Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-18
A REMARKABLE STORY.
How an Old Lady Disposed of Her
Fortune.

The London correspondent of the
Belfast Ne1s Letter vouches for the
following remarkable narrative:
A short time since an old lady, living
in one of the small streets leading out
of Albany street, Regents Park, close
to what was once the Colossem, en-
tered the shop of Mr.. -, a poulterer
in the neighborhood, and purchased a
chicken. The tradesman was attentive
to her, as such people ought to be, and
the lady became a customer, always
coming to the shop and giving her or
ders. She appeared to be very old, but
to have all her faculties about her. One
Saturday evening she came when the
poulterer was very busy. She said she
wished to speak to him, and he asked her
to walk into the little parlor in the rear
of the shop, and he would come to her
the moment he was disengaged.
In the parlor she met the daughter of
the poulterer, and, after some conversa-
ton, in the course of which she re-
marked that the young girl looked i'll and
required, change Iof air, she produced
parcel tied up in paper, and said,
Give this to your father, IS he is busy
and cannot come, and | cannot wait l
wish him to take you away for little
change, and here is something that will
enable him to do So She placed the
parcel in the girls hand, and told her to
lock it up in cupboard, to which she
pointed. The girl did so, and thought
no more of the matter; when, some
hours subsequently, the shop was closed,
and her father came into the parlor to
get his supper, she produced the parcel
and gave the message by which 1t was
accompanied. The poulterer laughed
as be united it; but, to his amazement,
the parcel was found to consist in bank
notes and gold to the value of GlOOO.
There was also in it an antique gold
watch and chain.
The next day Mr. - hurried round
to his customer to thank her, when she
desired him to take his daughter out of
town for few days, and on their return
to inform her of their arrival. This, of
course, was done. A day or two after
their return she called at the shop of
Mr.. -, and said she wished him to
come to her house to tea, accompanied
by his daughter AS they we're about
to leave, after partaking of her hospital
ity, she said to Mr.. -, Il wish you
particularly to call upon me tomorrow
morning and bring with you two re-
spectacle persons upon whom you can
rely" The next morning Mr.. - at |
tended, accompanied by the curate Of
the parish and a neighbor. The old lady |
then said that she was upward of ninety |
years of age, and had no relative living |
but a cousin, an attorney, who, she al |
legged, had not treated her well, and |
By whom she said she had lost G20, ,000 |
She said she had 925, 900 in consols still
left, and that as she felt she would not
live long, and was resolved that
the attorney should not get any
thing belonging to her, she had
asked Mr.. to attend with two
witnesses, in order that she might trans
fer to him for his own absolute use the
e25, 900 TO which she had referred She
added that she knew very we'll what she
wss about and that by giving him the
money while she was alive, instead of
it to him at her death, he
would be saved the payment Of legacy
duty 10 the amount Of $1,000.
This announcement appeared TO be Of
30 singular nature that the clergyman
very properly suggested that a solicitor
should be sent for. The man Of law
came accordingly, and the transfer was
duly effected. The old lady's present.
meat Of approaching dissolution proved
10 be correct, as she died few weeks
after making this singular disposition Of
her property. II seems that before her
death she had intended TO give the moRey
10 chemist With whom she used to deal,
but that he had offended her by some
to her wishes
The moral Of this story (of the sub
stantial accuracy Of which there can be
no doubt whstever), is that oiviliiy costs
nothing, and may sometimes yield rich