Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-11-27


my heart, to buy what l do not want
his father had no head for such nonsen-
sical logic. Money is money" was a
fayorite maxim with him he had acted
upon it through a long life, and believed /
that ne owed his fortune to the principle.
1t went sorely against the grain that This
son, on whom he had relied to carry the .
family fortune to the highest degree of
prosperity, should run off the track for |
what he accounted a mere foolish whim,
which sober second thought would make !
him ashamed of. He loved him too well
and was too well aware Of the stuff he
was made Of, to use any means but rea-
son and entreaty and appeals to his self
interest; but in time, finding that nothing
could move his obstinacy, he began to
grow reserved and gruff the interviews
between father and son became embar-
raising and unpleasant, and at last they
rarely spoke except upon matters of
business. Still, whatever may have been
brooding in the old mans heart, there
were no threats, and Henry had no reason
to fear that matters would terminate in
open rupture between them.
! But as his father gradually failed TO-
wards the grave, the thought of the
slightest estrangement became insuppor-
table to Henry, and he cast about for
some means of reconciliation. Under the
influence this feeling, he impaired the
secret to a cousin, in whose integrity and
judgment he placed the fullest confidence
and entreated his advice and assistance,
and after much urging, for his cousin was
in good faith averse to meddling in fami-
ly affairs, persuaded him to procure amin
terview with the old gentleman, and see
what could be done towards bringing mat
tiers to a happier issue. He did so and
> in perfect good faith he advised Henry,
since his presence was evidently irrita-
, ting to his father, to absent himself for a
: while from Magdeburg, in the hope that
the old merchants heart, naturally in
clined towards an absent child, might be
more ready TO listen to reason and affec.
ton. This seemed to be wisest, and in
deed, under the circumstances, the only
/, practical course; and Henry found some
: pretence for making a journey into the
interior Of the country.
I 1t would not be difficult to guess tn,
result. The thought, at fr4t driven from
him with disdain, but soon returning t
/ be dwelt upon with fatal deliberation-
Il that little adroit management was al
d that was necessary to make that immens
4 fortune his own. shortly drove every prin
" ciple of honor and honesty from the cou
!, II sins heart for an evil thought return
- and returns upon one, like an inexorabI
" fiend you must say, begone. with DE-
termined soul, or sooner or later it wi
gain The mastery. There is no need {
stopping to relate the insidiOus NEAR
which he employed to alineate the o.
mans heart from his son how he fla
tered his mercantile pride and wisdom
II how he reused his anger against the il
g nocent cause Of all the trouble, and ar
q fully contrived to involve Henry in it
iEe E last. The very absence of his cousin, &
~ the time prolonged by his own letter
was used against him. 1t required /
" professional eye to see that the troub
was surely and not slowly preparing t
poor old misguided man for the grave.
n 1Iisled by the false letters of his cous
an Henry extended his absence from a fl
ar. weeks to several months, and It was p;
est summer when he received a letter from
ses lawyer in Magdeburg, with the intel
ma gence Of the death of his father. 7
;cb letter also stated that grieved and off
m ded by his absence, notwithstanding
oft the last moment had wilIed all his f
tune to his cousin, who had faithfully
hat tended him through his sickness. Her
m. was stunned for amoment, ike one "
air has received a sudden blow. DefrauC
to by the man he trusted-beggared by
overweening conidenee-worse than
lty. his fathers dying hours embittered-v
of can wonder that, after the first cony
nlv sion of astonishment and rage, he sho
de- hasten to confront the villain in a MI
to that brooks nothing and reeks nothil
led They met il the counting room wh
hat Henry had once called his own.
red cousin met his angry reproaches with
But cool, contemptuous efrontery of one '
nee. knows himself successful villain,
itch means to bear it out and Henry, II
orm enraged at such conduct than if his
was sion had been answered by passion, s
for lost self control, and snatching a he