Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-07-19


so much money upon foolishly. lie did
so but it did no good. Some pretended
not to know him, and no one would lend
him iarthing, or even offer him dinner.
so he wandered about forlorn and hungry
for two days; for work he could not, and
to beg he was ashamed. At last, in his
extreme misery, he bethought himself of
his fathers dying words. "I have not
sold the house in Kippletringan yet,
said he, "for no one would buy it. | will
go and break open the upper chamber
My father said l would find relief there
aud perhaps he meant treasure. If il
should prove so, ] will be q wiser man
than | was, and not waste it on knaves." 4"
TO the house then he went, and broke the
chamber door open.. He found relief in.
deed.
There was nothingin the room except
q high stool, and directly over it a halter
dangled from hook in the ceiling. He
looked up and read these words:
"Oh! graceless wretch and wanton fool!
You are ruined forever. This is the only
relief for those who have wasted their
patrimony as you have DONE Behold
t ien-put the halter around your neck,
and jump from the stool and save your
family from the disgrace of beggary"
every excellent COUNSEL" said the heir
of Linn, "and as must either hang or
starve, think I'll take my fathers ad-
vice and hang. 1t is the shortest death
of the two"
So he mounted, fastened the halter
around his neck, and kicked the stool from
under.
But the heir, of Linn was not to die so.
The board into which the hook was driv-
en- gave way with his weight, and he fell
on the floor with shower of gold coin
rattling about his ears. will not say
that he felt no pain in the neck the next
day, but at that moment he certainly felt
none. Joy rushed into his heart like
torrent, at seeing himself rescued from
death and beggary. The space between
the ceiling aud the roof contained an enor-
nous treasury. On the upper side of
door from which he thought to suspend
himself, was fastened letter addressed
to him. He hastily tore it open and read
as follows:
"My dear son, know your character,
and no expostulation or advice can wean
you from the desperate course you are
pursuing. Nothing but misery sharper
than death, can work the cure on you.--
If, therefore, your misfortunes should be
so grevious that you prefer death to their
endurance. you will not rashly encounter
them again. You have made the trial; ;
take my gold, redeem your lands, and be-
come better man"
The heir of Linn did not leave the spot
without putting up prayer for the soul
of man whose admirable wisdom had
discovered the means OF raising him from
beggary and despair to aftluence. and of
weaving him from the follies and vices
which had so disgraced his character
To evince his gratitude, he resolved to
amend his life from that day forward, and
become all a fathers heart could wish.
But he thought he would make one
more trial of his false friends on whom he
had wasted his time and substance, and
his character. He therefore kept his new
y discovered wealth great secret, until
he heard that John of Scales was to give
u STtdt anu all tHC iOluo
and ladies of Galway were to be there.
When the heir of Linn entered his faith
er's hall, it was crowded with ricney
dressed gentry, but he was in beggar's
rags. He appealed to the charity of the
company, saying he was starving. To
one he said you have dined at my board a
thousand times; will you deny me the
crpp,b ,,,b;,b foll from your own fNo
another, 81 gave You pair stee's and
trappings," And to another, he said 81
lent You thousand pounds, and never
asked You to repay me" and SO on to the
rest of the company. But instead Of re-
menibering his tavors, they reviled him
and called him spendthriit, beggar, and
all manner of vile names. Some said it
was shame that such wretched looking
object should be suffered to come among
them; and one to whom, more than all
the rest, his purse had been open called
for the servant to thrust him out of doors.
But one man took his part. 1t was
master Richard Lakeland, poor youn-
ger son of wealthy gentleman. He
stood up and said, 81 never ate at the
board of the heir of Linn; | never rode
his horses, or shared his purse, or received
favor to the amount of farthing. But
what then? He was q worthy gentleman
when he had the means. l have twelve
golden mobiles, and that is all POSSESSES
in the world and there are six of them at
the service of the man whose hand was
never shut to the poor. And as | am
gentleman. no man shall lay finger on
him while wear a sword"
A glad man was the heir of Linn to
find one man worthy to he his friend
He took the six mobiles and advanced to-
towards John of Scales, who was stand
ing at the end Of the hall attired in gor-
geous apparel. ..t.
"You, at least, said the heir of Linn,
fought to relieve my necessities, for you
have grown rich on my ruin, and | gave
you a good bargain for your lands"
Then John of Scales began to revile
him and declare that he had given much
more than the lands were worth, for he
did not like to be reminded Of SO goodly
a company.
"Nay," said he to the heir of Linn, "if
you will but return to me half of what
paid for your fathers estate, you shall
| have il back again"