Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-07-02

hospitable and charitable, and adorned
every society, into which they entered.
But they were not altogether happy after
the first two years Of their wedding life.
Net that their love diminished, but
Fortune. which had given them SO much,
did not give them everything The
gentleman desired an heir to his estates,
and the lady, with large maternal heart
desired child, for the sake of child !;
and tho desired boon, for which she would
have been so happy. was denied her.
Beggars came to her gate with twins in
their arms, and she sometimes thought
such beggars were happier than she; at
last the sight of an infant would so excite
her envy, and would so deeply impress
her with the sense of loneliness, and of
undeserved misery, as to produce parox-
ysms OF passionate hysteria.
Another little story is that of success
ful manufacturer, but rude, unlcttered
and without much mentalresource to help
him to pass away his time, who retired
from business ut the age of sixty, and
built himself splendid mansion--he
called it castle-on the shore of a love
" lake, in the Highlands of Scotland, far
away from the highways of travel in or
4 q. .a,i,,e;.,, Hi,,bt
not be invaded by tourists, or desecrated
by the plebeian rail and the whiz Of the
democratic locomotive When the "caS-
llen was finished. and his grounds were
laid out 10 his order, he suddenly dis.
covered he had nothing TO do, or to oc-
cupy his time. lie was no company to
himself and he and his wife were men
tally rs opposed to each other as vinegar
and oil. Friends and acquaintances oc-
caSionallv came To visit him; but he lived
too far out of the beaten track, 10 expect
visits from any but idlers, and what the
Scotch call "sorners, and as his conversa-
ton was not amusing, and he never lent
or gave away money. even such waits
and strays from the great fold ofhumanity
seldom vcnturcd into his remote seclusion.
He was too proud to go back to the great
CITY and rccommence business, which
might have been the best thing for him
To have done under the circumstances.
So ho continued TO dwell in his mountain
fortress without an object in life, or any
amusement that he cared about. He had
nothing to do but to fish, or to shoot, and
he cared nothing for either of these modes
of pastime. After about six months oft,
he ordered boat upon the lake to go, as
he said fishing for salmon. Unobserved
by any one, he put an old griudstone into
the boat, and few yards OF rope line
and rowed himself away to the middle oI
the lake. He was never seen again alive
The boat drirtcd on shore without him il
the evening, and three days atterward hi:
body was drawn from the bottom OF The
lake, with the grindstone tied round it.
neck.
The third little story is equally sug
Gcstiyc 4 very hard working profes
sionnl man, careful, prudent, abstemious
but somewhat eccentric, retired from busy
life with thirty thousand pounds in order
rs he said, to enjoy himself, and pass the
evening of his life in the mild radiance o
the setting sun. II could not be said o
him that he had no resources in his mind
for he was learned, witty, fond OF books
music, and pictures; and he WAS happily
married. All his friends (and he haC
many)to whom his harmless eccentricitie'
and real kindlincss of heart, concealed
under n brusque manner, were sources o
attraction, anticipated for him many
wears OF learned leisure and calm domestic
happiness. But it was not to be. \
serious, and rs j. proved fatal Hines:
overlook him, rs he expressedit, che ha'
been three months out of business" II,
did not suffer much, and by no means
anticipatcd 4 fatal termination TO hi:
malady. After ten days confinement Il
his room, he was somewhat alarmed b,
The grave face and demeanor of his usual,
hearty and cheerful medical attendant
Il think" said the latter, "that it is IN,
duty to recommend to you, if you have
any worldly affairs to settle, that yoI
should settle them" The patient sprans
up in the bed. ''Do you mean to tell me
doctor, that am dying?" 80, no." sale
the doctor kindly, al hope not; and
trust that many happy years are in store
for you. Still, if there is any matter o
business for you to settle, settle it. Lite
is always uncertain; and it is best to b'
prepared for all contingencies IS" doctor,
said the sick man, lyon cannot deceive
me. You think am dying, and you dC
not like to tell me the truth. Well!
have toiled, and struggled. and screwed
and saved, for forty years, and though
that at the last was going to enjoy my
self for a little while before the end. AND
now YOU tell me I am dying. All l car
say is, that it is a. He added twe
words that were very tragic, very comic
very lamentablc, very unrepeataoie
turned his face to the wall; and never
spoke more.
Fourth on my list of the unhappy rch
is IA gentleman who retired, at the age O.
fifty, from large and prosperous busi
ness, with the expectation that his share
=, ....l;,> would amoupt tn hal