonlan, Nevertheless, when the great man
next visited US, bore his kindly but searching
examination in the earlier books with great
steadiness and success,
| Then it was that | became a pedagocue l
was made monitor over the other boys, and as
sured that my advancement would not cease
| there if continued as | began | had now
plenty of spare time, and read hard at all sorts
of subjects. The master could assist me with
| Latin; but Greek 1 had to get up myself in a
mournful manner; nor did 1 learn for length Of
time even how to pronounce the words Mr.,
Farmer and Sir William were once disputlng
| about passage in Virgil, in the schoolroom, as
to whether certain word was longus or latus;
| the baronet was of the former opinion, and l was
fortunate enough to be able to corroborate him;
but nevertheless, SIR said to the parson, it's
as broad as it's long, a most courteous reply,
which, in few days, bore ample fruit. Good
Mr.. Farmer came one morning to prepare me
for great preferment. He wished me well. he
said and had himself agreed with the squire up
on my merits and their reward. Il know Sir
William well; perhaps better than any other
man. When he takes a liking there is no know
ing what length he will not go, 10 serve its OBJ
ject. l consider, he finished, If you only take
ordinary pains to please him, your fortune is
made
The next day ! was sent for to Hilton Hill; l
had hitherto only seen its turrets above the
mighty elms from the upper windows of the
work-house; its owner himself had rare
ly, for he went but little abroad had grown-on
| account of having lost a beautiful wife, years
ago, 1t was said-almost recluse. He took but
lltLle interest even Ill tH6 DrOau linus ana SlO-
rious home, and | noticed that, as pushed open
the Lodge--for the keeper seeing whom l was,
did not trouble himself to help mellow rusty
We're the hinges, aud that the leaves in the great
avenue were lying where the last nights wind
had left them; the mansion was very Ugh
ground, and as | emerged from the elm-tree
drive, on the sweep before tho door,l saw half OF
Hampshire lying beneath me. There was much
pasture set with oaks, and unGulating gently to
thn ayaio on n ~ a. w !
woods, on which the fiery finger had been laid;
and on the right more upland; tower stee-
pie stood here and there, and one white wind
mill. Upon the horizon cleaned silvery line,
which had never seen before: it was the sea.
| assembled the great stone steps-why did not
enter at the back door | have no notion-and
pulled the quaint bell handle not too gently
felt envious and somehow aggrieved; not to have
even known of such sights as these before; and
yet to have been within a mile of them my life
long, seemed very strange. | was ushered into
the library, and found Sir William at his desk,
over parchment. A stained glass window threw
a flood of colored light about his pallid forehead
and surrounded, he was with such uncared-
for pomp, and a matter-of-course magnitcence;
it was no wonder, perhaps, that lie seemed to be
almost superior being.
"'Alr. Brooke he said, and il was the first
time that the work house boy had ever been dig
nifed by such title-'I like your manners,
J
have considerable talent. Do you think you
should be pleased to reside in my house here &
pursue your studies under a fitting tutor! You
will find me a kind good natured person, and
he seemed to be weighing his words here-'and
powerful friend; but you must take care not
to cross me-
Il was fourteen years old, GRAY, and the hon
est bread of labor looked coarse and rather I'M
palatable beside the nice cake and wine of de-
pendence, l mIEmured, y es, Sir William with
gratitude.
"Come nearer said the Baronet, and I APP
preached until / could perceive the object Of his
studies; it was a fantastic sort of tree OF great
height and many branches, from which hung
pendulous medals, with names and dates upon
them.
"'Do you know what these are, boy7
"'Kings,' l said; thinking of my table of tho
Kings OF Judah.
".Not far out he said he pointed to his own
name hanging alone; Il am the last, you see
boy, of all the Persys; the rotten branch that
shall never put forth leaf.
although of course entirely unable to appre-
ciate the pride of ancestry, l gazed upon him
with an unaffected pity, and he perceived it.
"'You parish wOrk-house boy, said he, as
if annoyed, would you not change places with
me tomorrow, if you could, fer all this and
more!'
"'No, indeed, sir replied, naively, you are
too old
II knew that had spoken i'll the moment
after, and crimsoned to the forehead; but with
calmness and no trace of displeasure, he said
Right boy, right He thsn added, who is
your father, sirl Brooke, | remember no sach
names in these parts
81 4 never had one,' l said mournfully.
"'Nor | a son, answered he, in the same tone.
Then, after a pause, he sad 1--WE will fiji,
henceforth, those places for one another and
kissing my brow, babe me go home, and make
my preparations for reno val.
$50 little box that l could carry it on my
shoulders, contained all my scanty stock of books
and clothes and, with this left the school
masters cottage-where l had boarded for near
ly six years-tor the house of my adopted father
The tumult that occurred in the village was
very great; and its circling eddies extended,
with diminished force, ever all the country
round. The most popular opinions on the sub
ject, were, firstly, that Sir William had gone
mad secondly, that designing boy, of the name
of Brooke, had fattered him into adopting him :;
and thirdly, that the baronet had taken the tardy
step of acknowledging an illegitimate offspring
OF his own.
My own beliefs, that the promise of adoption
was 4 mere mOmentary impulse of my patron,
and that he had intended nothing further, when
he sent for me, than to give me good education
HIS natural generosity, aided by some vanity,
perhaps, had urged him to do this and after
he Of