The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-06-26
THE MtsER's HEIR.

tell you no, Agnes! l won
have it. The fellow only wants m,
money. know oil these dandifiet
iim-cracks. They hang around q few
bags of dollars as crows around car
rion. I won't have any such thing
Nov, do you know?"
'aFather, you Judge Walter toe
horsllly. He is good man-honest
and jndustrious-and-''
industrious, say you? By the
big lump, I'd like to know what he's
got to show for his industry"
He has very superior education,
Education? Fiddlesticksl Can
he live on his education? Can Inc
make dollars of it?"
eyes, he can live on it, He has
already obtained good situation as
clerk"
"And will earn just enough to keep
him in the fine clothes he wears. /
know these fellows. But there's a..
end on it. If you choose him rather
than your poor father, you can do So.
can live alone-I shan't live long:
you can"
''Stop, stop, father! You have no
right to talk so. You know L could
not leave you" And Agnes Brennan
threw her arms around the old mans
neck and kissed him; then she left
the room.
cts curious how these young fools
act" the miser muttered to himself,
after he had watched his child de-
part. "Theres been twenty of the
sharks after that girl-twenty of 'em
lowering around her, like man eat
ers after dead body. Don't I know
what they want? Aha! don't L,
though? rs my money! But Agnes
has never loved any Of them till this
Adams came along. The jackanapes!
And now she wants to get married
right away. Nonsense"
The old man bowed his head as he
spoke, and he saw drop upon the
back of his hand. It was bright
drop, and the rays of the sun were
playing in it.
"She cried when she kissed me"
he whispered, wiping the tears from
his hand; 'I don't see what makes
her SO tender hearted-she never
took it from me. But she may have
taken it FROM"
The old man stopped, and cloud
cloud came over his wrinkled brow,
for there was pang in his heart.
He remembered the gentle, uncom-
planning being who had once been
his companion, the mother of his
child. He remembered how she be-
came his wife, even when the bloom
Of manhood had passed from him,
and cared for him, and how she
taught her child to love and care for
him, too; and he remembered how
she had never complained, even while
suffering, and how she had died with
a smile and blessing upon her lips,
though the gold OF her husband
brought her no comforts.
Noah Bremen bowed his frosted
head more low, and in his heart he
wished he could forget all but the few
feeting joys of his wife. But he
could not forget. He could not for
get that it had been whispered how
his wife might have lived longer, had
she had proper clothing and medical
attention.
But it would have cost so much
saved money!"
All, the reflection would not remove
the pang. The other memory was
uppermost.
Noah Bremen had passed the allot-
ted age OF men, being over three.
score and ten, and all his life had been
devoted to the accumulation of mo.
ney. He had denied himself every
comfort and his heart had been nj
most rs hard as the gold lie boarded
But as his hair grew more white and
sparse, and the years grew more hea.
vily upon him, he thought more-re
fiected more. The sweet smile of hi.
wife was doing its mission now; ant
the pure love of his gentle child wa:
continual remembrance to hin
that there we're better hearts than hi
own.
At length, the miser arose ant
passed out of the room. He woult
have left the hut, but as he reached
the little entry way, he heard voic,
from the garret. 1t was his child's
He crept up the rickety stairs, anf