The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-10-28

THE MISER'S STORY.

| by the grace OF GOU i am what L
am.' L was born in London, and re-
member nothing but poverty-stalking
crime and absolute want. The houses
where / lived were ali in various stages
of filth and decay. Whether the old
blear-eyed man " hO kicked and COM
manded me was my father l never
knew. Whether the woman who
sometimes fed and often beat me was
my mother, cannot say. All I know
about it is, that had a miserable, drag
about life of it, going round after cold
victuals, knocking small boys down to
ger the contents of their broken bas-
kets, and hunting for rags in the gut
ter. .r
4 II suppose was rather a good.looking
boy; they call me good looking now
for an old man. know was smart,
comparing, myself with, other children
as ! Isee them. J VI EJAtS
Of course L was like the rest of my
class. 1 could fight little, swear
little, and steal little, and eat good
deal; that is, when 1 got chance,
which was seldom. was ignorant-I
kidn't know one letter from another,
and didn't want to. What did care
about educationI, who never saw
book from one years end to another?
And love, gratitude, hope, could OF
course understand neither. Nobody
loved me, therefore loved nobody
Nobody had ever made me grateful
had ever held out hope to me. .-
Some strange impulse was given me
one day. Iwaked up, sprang from my
bundle of straw, and involuntarily the
words came from my lips, 81 am 60
ing to do something to-day" What
something was l had not the remotest
jdea, but L put On my apologies for
clothes, and sailed out i'm my vaga-
bond way, whistling, and caring for
nobody.
1t was about noon, and had not yet
tasted a mOuthful of food. was hun
CRY, and skulked about grocery-shops,
hoping l could get an opportunity to
take something that would stay my ap-
petite till l felt in the humor for beg
ging. Passing round the corner of
public street, L saw a genteeLlooking
man, standing at his horse, gazing
about him somewhat perplexed.
"Boy," said he, "won't you take
care of my horse for about half an
hour?n
"Yes, sir,p said 1.
think it was the first time | ever
put ON the "sir." sa.t
"There's a man." he exclaimed,
"I've got considerable fruit here, and
you must guard it well. Here's a cou-
pie of peaches for you. just stand bere
quietly, nobody will disturb YOU"
He went away, end | stood awhile
till | was tired. Then, thinks /, I'll
get hatful of the fruit and run. And
for the first time l felt an instinct of
shame of the suggestion.
"He trusted me-he saw that l was
mean-looking fellow, too; but he
trusted me, and won't abuse his kind
ness.n
Something like this reasoning ran
in my head, and / squatted down on
the curbstone, feeling the importance
of an honorable trust as had never
felt before. Presently some of my fel-
lows came along and hailed me. / told
them to go on. They peered about the
cart, and saw the sunny faces of the
peaches.
"We'lI have some of them," they
said.
"No, you WON'T" says l. Pm put
in charge here, and won't see the first
thing stole. With that they began a
rumpus. They reached over the cart.
/ struck them, and used such efforts
that they all came pell nell upon me,
and we fought till the blood came; but
L vanquished them.
Just then, out came the proprietor.
What's the matter?" says he.
"Oh, nothing; only had to fight
for your stuff here" says /.
"You did, eh? You've got black
eye for it."
"No matter" says /, "Imeant them
boys shouldn't steal peach, and they
didn't neither"
"Well, you've good pluck-here's a
crown for you.
My eyes stood out.
"A whole CROWN" says /.
Yes; do what you please with it,
but I'd advise you to get you q pair of
Shoes" 'l5~e 5-ftf0f
"Thank you," says /, with beat
ing heart, " 1t pays to be good, don't
it ?n ....9
He SMILED a curious smile, asked me
several questions, and ended by asking
me home with him.
Home | thought / was in heaven!
albeit L had seldom heard of such Il
place. My heart beat heavily every
time dared to put my foot upon those
rich carpets. The mirrors were some
thing new to me. Twas washed clean,
and had on a good suit of Clothes
Says he:
"Youngster, l am going to where
you live, and probably L can make Il
bargain with your people. L want a
boy, just such a bold, clever boy as you
are, and if you behave yourself, pro-
mise you that you shall have as pleas
ant home rs you DESIRE"
Well, that was good. hardly dared
TO speak or breathe, for fear of breaking
the illusion. | was never so happy as
| was that day They gave me light
tasks to do. | wished they were more
important. From that day | was
treated as one of the household. The
man was a widower, and had no chill
dren; consequently became to him as
a son. He educated me handsomely,
and when l was twenty-One he died,
and left me three thousand pounds.
Well, L considered myself rich
man. 1 gloated over my wealth; it
became as an idol to me; How to i'll
crease it was now my first desire. l
consulted competent men, and under
their counsel | put my money out at
interest, and bought stocks and mort
cages.
L grew wealthier; my business (my
benefactor had stocked me with a fam
cy shop prospered finely, and | was i'm
a fair way, l thought, to marry Lucy
Manning.
Sweet Lucy Manning! the most art
less, winning maiden in all the world
to me. l loved her deeply, dearly
She was blne-eyed, auburn-haired, her
disposition was that of an angel, and L
had plighted my VOWS to her.
One night was invited to the house
of prosperous merchant, and there 1
met syren in the person of his niece,
a black-eyed girl, whose charms and
whose fortune were equally Splendid
She was an heiress in her own right,
and she was beautiful and accomplish
ed. ....
Heavens, what voice was hers
pure, clear, sweet, raving; | was
charmed, and she was pleased with
me. Alas, L met her too often! In
her presence forgot my gentle Lucy;
she magnetized, thralled me.
1t was triumph to feel that so beauti-
full, gifted, and wealthy a woman loved
meme who had been brought up in
the perlieus of the city, who had known
misery and corruption all the first
years of my life.
Gradually / broke off my intimacy
with Lucy. / received no token from
her; she was too proud. But that
IL l., l. x1.at