Litchfield enquirer., 1865-04-13

Oh, ma 'am.' 1 cried to the lady, whom
 recognized at once by her hat, did We no
 travel today ma'am in the same carriage wit
 this gentleman with the large whskers an, watch chain?
 She stared at me fer a minute, and thel
 smiling languidly to the shopwoman, said,- There is evidently some mistake. The womal
 is crazed. Come, Captain. you will go wItl us
 | l could scarcely believe my senses. You might have ripped me up with gossamer.
 turned to Slowman to support my evidence ,- but neither he nor young Bullock were visi ble, and Kesiah was crying like the rain.
 let go my hold on the captains coat, anc they had reached the door, when it was blocked up by young Bullock and policeman, and the next instant brought Slowman and two ol three more of the police. who made no ado but slipped handcuffs at once upon the captain and his fine friends who turned out to be part of gang of swindlers who had beeu pocket picking in every direction through the town.- My purse was discovered the very first thing in the captains pocket, so got it again with ont the loss of single pennypiece; for which you may be sure 1 was thankful enough to re. member in my prayers not that I cared so mueh for the money as for the little gilt thim- ble which had belonged to my godmother's aunt to whom it had been given by her nurses cousin, when she was a child in the humps ;- and has been an heirloom in the family ever since.
 Of course there was congratulation between us all. You would have taken that pastry. cooks shop for the House of Parliament in debate, there was such jabber and caught ] myself gossiping with young Bullock for his good service, before was aware what was doing. He and Slowman then left Us to go before the magistrates or something, and they tell me l shall myself have to appear as a witness when those light fingered gentry are brought to trial
 1 have, however, made up my mind to be in bed that day with a sick headache or some thing infections, even if have to drink mus. tard and water to produce it. The barristers shall never have an opportunity of playing of their tricks on me, with their" Now Mrs Slowman, speak up that the jury may hear you" or Remember you are upon your oath maam Oh, have heard seen poor wit nesses worried into swearing black is white, and badgered to tears many time in the course oI justice
 That was the tea We made when Slowman and young Bullock returned, and we all sat down in the pastrycook's back room, with kid neys and broiled ham that have made a Jew ish cardinal break his fast of Friday! It k my firm conviction. and you would never turr me from it if you were to talk within an incl of your life, that we should not have moved te this day had not the omnibus called to take u: back to the railway station. For Kezah had whispered her secret; namely, that old Mi Bullock who I will say is most respectable man, and owns more property than half the gentry round-that old Mr. Bullock had taken a nice estate for his son four miles from Slow mansleigh, and that young Bullock had
 There new I am beginning to cry again. I, is very foolish, but I cannot helpit. suppose tiIey unc spfrng, anus tnalI will be the result of our going to Cattle Show THE OPENING cF GIRARD's WILL. The Jan uary number of the North American Revieu contains an interesting article on Stephen Gi- rard, in which the following graphic account is given of what took place when his will was read. People will be amused to learn how his 'affectienate relatives received the inteli gence that he had given his estate to the or phans and the poor, rather than to them Death having dissolved the powerful spell of presence which few men had been unable to resist, it was to be seen how far his will would be obeyed, now that he was no longer able, personally, to enforce it. The old man lay dead in his house in Water street. While the public, out of doors, were curious enough to know what he had done with his money, there was number within the house, the kindred of the deceased, in whom this curiosity ragged like mania. They invaded The cellars of the hou hu hriu ri hot of tbo oIJ ,, choice wine, and kept up 8 continu al carouse. Surrounding Mr. Duane, who had been pres ent at MT. Girard's death, and remained to direct his funeral, they demanded to know if | there was will To silence their indecent clamor he told them there was, and that he was one of the executors. On hearing this, the desire to learn its contents rose among | the fHries In vain the executors reminded | them that decency required that the will should not be opened till after the funeral They even threatened legal proceedings if the will should not be instantly produced, and at length. to avoid public acandal, the executors consented to have it read. These affectionate relatives being assembled in parlor of the house in which the body of their benefactor lay, the will was taken from the iron safe by one of the executors.
 When he had opened it, and was about to begin to read, he chanced to look over the tor of the document at the company seated before him. No artist that ever held brush could depict the passion of curiosity, the frenzy o1 expectation expressed in that group of pallid faces. Every individual among them expected | to leave the apartment the conscious possessor of millions for no one had dreamed of the probability of his leaving the bulk of his estate to the public. If they had ever heard of his saying that no one should be gentleman upon his money. they had forgotten or disbelieved it. The opening paragraphs of the will all tended to confirm their hopes since the be. quests to existing institutions were of small amount But the reader soon reached the part of the will which assigned to ladies and gen tlemen present such trifling sums as five l thousand dollars, ten thousand, twenty thou sand; and he arrived ere long at the sections which disposed of millions for the benefit of great cities and poor children. Some of them 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, who had been waiting for years for his death; women were there who ha ] 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 .hu. man nature, if we could believe that human nature was meant to be subjected to such a strain
 THE LOSSES. Gen. Grant estimates that in all the fighting, from Tuesday unt;I Mo,don