The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-02-28
COUPON BONDS.
from the Atlantic Monthly. !

Dc IIlaQG d Cat d paw VI ny al oouy' IA
with my thousands, like some folks know;
and never got married for the best reason
in the world, them that offered themselves
| wouldn't have, and them [ would have
had didn't offer themselves; and amt so
good Christian as might be, Pm aware.
| know my lacks as well as anybody; but
bein' spy and cat'spaw ant one OF EN-.
| don't do things sly and underhand, II
I've anything to say to anybody, go right
to 'em and say it to their face, sometimes
perry blunt, | allow. But don't wait to
be sent by other folks I've mind O my
own, and my own way O dom things
that you know as well as anybody. So.
when you say you 'spose Sophrony or any
body else sent me here to interfere, | say
you spose what amt true, and what you
know ant true, Mrs pucklow!
Mrs. Ducklow was annihilated and the
visitor went on
AS for you, Mir. Ducklow, havn't SAID
you don't know your duty and intentions.
I've no doubt you think you do, at any rate.
Very well then why can't you leave
lme to do what thinks my duty? Every
body ought to have that privilege
You think SOP
'Sartin, Miss Beswick; don't you!'
'Why, then, | ought to have the same
OF course; nobody in this house I'll pre-
vent your dom what you're satisfied's your
duty.
Thank ye! much obleegedr said Miss
Beswick, with cleaning, gristly features
That's all ask. Now I'm satisfied it's
my duty to tell ye what Pve been tellin' ye
and what Pm going to tell -ye: that's nty
duty. And then it'll be yoWr duty to do
what you thinks right. That's plain, amt
lit?
wal, wal, = said Mr.. Ducklow, discount
lied; 4 can't bender yer talkin', s'pose;
though it seems man ought to have
fright to peace and quiet in his own house.
'Yes, and in his own conscience toon
said Miss Beswick And if you II hearken
to me now, III promise you'll have peace
land quiet in your conscience, and in your
house too, such as you never have had yet.
s'pose you know your great fault, don't
ye? Graspin', that's your fault, that's
Iyour besettin' sin, MI Ducklow. You
used to give it as an excuse for not helpin'
Reuben more, that you had your daughter
to provide for. Well, your daughter has
got married; she married rich man, you
looked out for that,-and she is provided
for, fur as property can provide for any one.
Now, without child in the world to feel
anxious about, you keep layin' up and lay
in up, and'H continner to lay up s'pose
till ye die, and leave great fortin' to your
daughter, that already has enough, and jest
a pittance to Reuben aud Thaddeus.
mo, no Miss Beswick you're wrong,
you're wrong, Miss Beswick mean to
do the handsome thing by both of them
Mean to! ye mean to- That's the way
ye hatter your conscience, and cheat yer
own soul. Why don't ye do what ye mean
to do to once, and make sure ont? That's
the way to get the good Of your property. |
tell we the times comm when the recollec
tion of havin' done good action will be
greater comfort to ye than all the property
in the world. Then you'll look back, and
say, why didn't do this and do that
with wy money when twas in my power,
stead Of hoardin' mp and hoardin' up for
othess to spend after me?' Now, as l was
goin' to say, ye didn't discourage Reuben's
enlistin' and ye didn't encourage him the
way We might You ought to have said to
him, Go, Reuben if yer see it to be yer
duty; and as fur as money goes, ye shaslt
and I'll pay yer debts if need be, and see
that yer family's KEEP comfortable while
fye're away. But that's jest what ye didn't
| do. All the time Reuben's been server, his
. o untry, he's had his debts and his family
expenses to worry him; and you know it's
been all SophrOay could do, by putin forth
al her energies, and strainin' every narve, to
k eep herself and children from goin' hungry
and ragged. You've helped 'em little
now and then, in driblets, it's true; but
dear mel exclaimed Miss Beswick; and she
smote her hands palms downward upon her
lap, with look and gesture which sigpi-
fled that words utterly failed to express her
feelings on the subject.
Mrs Ducklow, who, since her annihila-
ton, had scarcely ventured to look up, sat
biting her lips, drawing quick breaths of
suppressed anger and Impotence, and sew
ing the patch to the trowsers and to her
own apron underneath them. There was
an awful silence. broken only by the clock
ticking, and MIR. Ducklow lifting his knife
and fork and letting them fall again. At
last he forced himself to speak
wal, you've read us pretty smart lee
tur', Miss Beswick, must sayi | can't
consaive what should make we take such an
interest in our affairs; but it's very kind in
Iye,-very kind, to be sure!'
Take an interest! Haven't | seen So
pronys struggles with them children? And
haven't | seen Reuben come home this very
night, sick man, with broken constitu-
ton, and no prospect before him but to give
up his farm, lose all he has paid, and be
thrown upon the charities of the world with
his wife and children? And if the charities
of friends are so cold, what can he expect
of the charities of the world? Take an in
terest! wish you took half as much!
Here I've sot half an hour, and you haven't
thought to ask how Reuben appeared, or
anything about him!'
May be there's good reason for that,
Miss Beswick. Twas on my lips to ask
half a dozen times; but you talk so fast, you
didn't give me chance
We'll, Pm glad you've got some excuse,
though poor one!' said Miss Beswick.
How is Reuben?' Mrs Ducklow meekly
inquired.
All broken to pieces,-a mere shadder
of what he was. He's had his old wound
troublin' him again; then he's had the fever,
and that came within one O takin' him out
O the world He was in the hospital ye
know for two months or more: but finally
the doctors sect his only chance was to be
sent home, weak as he was. A sergeant
that was comm on brought him on all the
way, and took him straight home an that's
the reason he got along SO sudden and I'M
Expected, even to Sophrony, Oh, if you
could seen their meetin', as did, then you
wouldn't sneer at my takin an interest!
And Miss Beswick strong minded as she
was, found it necessary to make use of her
, handkerchief. didn't stop only 20 help
put him to bed and fix things little; then
left them alone. and run over to tell ye.-
t It's pity you didn't know he was in town
! when you was there to day, SO as to bring
: him home with We. But s'pose you had
1 your investments to look after Come, now.
+ MI Ducklow, how many thousan' dollars
: have you invested, since Reuben has been
! on to the war; and his folks have been suf
Y ferin0 to hOme2 Ynn may hnra L.. -,