The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-11
TILES OF THE BORDERS.
RETRIBUTION.
BY ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.

NCONTINuRD.)
frw0 or three days after the receipt OF
Hfnry's letter, Fanny, though in a very in
d. Ferent state Of health, proceeded to Edin-
b4rgh, and had her likeness taken the-e in
mNniature. On her return, the picture was
cd 4efullY packed in a small box or case, and, ,
ad ompanied by a letter from Fanny, des-
PStched to its remote destination. ln this
letter, the poor girl, IN allusion to the por-
tEkit, said have, in compliances with
y4ur wishes, Henry, sent you my portrait !;
bit fear it will sadly dislppoint you for
mbre unpropitious time for transferring my
miserable cOuntenance to canvass Il believe.
htwever, in this case il is ivory) could scarce
III have been chosen 70: | haye been ex-
tHpmely i'll for long time past and am yet
vary far from being well. l have been bro
kkn-heArted, Henry, and have been laboring
uhder the worst and most hopeless Of all
6lsesses-a crushed and broken spirit"
fThus did the poor girl allude to the mis-
ely which Raeburn's neglect had entailed on
TER. Her delicacy forbade her saying more
I'D her candid coniding disposition would
dot permit her to say less.
4 Leayiag matters 40 this state at Rose Yale
Che Esme Of Mf. KutberfOrds resIdence),
te will, with the readers consent, embark
the ship with Fanny's portrait, and pro-
4eed to the East Indies to see with our own
fyes what, at this period, was the general
kOnduct, character, and circumstances, Of
i'm for whom tho picture was intended.
Having done this-an easy matter with you
Snd Us, good reader, though no triAing affair
b otherS-we shall find Raeburn residing in
\ very handsome house at Calcutta, and in
ma nj the most concnicnana nlacoS in ono ~
khe principal rooDs in that house, we shall
6nd the portrait Of Fanny Rutherford
tuspended-And well worthy of the distinc-
ion was this likeness Of the lovely girl.
Beautiful exceedingly beautiful in her sad
bess for the painter had been faithful {;
hnd but too plainly did that picture tell OF
borrow and sufering-"o of hope deferred,
khat maketh the heart sick" Nor did Hen
tty RAeburn seem insensible to the'beauty
Expressed in that little picture. To every
lone who visited him he showed it, with
an air Of exuitation and triumph pressed
on their notice the soft expression Of the
l fine dark eye, the light, delicate, and we'll
arched eyebrow, the ruby lip, and elegantly
formed nose and chin. But, be it remarked
and it was an odd circumstance-it was
to the young unmarried men alone who Wis
tied him that he showed the picture, and
that he thus dwelt on the details Of its
beauties. Strange distinction this-to the
unmarried alone that he showed the picture
aad enlarged on the attractions Of its sub
ject WHAT does this mean Much, much
It means; and a darker or more atrocious
meaning never disgraced the act Of man.
But We will leave the full explapation OF this
Atrocity 10 be developed by the progress OF
our story.
"AhI you dogs, you |" Raeburn would
say, with well-afected jocularty, to his
friends Of the description already mentioned
when showing them Fanny's portrait, "isn't
that a pretty girl, nowf and am not q
lucky fellow to have secured the affections
of so charming q woman What would you
give, you rogues, for such a creature as that
for . wife ?" Then, holding the portrait
aloft, A." Come, say now gentlemen, what
would you give for her, supposing | vas
willing to part with her; which, perhaps, l
am, il could get fair price for my right.
Bid for her, gentlemen, bid for her he would
say, laughinglv, and affecting to make q
Joke of the matter. will put her up 10
sale, and warrant the stock TO be equal to
the samolel' a thousand rupees -
" Thank you, John. Very well for be-
ginning Get on, gentlemen. get on
Two thousand three thousand J" That's
it. Go it, my spirited lads, 60 It but she's
wortb six times the money yet.' Eight
thousand ten thousand - LAY, now you
get on bravely and are approaching the mark:
though still at q great distance from It.,
" Fifteen thousand ! twenty thousand "
"Very well-twenty thousand Twenty
thousand, gentlemen Will no one OId
more Why, Tom, thought you were
better judge of female beauty han TO alloy
such q bargain as this to slip through your
fingers !" "Twenty-6ve thousand wen
done, Tom knew you were lad OF spirit,
ard had too much Of the knight-errantlin
you to allow a fair lady thus to be knocked
down below her value. Twenty-Five thous
and rupees-ouce, twice, thrice ! There,
down she goes she's yours, Ten; pay me
the money, and 1'll order her out for you by
the first ship"
This was a scene IOt frequent occurrence
in Raeburn's house, when number Of young
fellows had got together there, and some
ching very like it was repeated to each o.
them individually when they CHANGED to cal
alone particularly in the case of one OF them
"A MIR Cressingham, the son OF gentleman
who held one Of the highest civil Situations
in India, and who was enormously wealthy
This was Raeburn's friend, Tom, as ne fam
iharIy called him and to him he was esp.e'
claly eloquent and impOrtunate on the sub
ject Of Fanny's beauty.
"Well, hang me if she ant devilist
pretty creature that, after all 20 said Tom
Cressingha to Raeburn, as they one dal
sat alone smoking their hoOkAhs in the aP
a1tment in which Fanny's portrait shung
and on which he was Iistiessly gazing,