The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-11-08
THE WILL.

The old lady who related the outline OF
the following singular story, heard it told
in her youth, by no means as a fiction,
but as a real occurrence.
/ She even once knew the name of the
northern family concerned in 1t, but that,
with the exact dates, she has now forgot
ten, if she ever knew the latter, and hav-
ling never written down the story, she.
had no means of recovering them. How
fever, from her express mention of a tight
fwig, worn by the benevolent old herqof
1.-THE tale, we have fixed the strange occur
renee not earlier than the last century.
Towards the end of a gusty October
day. about the year 1880, a barrister of
the Temple was sitting reading, when the
Eopening of the door, and the servants
announcement of ga gentleman, inter
rupted him. He rose to receive his Wis !
itor, who proved to be a perfect stranger,
I a person of very gentlemanly, but ex-
tremely old-fashioned appearance. He
| was dressed in a grave -colored suit, OF
!. antique cut; neat, tight, gray wig, sur
rounded his serious, and even solemn
physiognomy; silk stockings, rolled al
!, the knee; enormous shoe buckles of gold
cane, headed with the same metal, and
. q; broad. brimmed and unlocked hat, com
! pleted his equipments which was in tbs
fashion cf4 the last yearsrof, William the
| Third, or the first of his successor. Hav
: ing stifly bowed, in the exact. way pre-
!, scribed, by the etiquette of the era tt
i which he seemed to belong, he took pos
session Of the chair offered to him by hi'
host; and, after preparatory hem, thu
began in slow and serious manner:
|, think, sir, you are the lawyer employed
by the family, whose property i
! Yorkshire you are, therefore,, aware 4
: about to be Sold .gaEoe IS
"I have, sir,n answered the barrister
stfull instructions and powers to complet
? the disposal Of it, which, though q pain
: full duty to me, must be performed.
: "It is duty you may dispense with,
:. said the visitor, waiving his hand, 18th
y property need not be sold"ls5 esshsfE
siMay I presume to ask, sir, whethe
You are any relation to the family r
: so, you must be acquainted with the al
{ solute necessity of selling it, in conss
= quence Of the claim of another branch
: ! the family, just returned from beyon
sea, who, as heir at law, is naturall
: lpossessors of the estate, in default of
/ will to the contrary, and who desires j
value in money, instead sof the land. IT
. present possessor is unableto buy it, an
nc must therefore. depart. sasf.; .,p
O. @You are mistaken, replied the -ol
IN gentleman, rather testify; you seem N
lg to know of the will tof Mr.. S------
en- great grandfather, by which he not onl
of left, his real estate, to- his favorite gran'
n-lEson,1 this gentleman's father, but eve
%. entalled it on his great greatlgrandson
ng "Such will, sir,p said the barriste
q I@was, indeed, supposed for many years
all exist: and, in virtue of it, Mr.. s.
until now, speaeeabiy enjoyed ii
!, Eproperty; bnt, on the claimants applic
itsltiofi, arenewea search having been ma
ng for IL, ieitheri the belief seems wholly u
)! founded orr has been lost or destroys
ell Cabinets, chests, every room inhabit
eri and uninhabfted have abeeng ransacke5'
ne Twain. 8 Mr.. s. ----lL- has now given up
ed hope Of finding it, the sals is to be col
7 q pleted in the course of next week; a
re, the fine old place must pass into I
me hands of strangers. !" 'sae4 esa9r@l. iHei
he alssY GU are mistaken once again, yon
TX man,' said the stranger striking
'he cane on the aoor; eI Isay, sir, 1.-THE will I
nd ists-' Go immediately" continued he,
NO an auth horative tonej "travel night a
ke, day You may save a6 old family fr'
disgrace and ruin. In the end room
the left wing, now uninhabited, is cl
Dly let in the wall. nEih 1as9ssg
S sWe have looked there,p ainterrup,
the barrisler.