Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-01-08
Stlttteb TaIe.
tFrom Dickens Household Words.l
The Beechgroye Family.

so YOU think, my lad, that you would be
quite happy if You had such hall as that we
passed this morning, with park of old trees
AID terraced garden, and pheasants feeding
aud growing in every covert Ay, but you're
wrong, my lad. 1t isn't halls or parks, or any
thing that money can buy, that can make you
happy"
The speaker was whitehaired, hale old
man. with that clear tinted complexion that
speaks of an active and rot too hard life spent
out of doors. From his dress he might have
been small farmer, or a head gamekeeper, or
lbalff, or chief gardener and, from his way
speaking, it seemed as if he had been in the
habit Of coIfTersing with his superiors, and had
aaght up some of their phrases and tones
Why, here" he said, pulling out of his
l0cket a printed auctoneer's catalogue "here
4 j paper that picked up in the bar of the
hson hotel, that tells very different story
O; the place where | passed more than fifty
tears Of my life.
There was not prettier estate in this coun-
.ry than Beechgrove park A thousand acres
in ring fence, beside common rights and other
property that went with it. 1t was in the
family of Squire Corburn, they say, for five
Aundred years and more But the last three
SguireS dipped it each deeper than the other !;
for they all drank and played deep, and drink
ing and dice don't 60 well together. Squire
AEdrew-he was the last---lived as his fore
!ahers had done kept his hounds and drove
Bis four-in-hand and had open house always at
ace time and strong ale and bread and cheese
o;any one that called any day in the week
al which would not have hurt him so much if
be had not always had either the dice-box or
lie brandy bottle in his hand. He was the
Nt Of bad sort who are called jolly good
a-oTs because they flung their money about
0every lad or lass that would join their mad
'cked pranks.
We'll, one evening he rolled off the sofa
'NteF dinner aud, before his poor wife could
Moose his handkerchief he was dead. Then
tlraed out that for three years he had been
-'lls at the place on sufferance that every
Jung tbere-land, house furniture, pictures,
s'TseS, carriages yerything-belonged to old
aver RgorS of Blexborough. Squire Cor
rn left no sons-only two daughters. So
Is poor lady gathered up the little that was
'' 10 her with small income that the Squire
"aa l0t tonch, and was seen no more.
Ny father was baiff over the home farm
H Squire COrburn, and was his deputy.
a you may believe we had nice place of it.
4. Inc cid lawyer had the character of be-
~ " hard man in business, and had mortgages
Nj :" nall the estates in the county but as
NJ n W. as Beechgrove park came into his posses
Ae altered his ways, retired from business,
~ ~ 0A all the old head servants, and carried
b s'n s,n,eFythng much the same as before only,
n ,4. -: Was done in perfect order, he got more
H. IS money. Except that he parted with
"oahdS, he put down no part of the Cor.
%- r%1Na'e' He furnished the best rooms
'eeu fr>trate cook laid in some famous
4r III addition to the old stock and by
'Sd a 4, means, with capital pheasant preserves,
dfs +, .F reputation of having money to lend. he
IL. "OA visited by almost all the first people
'Ese s,.I t county. At first the old lawyer seemed
h sj'. new lease of life, looking after his
.Has '~ aud farm, and riding out to pay visits |;
lNnrt as,. :, sas handsome old fellow, not much
- eri.aA aah'y-a widower, and mothers thought
MI sn' P, marry again.
'F W. II vas too much for him at last He
ouk'nS, and played such tricks with