The sun., 1865-08-30
RONALD HERBERT,
Selfish Man.
CHAPTER 1.

and endowed beyond my sssociatss with the dam
ssrous ssns of beauty and talent An old man.
who has numbered seventy and Hve years, may DO
psrdoncd for dwelling upon personal advantages,
which have leh trace Of thsir existence save IN
bis own memory for those who bestowed upon
them real or affected admiration arc dead, or sso
In that state OF selfish dotsgs which leaves them
remembrance only Of their own
| looked upon the fortune inherited as the
natural righ, Of being ofhish and rare endowment,
ucd the earth ss II It were my slave and marvel
I led tha, any should fail To do me horn,ge Mym
shsr died afew months amer my birth, and my
mothers sole care was centersd in her son : 1 may
we'll say hu "sole care" for my sister, though
but two years oldcr was neglected, and oftsn in =
suited, the better W minister tony cspric.s sn6
vhims
lpsss over the Year, Of my earlier indu,grncss,
my petty tyrsnnies, tbs subs,ryience OF my rels-
hve+lths obedience Of my tutors, the dsfcrcnco
paid me by younger brothers at the university, and
tho tribute enacted from al Of my own age and
pretensons, by the exercise Of abilities which, while
'hsy procured me admiration, gained me no friends
An smisblo man 10 seldom forgiven his success by
his eompeer, who believe the injustice Of fortune
only prevents thor being equally distinguished |;
Nhat then, has clever, but unAmiSble, man 70
s1pscr The honey Of tho lip, the hatred OF mo
heart Issv and felt this, while dsspis.d them
yet aa.tery WAS my food, tnd cxrci no, what
hand Il Vas that mnstered the dcadly nu,riment
But must return to my sister,
she was kind, gentle creature, and offered IT.
tie resistance to the suIhorty assumed, from tho
fra ,yrannical manifestation which struck her TO
iho floor Of our psy-room, to the last, which, bad
A. 1t 10, must bs recorded by me, writing ss do
| for the instruction Of others
fhad property " the amount OF fli, 900 . year,
besides large sum accumulated during my min
GRITTY; and yet grudged Lucy the paltry et2, 900
len her by my fsther's will. Ample my slow
ance had learned tovalue money, no, for itself but
for its influence sad found yself everlasting by
recurring 70 the question, what could she possibly
want with 50 mucht--my connections, my estsb.
lishmeni would certainly procure her an excellent
mNdaee-whAi did woman need with money
| under such circumstAncsss-w could she desire
better than = brilliant alliance, And one OF my
friends-triends, how Iloathe the pro,Hsu,ed werdi
would. I know, be delighted to secure my sister
without her fortune or with, At least half It's
smouus; be sppesred rlch-wLs, certainly, well
connectsd-yet looked to nv interest in p,rticu.
lar quarter W establish him IA high official .itu.-
ton. believed him TO be . man ofdissip.ted lab.
| iit, but be was by no means worse than his com.
psntons; and to them, Ut thattme, was limited NV
| knowledge Of human nature. lie knew how much
valued money and had often heard eIecrats
ths folly that gave my sister so largo claim on
my estate. Bplily he talked Of his frisnlship for
me- OF his love for hsr. viii 1t be credited that !
calculated upon this and forced Lucy into mar.
rage she sLhorred At tto very time, too when her
| heart was devoted to mild, conscientious excel
| lont msn-Edward Lawrence, the young rector OF
our psrishf lcouId not understand his disregard
for what considered tho means Of pleasure Of self
| grsthcation-ths only thing worth living for |
called his diHnter RESIDENCES cant .nd II the truth
| must 10 confessed, WAS ashamed to make the
| bargsin with him which made so easily with my
| fashionAlls friend-tshamed TO offer him six when
| knew be ought by right unquss,ion able 10 have
tive We thousand pounds. had not been many
| weeks OF age whsn thus sold my sister Poor
Lucy sho had been laught to consider me- the SON
| -sccoriing TO tho bleased law Of primogniture--
asa ing set apsrt 1clusive njoyment neither
| TO be thusrted nor coniradicted. Ih.d told her
| that my happiness depended on her making nv
| riend happy and she gave her spOlloss hand 10 a
prohigss, who, SIX nor his fterwards prosecuted
me on the ground Of my fathers viii, for tho yery
| half he had pretended generouly " refuse He
| q ned bis cause nor did tho lawyer he enployed
| fail Akilfully 10 show tie unsEnnsss had teen
guilty ot-to eXpatisto upon ito set II forth in
characters OF horr1d blackness, until gathered my
| cloak around me, and sErauk into q corner Of Tie
| crowded court, imagining that every eye was fixed
upon me in hstrei and contempt As crept forth
| 1 heard An Old servant a my sisters snIiou.ly
| inqulrng for bis master; the reply was thai
| he had gone not tive minutes before. Tho man ap-
pesroi greatly troubled. aud from what he s,id
learned that my sister exceedingly ill--my poor
| sister III, ard =, that umo, too! A feeling an.
prosch!ng 10 kindness came upoa me, ard resell
| we'd TO call and say knew no. Whist the wa.
| perfectly innocent Of all combination against mo
found my self ct her dorm her draw ny room !,
| and when looked into her psllid face, hor blus
eyes were sunk within their sOck ets aud toars .d
| worn deep bsunels on her cheek. In moment o.
| rtmorse cursed my utter ssishness, pressed
her 10 my bosom, and told her Il sho were no, hap
py, TO come to the house OF her childhood and ho
| al peace She smiled family, and replied, th.x
though her husband had used US both III, he was
still her husband and she woud 'bide with him
til ths lsst"-" The last, tie last!" tho words
| grated on my ear. gazed on her again she was
nolouger pale; bright aud glowing color rested up-
on hsr cheek and hor eyes beAmed with superhunsu
brigktness | thought she seemed quito bsautlfll
and, for the first time felt proud OF my sister Lucy
Her husband, she feared, had len town but. NOT |
liking TO remain longer than could help In his |
house, perpsred 10 leave her, promising another
| yiht. As l WAS shout 70 DEPART she called me- |
back, and, putting her arm round my neck, press.
her lips 70 my brow, and then, half hiding her face
on my shoulder, murmured, "lf should dia "A |
| Mr.. Lawrence to perform the burial service" I |
| endeavoursd to laugh st her request Int she re |
| peaied II so earnestly that ! did promise and |
with . vsgus apprehension OF knew not what de. |
teruined tO 500 her early In the moraing / sat |
down, wrote 70 my mother touching Luoy's u uess,
and felt 80 dispiritsd that remained Al home pom
dering ever past events, aud gett ng nore out Of
sell than ever did beforo in my whole life Ire.
membersd the genteness, the good temper, tho
| forbearsnee Of my sister. There 10 q human chord
IN every heart mine awoko 10 the real state other
feeling by her request that Lawrence should perform