Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-04-28
opening of Girard 5 Will.

Death having dissolved the powerful
spell of presence which few men had
been able to resist, it was to be seen how
far his will would be obeyed, now. that
he was no longer able personally to en-
force 1t. The old man lay dead 10 bis
house in Water street. While the pub
lie out Of doors were curious enough to
learn what he lad done with his money,
there was a smaller number within the
house, the kindred of the deceased, in
whom this curiosity ragged like a mania.
They invaded the. cellars Of the house,
and bringing up bottles Of the old mans;
choice wine, kept APT continual carouse.
Surrounding Mr.. Duane, who had been
present at Mr.. Girard's death and re-
M ed to direct his funeral, they demand
ed to know IL there was a will. To
silence their indecent clamor, he told
them there was, and that he was one Of
the executors. On hearing this, their
desire to learn its contents rose to fury.
In vain the executors reminded them
that decency required that the will should
not be opened ill after the funeral. They
even threatened legal proceedings lit
were not Immediately produced; and at
length, to avoid public scandal, the ex-
ecutoIs consented to have il read. These
affectonate relatives being assembled in
a parlor of the house in which the body
of their bonefactor lay, the will was
taken from the iron safe by one Of the
executors.
When he had opened it aud was about
to read, he cbanced to look over the top
of the document at the company before
lin. No artist that ever held a brush
could depict the passion Of curiosity, the
frenzy of expectation, expressed in that
group Of Palid faces. Every individual
among them expected to leave the apart
ment the conscious possessor Of millions,
for no one had dreamed of the proba-
bility of his leaving the bulk Of his estate
to the public. If they ever had heard
Of his saying that no one should be
gentleman on bis money, they had for
gotten or disbelieved it. The opening
paragra phs Of the will all tended to con-
firm their hopes, since the beqaests to
existing institutions were of mafamount
But the reader soon reached the part of
the will which assigned to ladies' and
gentlemen present such triaing sums as
five thousand dollars, ten thousand,
twenty thousand, and arrived ere long at
the sections which disposed Of millions
for the benefit Of great cities and poor
children. F
Some oflhem made not the slightest
attempt to conceal their disappointment
and disgust. Men were there who had
married with view TO share the wealth
of Girard, and had been waiting for his
DEATH Women were there who had
looked to that event as the beginning of
their enjoyment Of life. The imagination
Of the reader must supply the details of
a scene which we might think dishonored
human nature, il we could believe that
human nature was meant to be subjected
to such stain. II had been better, per-
haps, If the rich man, in his own life
time, had made his kindred partakers Of
his uperabundauce, as ie had nothing
else that he could share with them
They attempted, on grounds that seemed
utterly frivolous to break the will, and
employed the most eminent COUNSEL to
conduct their cause, but without effect.
They did, however, succeed in getting
'the property acquired after the execution
Of the will, which Girard, disregarding
the opinion of Mr.. Duane, attempted by
postscript TO include in the will. "It
will not stand" said the lawyer. Yes
il will, said Girard. Mr.. Duane, know
ing his man, was silent; and the courts
have since decided that his opinion was
correct. .r