The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-18
, Social Improvement

gy to call to in case of need
Mr., Merton. He was an active magistrate
and enjoyed bis reputation as such. One day
he came in. having inst received his letters
Bad account of the Morals of your little
town here Jessy! said be, touching one of his
letters. You've either murderer among
you, or some friend of murderer Here's
poor old lady at Bath had her throat cut last
/ Sunday week; and I've letter from the Home
Office. asking 30 lend them my very efficient
aid.' as they are pleased to call it, towards
finding ont the cuiprit. 1t seems he must
have been thirsty, and of comfortable jolly
turn; for before going to his horrid work
he tapped n barrel of ginger wine the old lady
had set by to work; and he wrapped the spig-
OF round with a piece of letter taken out of
his pocket, as may be supposed: and this piece
of letter was found aftergards, there are
only these letters on the outside, tns. Esq,
nrford egtcorth,' which some one has inge-
niously made out to mean Barford, near Keg-
worth, On the other sid, there is some aIlu-
sion to race horse. conjecture. though the
name is singular eoough: Church and King
and down. with the Rump.'
Miss Pratt caught at this name Immediate
ly; it had hurt her feelings as q dissenter only
a few months ago, and she remembered it
we'll - @
'Mr. Nat Hearn has-or had (as am speak
ing in the witness box as it were. | must take
care of nv tenses,) horse with that ridicu-
lous name' . ~ 5-
Mr.. Nat. Hearn,' repeated Mr. Morton,
making note of the intelligence; then he re-
Cured to his letter from the Home Office
again.
There is also piece of small key, hrok-
en- in the futile attempt to open desk--well,
we'll. Nothing of more consequence. The
letter is what we must rely upon s'a
MIR Davis said that Mr.. Higgins told him
- Miss Pratt began.
'Higginsr exclaimed Mr.. Merton, ms. lett
Higgins, the clustering fellow that ran away
with Nat Hearn's sister2' ST
'YesP said Miss Pratt. But though be
has never been favourite of mine
nj repeated Mr.. Merton. 1T is too horri-
BILE to think of; a member of the, hunt-kind
old Squire Hearn'n son in lawl Who else
have you in Barford with names that end in
ns?' st-a 5a4
There's jackson. aud Higginson. and
Bienkinson. and Davis, and Jones. Cousini
One thing strikes ne-hew did Mr.. Higgins
know all about it tn tell Mr. Davis on Tuesday
what had happened on Sunday afternoon2'
There is no need to add much more. Those
curious in lives of the highwaymen may find
the name of Higgins as conspicuous among
those annals as that of Claude Duyal. Kate
Hearus husband collected bis reuts on the
Highway, like many other gentlemen of the
day; but having been unlucky ia one or two of
his adventures. and hearing exaggerated ac-
counts of the boarded wealth of the old lady
at Bath, he was led on from robbery to mur-
der and was hung for his crime at Derby in
seventeen hundred and seventy five. -
He had not been an unkind husband; and bis
poor wife took lodgings in Derby to be near
him in his last moments. Her old father went
with her everywhere but into her husbands
cell; and wrung her heart by constantly accu-
sing himself of having promoted her mar
riage with man of whom he knew so little.
He ahdicated his squireship in favor of his
son Nathaniel Nat, was prosperous, and the
helpless silly father could be of no use to him;
but to his widowed daughter the foolish fond
old mao was all in all; her knight, her protec-
tor her companion; her most faithful loving
companion, only ne ever declined assuming the
Office of her counsellor-shaking his head sad.
:. lily, and saving
'Ah! Kate, Kate! if had had more wis
dom to have advised thee better, thou need'st
not have been an exile here in Brussels
shrinking from the sight of every English per.
> son as if they knew thy story
saw the White House not month ago;
it was 10 let, perhaps for the twentieth time
r sihce Mr.. Higgins occupied it.; but still the
t tradition goes in Barford that once upon q
f time a highwayman lived there, and amassed
untold treasures; and that the i'll gotten wealth
? yet remains walled up in some unknown con.
cealed chamber; but in what part Of the house
, no one knows.
z Will any of you become tenants and try to
t find out this mysterious closetf l can furnish
the exact address to any applicant who wishes
n for it.-Househeid Words.
CAN ANY ONE TELL7
q Can any one tell how it is, that during these
It hard times, when every merchant, manufacture
n er and mechanic is doing his utmost to keep
il his nose above water. our numerous drinking
saloons are well sustained and even new ones
n starring?
Can any one tell how men, who absolutely
!. cannot pay small bills, can always 6nd plenty
It of money to buy liquor and treat when hap
Y pening among friends ? tf7fF
t. Can any one tell how young men who dodge
d their washerwomen and are always behind with
r their landlords can play billiards day and night
d and are always ready for game of poker Or
e seven upl'
o Can any one tell how it is. that some men
WHO owe their butchers, owe for rent, and owe
everybody who will credit them, will ask their
le neighbors into oysters and birds. and always
is manage so as to have all the delicacies of the
season
" Can any one tell how it is that virtuous
young women, who have poor ancestors on the
,e male side, poor brothers, and are dismully poor
themselves, arrange it to dress in silks, aud