Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-04-07
THE PErTIBONE LINEAGE.

not unaware that q catastrophe lies colled up
in the juxtaposition. But | cannot help wri.
ting plainly that am still in favor OF dis
tinguished family-tree. Esto perpetual To
have somebody for great grandfather that
was somebody is exciting. To be able to
look on long lines of ancestry that were rich,
but respectable, seems decorous but all right.
The present Earl of Warwick, think must
have an idea that strict justice has been done
him in the way of being launched properly
into the world. / saw the Duke of Newcas-
tie once, and as the farmer in Conway desert
bed Mount Washington, | thought the duke
felt propensity to 'hunch up some. Some
how it is pleasant to look down on the crowd
and have conscious right TO do So
Left an orphan at the tender age of four
years, having no brothers or sisteri to prop
me round with young affections AMI sympa-
thies, / fell into three pairs of hands, excel
lent in their way, but peculiar. Patience,
Eunice, and Mary Ann Pettibone were my
aunts on my fathers side All my mother S
relations kept shady when the Lonely orphan
looked ahoutfor protection; but Patience Pet
tibone, in her stately way, said,-"The boy
belongs to good family, and he shall never
want while his three aunts can support him.
So went to live with my plain, but benign
ant protectors, in tae state of New Hamp-
shire.
During my boyhood, the hest.drilled lesson
that fell to my keeping was this: "Respeet
yourself We come of more than ordinary
parentage. Superior blood was probably
concerned in getting up the Pettibones. Hold
your head erect, and some day you shall
have proof of your high lineage"
remember onte, on being told that | must
not share my juvenile sports with the butch
ers three little beings, begged to know why
not. Aunt Eunice looked at Patience, and
Mary Ann knew what she meant.
"My child slowly murmured the eldest
sister, ''our family no doubt came of very
old stock; perhaps we belong to the nobility.
Our ancestors, it is thought, came over laden
with honors, and no doubt we're embarrassed
with riches, though the latter importation
has dwindled in the lapse of years Respect
yourself, and when you grow up you will not
regret that your old and careful aunt did not
wish you to play with butchers offspring"
| felt mortified that had ever had desire
to ''knuckle up with any but kings sons or
sultans' little boys, l longed to be among
my equals in the urchin line, and fly my kite
with only high born youngsters.
Thus lived in a constant scene of self
enchantment on the part of the sisters, who
assumed all the part and feeling that proper
ly belong to ladies of quality. Patrimonial
splendor to come danced before their dim
eyes; and handsome settlements, gay equip
ages, and general grandeur of some sort
loomed up in the future for the American
branch of the ouse of Petibone.
It was life of opulent self-delusions which
my aunts were never tired of nursing; and l
was too young to doubt the reality oft All
the members of our little household acid up
their heads, as if each said, in so many words,
''There is no original sin in our composition,
whatever of that commodity there may be
mixed up with the common clay of Snowbor-
ough."
Aunt Patience was star, and dweE apart.
Aunt Eunice looked at her through deter
mined pair of spectaces, and woishipped
while she gazed. The youngest siser lived
in dreamy state OF honors to come, and had
constant geological visions of lions, grifins
and unicorns, drawn and quartered in every
possible style known to the Herald's college.
The Rev. Hebrew Bullet, who used to drop
in quite often and drink several compulsory
glasses Of home made wide, encouraged his
three parishioners in their aristocratie no
tions, and extolled them for what he called
their STOPPING down to every day life. !" He
differed with the ladies of our house only on
one point. He contended that the unicorn
of the Bible and the rhinoceros Of to-day
were one and the same animal Ny aunts
held a different opinion.
In the sleeping-room of my aunt Patience
reposed trunk Often during my childish
years longed to Eft the lid and spy among
its contents, the treasures my youbg fancy
conjured up as lying there III state. dared
| not SIX TO have the cover raised for my graft
fcation, as had often been told was ''too
| little to estimate Alright what tha armorial
box contained. ''When you groy up, you
shall see the inside of it," Aunt Mary Ann
| used to say to me; and so / wondered, and
| wished, but all in vain. / must hate the vir-
tue of years before could view thetreasures
of past magnifcence, so long entomled in that
wooden sarcoghagus. Once ! saw the faded
sisters bending over the trunk togaher and,
as / thought, embalming something in cam
phor. Curiosity impelled me to lhger, but,
under some pretext, was noddedDut of the
room.
Although my kinswomen's meaR were far
from ample, they determined that Swifmouth
college should have the distinction of calling
me one of her sons, and accordingly was in
due time sent for preparation to aneighbor-
ing academy. Years of study and hard fare
in country boarding-houses told upon my
selfimportance as the descendant Of a great
Englishman, notwithstanding all my letters
from the honored three came freighted with
counsel to respect myself and keep up the
dignity of the family Growing1dp dp manfor-
gets good counsel, The Arcadia q respecta-
bility is apt to give place to the leity Of foot
ball and other low-toned accomplishments,
The book of life, at that period, "Opens read,
lily at fun and frolic, and the insignia of great
ness give the school boy no envious pangs.