Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-27

and heao-heAfted, said Mary, eust little
70 begin with. You would only stoop to
conquer john, and you deserve to con-
quer.n. .'. -.
"May gain my deserts then ~ said John.
care you not 10 be my loving wife Nary
And are YOU not TO sit at needle work in my
studio, whilst paint my great historical pic
ture2 How can tins come to pass If Mr.
COlett will do nothing for us p
"Ah, how indeed ?" said Mary. "But
here's our friend Peter Finch coming through
the gate from his walk. leave You togsth-
er." And so saying she withdrew
"What Meade r said Peter Finch, as he
entered, ''skulking in doors on fine morn
ing like this I've been all through the vii
lage. Not an ugly place-but wants looking
after sadly. Roads shamefully muddy -
Pigs allowed TO walk on the footpath n
"Dreadfhlp' exclaimed John
81 say, you come out pretty strong last
night" said Peter. 'Quite defed the old
man But like your spirit"
al have no doubt You do, thought John
"Oh, when | was a youth, l was little
that way myself" said Peter. ''But the
world-the world, my dear sir-sOOn cures
us of all romantic notions / regret, of
course, to see poor people miserable; but
what's the use of regreting2 1t is no part
of the business of the superior classes TO in
teriere with the laws Of supply and demand !;
poor people must be miserable. What can't
be cured must be endured"
"ThAt is to say, returned John, f'what we
can't cure, they must endure" .
"Exactly so, said Peter.
Mr. 6ollet this day was too i'll to leave his
bed. About noon he requested to see his
nephew in his bedroom. They found him
propped up by pillows, looking very weak
but in good spirits as usual.
swell, boys said he, ''here am, you see,
brought to anchor at last The doctor will
be here soon, suppose, to shake his head
and write receipts. Humbug, my boys -
Patients can do as much for themselves, / be-
lieYe, as the doctors can do for them-they're
all in the dark together-the only difference
is, that hepatients grOpe in English, and the
doctors grope in Latin"
"You are too skeptical, sir, said Mr.. John
Meade.
"PoohP said Mr.. COllett 'let US change
the subject. want your advice, Peter, and
John, on a matter that concerns your interest.
I'm going to make my will to-day, and
don't know how to act about your cousin,
Emma Briggs. Emma disgraced US by mar
rying an oil man."
"An oil mani" exclaimed John
"a vulgar, shocking oil manP said Mr..
Collett, "a wretch who not only sold oil, but
soap, candles, turpentine, black lead and
birch brooms. 1t was dreadful blow to
/ the family. Her grandmother never got
over it and a maiden aunt turned Methodist
in despair. Wen, Briggs, the oil man, died
last week, it seems; and his widSw has writ
ten for assistance. Now, have thought of
leaving her a hundred year in my will
What do you think of it2 I'm afraid she
dom deserve it. What right had she TO mar
~ against the advice of her friendsP What
have TO do with her misfortunes ~
any mind is quite made up" said Peter
Finch-"nO notice ought to be taken of her.
She made an obstinate and unworthy match
and let her abide the consequences"
'NoW for your opinion, John, said Mr..
Collett ..ll -L.3
"Upon my word, I think must say the
same, said John Meade bracing himself up
bodily for the part of worldly man. "What
right had she to marry 2-as you observe
with great justice, sir. Let her abide the
consequences, as you very properly remark
ed, Finch. Can't she carry on the oil mans
BUSINESS dare say it would support her
very well2'
@Why, no" said Mr.. Couett; Briggs
died bankrupt, and his widow and children
are destitute
That does not alter the question" said
Peter Finch. "Let Briggs family do some
thing for her"
To be sure !" said Mr.. Collett; "Briggs
family are the people to do something for
her. She mustn't expect anything from US
must she, John2"
Destitute is she20 said John; "with
children, taOl Why, this is another case,
sir. You surely ought to notice her-to as
sist her. Confound it, Pm for letting her
have the hundred year.
Oh, John, JOhnl what break DOWN."
said Mr.. Collett. $50 you were trying to
follow Peter Finch through Stony Arabia,
and turned back at the second stepi Here's
brave traveller for you, Peter John, John,
keep to your Arabia Felix, and leave sterner
ways to very different men. Good bye, both
of you. I've no voice to talk any more. Pl
think over all you have said"
He pressed their hands, and they left the
room. The old man was too weak to speak
the next day, and in three days after that he
calmly breathed his last.
As soon as the funeral was over, the will
was read by the confidential man of bust
ness, who had always attended to Mr.. Col
letts affairs. The group that sat around him
preserved a decorous appearance Of disinter
estedness, and the usual preamble to the viii
having been listened to with breathless at
tention, the man of business read the follow
ing in clear voice: EtE
% / bequeath to my niece, Emma Briggs,
notwithstanding that she shocked her family
by marrying an oil man, the sum of four
thousand pounds, being fully persuaded that
her lost dignity, if she could ever find it
again, would do nothing to provide her with
food or clothing or shelter"
John Meade smiled, and Peter Finch
ground his teeth-but in a quiet, respectful
manner. --
The man of business went on with his
reading.
Having always held the opinion that wo-
man should be rendered rational and inde-
lpendent being--and having duly considered
the fact that society practically denies her
the right to earn her own living-I hereby
bequeath 10 Mary Sutton, the only child of
my old friend, Frederick Sutton, the sum
! of ten thousand pounds, which viii enable
her to marry or remain single, as she may
prefer" T. .L
John Meade gave prodigious start upon
hearing this, and Peter Finch ground his
teeth again-but in manner hardly respect
full. Both, however, by a violent effort, kept
= silent -
The man of business went on with his
reading. -lr .r..sr-
81 have paid some attention to the char
acter Of my nephew, John Meade, and have
been gratifed to find him much possessed with
a feeling of philanthropy, and with general
: preference for whatever is noble and true,
: over what is base and false. AS these ten
denotes are by no means such as can advance
him in the world, bequeath him the sum oi
ten thousand pOunds-hoping that he will
thus be kept out of the work-house, and be
enabled 70 paint his great historical picture
which as yet he has only talked about
GAS for my other nephew, Peter Finch
he views all things in so sagscious and selfish