The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-06-25


"NOt much, father, confess" " rejoine,
his son " but did for you what could
and it is my intention to do more"
William Waterstone smiled satirically
L was the only reply he vouchsafed. A
this moment, Johns mother, who hat
heard and recognised bis voice, rushed on
and enfOldod her son in her arms.
my SONNY son!' she exclaimed
Thank God, ] see you once more before
die! Yen explain a. moo. I'm sure, m,
John, and max guild your mothers words.
10 her son, part Of this address wa,
wholly unintelligibIe. What explanation
was wanted be could not comprehend and
he therefore merely said, smiling as be
spoke, that ifaDything in his conduct wanted
explanation be would very readily give it.
That ye will my son. said his mother,
" to the shame and confusion O. them thai
entertained i'll thochts o ye.''
Well, we'll, mother" replied John,
more puzzled than ever" We'll put all
that to rights, whatever il is. by and by
but, in the meantime, pray tell me what is
the meaning Of all this r And he pointed
to the collection Of farming implen1ents and
other articles, which bad been placed in
'front.' Of the house, preparatory to the sale,
and which, With some other no less uu-
equivocal circumstances, but tso plainly in
timated what was about to take place.
The meanin O. that, SIR" said his
father, sternly, " is very sune teIrt We
are gaun to be roupit cut the day for arrear
o rent-that's "a thing very easy under
stood aud ye're just come in time to sect
Just in time," he added, bitterly, +" to see
your father and mother turned out begg, IS
on the world.
"What ! rouped out beggared !"
replied his son, with look of the utmost
Then, surely, father,
some great and sudden pecuniary misfor-
tune must have befallen you or there has
been grievous mismansgement Of some kind
or other, to reduce you to this unhappy
state"
"Oh nc" said the father, iu dry, sar-
castle tone, nae sudden misfortune has
beta EN- me, nor has there been any mis-
either. Naething has hap
pened but what ye a. alang kent very weel
about The arrears O. rent, at least the
greater part o that debt, was standin
against me before you went abroad and /
suppose ye ken very weel that the prices O.
farm produce hae been fa'in ever since so
that l dinns see, sir, that ye need be sac
very much surprised at my situation as you
seem, or pretend to be-"
Il do not pretend, father,1 assure you,
10 be more surprised than I really am"
said his son, and think l have some
reason. Surely what sent you might have
Kept you out of debt al any rate"
"What yOw sent me, sir" rejoined bis
Father, sternly; " | should ike to ken what
hat was" And be again smiled sarcasti-
,ally. Ny troth, my debts wadna hae
been i'll to pay, if that could hae dune't."
"And | must say" replied his son,
u that they must have been very CON
and, will add, more than they
ought, if it could not"
what do you mean, arrah p exclaim-
ID William Watersto0e iercely.
II mean: fa.asr," replied John. now
hree hundred pounds, which ] have been
'ending you regularly every year, for the
asst three years, ought to have placed you
o better situation than l now find you"
"You been sendin me three bun
lred pounds every year for the last
hrec years !" said his father, with a
ook of amazemcnt; and then, suddenly
lropping this warmth of exPrcssion-" 1t
nav be sac, john" he added, coolly
and doubtingly, and l hope, for yer
ain sake, ye speak truth /; but | hac never
seen farthing OF"
"What! not of the money | have been
remitting yOu?"
mot penny but, if he sent me the
money, as ye say, John, he added, how
comes it that ye never answered ane O. my
letters ?"
Your letters, father J" replied the
latter. "Wby, you have not written me
for the last three years, although l have
despatched at least score Of letters 10 you
in that time, and have never had an answer
to one of them"
"Never saw ane O. your letters said
William Watersonc, dryly.
"This is a most extraordinary and unac-
countable business" exclaimed John.
"Queer aneugh," said bis father, coclly,
evincing by his manner that be did not
believe a word of what his son had said to
him.
{" The money sent you, father" rejOined
the young man, twas transmitted to You
through the house of NJ. p. L., Il Co.,
Glasgow. My letters were also sent to
their care, and how is it happened that
neither have reached you l cannot at all
conjecture but will SEQ into that matter
Immediately How we're your letters to me
sent father p be added.
"Ou, of course, to tbac folks, too, "
replied the latter 4" It was yer ain desire
in the last letter had frae ye."
$50 it was, recolFect. Well, we shall
have all this explained presently; but, in
the meantime, father, let me know what is
the amount Of the debt that is Just now
pressing on you, that / may discharge il,
and put stop to these proceedings" J."
"1'm no sure if we'll need your assis-
tance noo," said his father, coldly. " \ our
sisters gaun to be married to John Maitland,
and he'll lend me as muckle siller as III
clear my feet O. this mischief, at Ony rate. 7"
What my sister going to marry old
John Maitland - said her brother, in amaze
ment. Impossible /! He cannot have
been her own free choice"
81 did not say he was" replied hi,
father; I" but Marion's dutifu child, and
would do that and mair to save her father
frae ruin But there she is comm" be
added (pointing to Marion, who was nov
approaching the house, from which she had
been absent since her brothers arrival, o
which, therefore, she knew nothing), ane
We NAV sneak to her yerself on the subject.