The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-03-17

were more than he had strength to look
at calmly. He is just and kind heart.
ed man, Mr.. Bancroft He who live
with him can bear that testimony
Mr.. Bancroft stood nearly motionless
for long time.
Where does Mr.. Cartwright live ?
ho inquired at lcngth.
at number-Fifth street.
Fo tfhe- dwelling of Mr. Cartwright
he went in all haste. He found every
thing to confirm his worst apprehensions,
the hemorrhage had been very profuse.
tAheady so large a quantity of blood
had besn lest, that the sick man was re-
duced to a state o. insensibility, and
still the bleeding continues. The fam
lily we're, of course, in the deepes.. dis
tress. He saw Mrs. Cartwright for a
moment, and in that moment the inn
preston of her white grief stricken face
was transferred page in memory's
book that no after event could dim or
obliterate. A beautiful daughter, just
on the verge of womanhood, glided past
him once, and her face of terror remain
| ed to haunt him for life. He saw the
physician, and his enquiries received no
hopeful answer.
When Mr. Bancroft left the hall of
sorrow, he went forth almost stealthily,
and with feeling of guilt at his heart
MY work my work! = voice within
him kept repeating. and do what he
would he found it impossible to silence
the accusing spirit.
Il can never forgive myself if he
should die = SAID Mr.. Bancroft to him
self. 'Ol what evil is sometimes
wrought by passion in an upguarded
moment; why did not think before
speakiug?'
Alas the dreadful evil came. Mr..
Bancroft was at ais store an hour ear
lier than usual the uext morning.
Have you heard from Mr.. Cart
wright p he inquired apxiously of a
clerk.
Yes, SIR
How is he p
'Deadr
Dead = Mr.. Bancroft stepped back
pace or two, as if hand were bearing
him.
yes, sir. He died at seven O'Clock
last evening SO the newspaper says
Mr. Bancroft sighed heavily and
then walked ok to his desk, sat down
and remained in troubled thoughts for a
long time. There was only a single as
pect of the case that gave him any relief
and d-this was the probable ignorance of
every one but himself of the immediate
cause of Mr. Cartwright's death. He
bad not, it wrs presumed, mentioned
the unfeeling rcpulse which he had re-
ceived when, at tho eleventh hour, and
as last resort, he had gone to one from
whom he had confidently expected not
konly kind consideration, but prompt re,
lief; and so the secret had died with
! him.
Mr.. Bancroft did not visit the house
of mourning. He could not lock upon
the distress which his own conscience
charged him with originating but his
heart was assailed with gloomy shadows.
There was ne one to represent Mr..
Cartwright in his business, which had
to be closed. An active, hard-working
merchant, he had succeeded, through
many disadvantages, in establishing a
trade that, prosecuted with industry for
few years, would have given his family
a moderate fortune. But he was striek-
en- down at an inauspic;ous moment
Serious losses occurred in the settle.
ment of his affairs, and when all his
debts were finally paid, there was moth
ing over to his family.
Poor Mary Cartwright 2 said Mrs
Bancroft to her husband, one day, about
six months after the death of Mr.. Cart
wright, Il saw her at Mrs. Marvin's to
day. She gives music lessons to her
daughter Helen. How changed she is !!
Mr.. Bancroft made no reply, and his
wife was in some doubt as to whether he
had heard her remark.
/ -.She says that her mother bas never
been out of the house since her father IS
death
Still Mr.. Bancroft made no response
But how the words did smite him All!
there was thorn in the memory that
time could never extract.
There was not dollar left for the
family from poor Cartwright's estate,
said fellow merchant.
so have heard
Mr.. Bancroft answered with seeming
| indifference, but his heart quivered as il
a blow had been given.
1T is said that the failure to raise
money to pay ono of his notes killed
him, said another.
People will say almost anything, re-
piled Mr.. BancEofs. with assumed cool
ness.
] Time moved steadily onward. The
seething spot on the surface of trade
where Mr.. Cartwright went down, was
obliterated by onward moving currents,