The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-06-24
NICHOLAS STINGWELL.
BY WALTER CAMPBELL.

Like other cities, Providence, r. /.
has its sections wherein are crowded The
habitatious of the victims Of misfortune
aud the votaries of idleness. Into a
cheeriess apartment Of one of thes,
wretched abodes, the reader is invited
for a moment, to witness scene which
introduces Mrs. Williams and her two
daughters, Mary and Emma, whose for
tunes We propose to follow in this sketch
Upon a sick bed We find the mother
whose sunken eye and flushed cheek, be.
tray the presence OF disease deeply seat
ed. BY her side are standing Mary, q
fair girl Of sixteen summers. whose soft
blue eye and pale cheek told of severe
cares and midnight watchings, and En-
ma. not eleven years of age-unlke her
sister, a rosy checked girl-but just now
realizing trouble, which has flooded Will
tears her sparkling black eyes As we
enter. the mother is speaking:
"My children, | believe shall never
be better able to communicate to you
some incidents in my life with which |
believe you ought TO be acquainted, than
am at present. Your father, at the
time we we're married, was extensively
engaged in business iu New York Moth.
ing occurred to interrupt his success until
you Mary. were seven years Of age, when
in attempting settlement with Nicholas
Stiugweli, a man with whoom be had ex-
tensivc dealings, and whose notes he held
TO the amount of twenty thousand dollars,
he found this man had put his property
ent:rely out of his hands and refused to
honor his notes That be was able to
meet his liabilities, no one doubted; but
by dishonesty he placed himself beyond
the reach Of his creditors.
Your fathers affairs became embar-
rassedby this deficit; and, in bis exertions
TO clear his own debt, he overtaxcd his
mind aud physical powers to the extent
that hi- health failed hin, and being at
tackled by congestion of the brain, he
died, leaving his affairs to be settled by
court OF justice, when all was disposed iu
such a manner that, although | was as
sured that bis asset, met bis liabilities,
had nothing left for the support of iny
family but the worthless Stingwell notes
and my own hands. As you know.
strove by needle work, and such like, for
three years to support myself and you,
when | thought it better to remove here,
aud in a few months was taken sick, since
which time poor Mary has been forced to
work in the factory for our support. Ihave
been rejecting upon a matter which was
brought to my mind before was conGn-
ed to my led. bad completed some
work for Mrs. Smith, aud had gone to
her house with if, when. 10 an adjoining
room, heard Mr.. Saith, 10 couversa-
fion with another gentleman, relating cir
cumstanees attending a recent journey to
the South. when at Baton Rouge, Lou
isiana,' said be, 1 visited plantation
owned By a gentleman named Nicholas
Stingwel-one of the finest | saw while
out. He is reputed to be wealthy, and
by the number Of negroes. sugar works,
etc, on bis plantation, | should Judge
that report did hin justice.
"You may well think, my children, that
this piece of information caused my heart
to throb, and recolections of the vilany
OF this mau to crowd upon mg mind. /
knew be had left New York; but whittier
he took himself, believe he did not take
pains to inform many of bis acquaintan-
ces. | have sometimes thought that If
there was auy such thing as justice to be
found in this country, it seems as if the
notes against Stingwell ought to be good
now. / know be did not take advantage
of the bankrupt law while in New York,
but was satisfied with declaring himself
worth nothing The notes are tied up a.
mong some letters in the drawer of my
bureau. You will easily End them
They we're given at different times, and
for various amounts. but in all. amount
to about twenty thousand dollars.
ut is possible that, in the hands of
some judicious lawyer, they may yet re,
trieve something of our fallen fortuue.-
In the days of prosperity. | recollect
family whose intimacy with ours was like
the relationship of brothers and sisters.
/ remember that son was at that time
studying for the law; and have since
learned that he was practicing bis pro-
fessiou successfully at Worcester, Mass.
Now | do not know bot. if this case could
be placed in bis bands. be would. for old
acquaintance sake. do the best in bis
power to aid us. | think it will be best
to see him as sson as circumstances will
permit His name is on card, which
you will also 6nd with the papers"
Here the failing strength of the sick
woman advised her that she had both o.
ver-taxed it and forgotten how low was
her condition. She continued, in faint
voice:
"Rut nv dear children. | belicYe You