Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-21
Hens ano Misrellanp.
THE STORY OF rom sOPER's WILL.
"What induced him to do itY was thu

"What induced him to do itY was the
question.
Heaven knows!' was the answer.
But the long and short of the matter was
this
Mr.. Tom Soper, an attorney by profess
sion, had established himself, many years
ago, in the little town of Cogswell, under
the patronage of old Lady Dudgeon, who
was distant cousin of his; and, being q
man ofagreeable manners, he became 80
great favorite with that lady that not only
was the management OF all her affairs placed
in his hands, but it was generally supposed
that she had, in a manner, adopted him
he being an unfortunate orphan, of about
acknowledgement intended to endow him
with all her worldly possessions, when she
should require them no longer herself. -
But Mr.. Tom Soper was an ambitious man,
he was an impatient man, and was not con-
tent to look forward to happy future, but
wanted happy present as well; and, in
seeking that happine 8, which with him
assumed the shape money, he permitted
himself so to manage his relatives affairs
that portion of her income found it's way
into his own purse. Lady Dudgeon dis
covered these proceedings, and there was
a hot quarrel. Mr.. Sopsr was forthwith
dis-adopted, and was sent about his bust
ness he had killed the goose that laid the
golden eggs, and went about declaring that
It had only died to spite him, that any rea-
sonable bird would have lived through the
operation and been all the better for ia
little gentle bleeding for the good of its
health. Lady Dudgeon, however, refused
to look upon it in that light, and forthwith
installed another distant cousin young
lady this time, in the positio1o first favor
tie. People said that MI. Soper's ingrati-
tude had broken Lady Dudgeon's heart and
hastened her death; but, as she survived
that little episode some ten years, and was
lightweight when she did die, perhaps old
age had as much to do with ii IS ANYTHING
else.
Mr.. Soper, on receiving the melancholy
tidings, put on his hat and won't up to the
house of mourning; for, said he, notwith-
standing certain unpleasant ,nisuuderstand-
ings that had arisen between him and the
deceased he had ever regarded her with
unlimited affection. and all difference were
forgotten in the grave, and moreover, as
next of kin, it was his melancholy privilege
to take the management of affairs into his
own hands. This claim of being next of
kin startled everybody but nevertheless
was a just claim; Lady Dudgeon had out
lived all her nearer relatives, and no one
had given thought to the matter except
the party most Interested and that he was
interested to very great extent was soon
npnua1 hy tha lignoyar,r that tho,
will. No, poor little Miss Champion had
to pick up her things and go home again
and after ten years of expectation and sec
fusion with old Lady Dudgeon this was
hard; but there was no help for it, so home
she went, and became in due time gov
ernoss.
As inheritor of Lady Dudgeon's wealth,
MI Tom Soper retired from business
and became a popular man-popuar
from mere dint OF money; he spent
profusely, built schools, erected a
pump, gave stained glass window to the
church, and Christmas dinners to the poor,
and, what was more than all, he founded
literary and scientific institution, which
was to do wonders in the way of elevating
the maos,S; and as to those who were not
OF the masses, there was no fortelling to
what height they might be exalted: il
was only to be hoped that the Cog,wellians
would not get severe fall through pride.
All this, you will understand, is by way
of introduction, simply necessary for the
understanding of what shall follow.
1t had been determined to open the in
stitution with great splendor All the
neighboring gentry were to be invited
there was to be scientific address by a
professor brought expressly from London
there were to be meteorological specimens
and geological specimens, and other won
ders of like nature; telescopes, micros
copes, stethescopes that is to say, stereO
scopes; and the proceedings were 10 con
cert IN the great room of the BLACK Lion, 3
adjoining the institution; aud, save tina
the weather was as bad as bad could be
the affair was as successful as could be De
sired. A particular success-as the fore
runner OF CogSwelllan enlightenment -wn
the professors address. He was littl
quick man, who, with the and OF a glass o
water, undertook to discourse for half NJ
hour on the indestructibiity of matter. -
Everybody considered him very afiable fo
man of learning, and lie had the pleas
ATTEST way of imparting knowledge thu
you can imagine.
Now, he began, abruptly, 'you NJ
doubt often think you have destroyed some
thing"
Mr.. Soper was sitting in the very centr
OF the first row of eane-bo.,om chairs, an,
on him the professor fixed his sharp eye
when he spoke naturally perhaps, but ATt
Soper didn't like it.
"A bit ofpaper for instance" said tn
professor and Mr.. Soper begun to fidge
IN his chair you put it on the fire, w
will say, it burns, and then--it is destroy
cd? No such thingW
"What do you mean?' said Mr. Soper.
i mean, my dear sir, mean, ladies an,