Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1869-01-13
THE WILL.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

tN0 two persons were ever more un-
/ hla each other thanwere old Richard
Symmons and his brother James. Rich
ard was the pattern of what we are ac-
customed to call true English heart,
and his looks bore out the character
we'll, A ruddy countenance, open as
day, With locks almost entirely white,
hanging around it like snow around a
Christmas rose, and an erect, firmly
knit fame, formed the material case in
which was enclosed as kind and gcner-
Gus Epirit as ever existed. Very diff
ferentfrom the hale, hearty appearance
of his brother, was that:of James Sym
mons,f and as different were his mind
and character. James was hunk, a
curmulgeon, niser; SO. at least, said
the Whole village of Springwell, and
the villsge had known linn long, and
had formed its Judgment from deeds as
well as looks. Shrivelled, shrunken,
squalid ii aspect, James might be COM
pared to bottle Of thin beer that time
had souredinto vinegar; whereas Rich
ard, like mere generous liqu9r, had only
been mellowed and improved by age.
James's pinchng parslmony, it was
said, had broken his wifes heart, and
hal driven his son, his only child, from
the door-to wander ,ver the earth, it
may be, q homeless outcast.
But these latter matters ware partial
ly FORGOTTEN at the time - write OF,
having passed u -svytl MANY years be-
fore. As time had run on. the pccu-
liarities of James Symmons had not be-
come softcned, but on the contrary, in
creased in strength as he grew older.
Though he had amassed considerable
property, he lived in the meanest and
most wretched way, keeping house, or
rather hovel, alone, and denying him
self even the necessaries of life. Most
unlike this was Richard sway Of living.
He had been in business, had earned for
himself comfortable competency, and
he enjoyed it iii comfort. Richard had
never been married, but he was not,
therefore, without a family; for he
had taken to his home and heart a
widowed sister, who had been sudden
ly thrown destitute upon the world by
her husbands death And this sister
had daughter who had became the
apple of old Richards eye. She had
come to his care child, and each sue
ceeding year, as she shot up into come
" womanhood, had bound her more
firmly to the good mans love: AS she
tripped up and down his dwelling, his
afectionate eye followed her light and
graceful motions with delight, and it
was his chieiest pleasure to select fol
her with his own hands all those little
adornments which he thought would be-
come and crafty her. Then would he
say, as her pretty rosy lips tn anked
him with a kiss on such occasions, |" All
Luce! ] am just giving thee a staff tc
break my own head. Thou look st SC
handsome now with that bonnet and
those ribbons, that all the young sparks
must fall in love with thee And what
would thy poor old uncle Dick do with.
out thee, 1;rl !" Atother times he would
aver, in the fulness of his heart, to his
special crony the schoolmaster, as they
sat with a mug Of ale and the back
CANNON board before them, that hi:
I" Luce was fit to be a duchess, and thai
she had repaid what he had done fol
her thousand times over and over
though he had done nothing but hi'
duty, by his poor sister and her child
neither.
But the worthy old man fell in -be
came sick almost unto death. Illness
was a thing Richard had scarcely known
in his lifetime, and this attack reminded
him forcibly of what health too offer
makes men forget, namely, the necessity
of arranging his affairs 50 that thing
might go as he wished after his death
His property lay chiefly in houses, and
lie wished to give his sister a life-tehurc
OF part of that property, and to consti
lstute his neice ultimate heir to all. With
out will, this disposition of the prop
erty could not be made. as Richard
brother, who was hcir-at-law, woul(
otherwise be entitled to all. Richard
had noenmity at his poor miserable
brother, as he called the parsimonion
James, but he knew that the latter ha(
much more wealth of his own, than h
ever could, or would use. Accordingly
to provide for his dear Lucy and he
mother, was Richards object, and ii
order to accomplish this, the schoolmas
ter's talents were put in requisitlon; TO
the schoolmastcr, as is the case with hi
class in almost every parish in England
was will-maker-at least he had actet
in that capacity frequently, and tn
honest man thought himself very per
feet in the calling. To attain perfection
in it, indeed, after his fashion OF goin!
to work, was no very difficult matter
He had one form for all cases and, ac
cordingly, when Richard Symmons com
nuliicated his wishes to him. the school
master drew up will agrecably to thi
Z form. According to his friends wish
the schoolmaster himself was nominate