The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1859-02-26
Jbe ,frlitiana lrmotrat.
TIE TALISMAN.


said-You ask me to tell you my history neph-
CIV. and the cause of my success in life You
doubtless expect me, in doing so, to detail to
Won dccp.lnid and sagaciouSly executed schemes,
and instances of virtue and heroiSm triumphing
over gnoble opposition, according to the story
books.
You will be disappointed. You are young
you are romantic Virtue as a means of sue
cess You must know, is obsolete Flooding
wisdom is found in the nineteenth century to
he slowcoach.
If you consent, out of potencss to me, to
dispense with wisdom and virtue in my history,
will yet tell you something Of romance my
boy-yes n real fairy tale--onc that will tax
your credulity quite as much as the old story OF
Aladdin'S Lamp that you young heads so de-
light in, and it will have the merit OF being
true. | shall tell you about Talisman. Lis
ten!
L was early left an orphan, as you know,
and was adopted by my ever.to be.venerated
uncle, Aristarchus Brazcn, Esq, the great
capitalist.
Uncle Aristarclus treated me Just as he
would have treated his own child, if he had
onc-that is, he made me work like slave ear
ly and late and, for the rest, used me much
like dog
MY dear uncle had one trait that the world
never gave him credit for: he was miscr, and
hard one at that. If he didn't grind those
unfortunates whom he once got in his power,
never knew one who did They might bet
ter have been in cidcr-mill. Ia. m!-its
refreshing TO think Of
You look surprised Boy, you should not
look surprised. Never be surprised at anything
under any circumstances
I drudgcd faithfully for my uncle. and bore
all his whims and humors submssvcly. had
one motive to cheer and sustain me: was to
be his heir. So he used to intimate, sometimes,
when he gave me u hard task to perform in
stead Of dinner All this property of my
great and vcncrated uncle. thought all these
stocks and bonds and mortgages and down
town stores and uptown houses and lots that
bring in such royal income, will yet be mine.
My dear uncle cant live always-he must 90
before long; and then-hurra!I! I'll be n prince .
So | used to console myself as | grew up
dwarfed with hard work and hard fare.
One day soon after | had come Of age, !
was seated at work in the Office when u mes.
sengcr came in, saying that my uncle was sup,
posed to be dying, and wished to see me i'm.
mediately.
| dashed into the back room, danced, leap.
cd, whisled and turned two ecstatic somerSetS.
Then Selling my hat, settled my face into an
expression Of the protoundcst anguish, and has.
tened up town.
When reached my uncc's house, rushed
i'll distractedy, overturned the physician aud
nurse who were standing by the bedside, threw
myself on my knees, seized my unele's hand in
nine and mostcncd the bcd.clothcs with q
torrent Of tears My uncle reused himself
turned over, and glanced at me. lie secmc(
touched by my grief You have always beer
faithful boy said he. i have made my will
4 have not forgotten YOU And he turnc,
away and died.
AS could restrain the violence of my gric
no longer, rushed upstairs to my ROOM anC
closed the door. Dead, and remembered M
in his will. Gloriousn exclaimed l. III the bit
terness Of my affection at the loss Of my dcal
uncle.
The news Of my unclc's death spread rapid
1y, and produced Il sensation. The tdng
were circulated by word-ofmonth through
Wall street, even before they could be publish
ed in the evening papers. The bulls and bear,
looked afflicted. When the time came, man,
OF them left their dcns, and went to join in thu
funeral procession. Appropriate mourncrs!
The newspapers announced, i'll loaded col
zen Esq, emulatug one another IN cXtollin2
the virtues Of man who had died millionaire
the abilities which had raised him to the dis
tincton ofsuch death, and the lberality which
had now and then ostentatiously devoted few
hundreds to charitable purposes. But the,
had occasion to renew their laudatons owe
additional loaded type when my uncles vii
had been read, which you may be sure a
done at an carly opportunity.
The other relatives Of the deceased were few
and dstanty connected. AS they assembled
TO listen to the reading Of the important docu
ment, glanced at them triumphantIy. ] hac
the assurance Of the estator that was remcm
bered in it.
My triumph, however, was short,lycd.
The seals were at length broken, and thu
momentous secrets they had guarded were made
known. With every legal formaty, the whole
of my uncle's property was distributed among
the various benevolent enterprises of the day
Hospitals and asylums received large requests
A college was established on a liberal founda
ton. Alms-houses were endowed to an exten
II \ \ ILL., p Al