The Plymouth Democrat., 1870-10-27

GOLDEN CHAIN.


"OF course YOU think me hard hearted
and selfish, Mr.. Rylston | suppose it is
in the natural order of things that youth
should look upon age as a tyrant, but the
time will come when you will thank me
for my precautions. have-or perhaps
ought 10 say my wife has married off five
daughters, and so Lucy being the last has
been bit spoiled. If | had Il fortune to
give her, Id say take her; but six girls
have been expensive luxuries; my specu-
lations have not been very successful lately,
and the couple OF thousand she will have
would not be much good.
But, Mr. Lansden-"
But, my dear boy, | would almost soon
or see my little Lucy in her coffin than see
her married to a clerk with hundred and
fiftv a year No doubt sentamentalists
would cry shame at me for such a speech
Nv wife and | loved each other dearly,
and we thought we were doing IA fine thing
when we married on exactly your salary
WELL she had never done hard work and
had not the physical strength for it-what
was the consequence: We did very we'll by
ourselves, but children came one after an
other: we could not afford to keep good
servant, and SO what with broken rest at
UlNnI>, anu GOUll1tEtl NOlh anu NOIIN Ill
the dav time. | saw her grow pale and thin
and broken spirited; while was power
less To prevent it though Heaven knows
the knowledge cost me many heartache
and when at last, after years of hard work,
| could give her the comforts she had been
accustomed To have before her marriage,
they came too late to bring back wasted
youth and light-heartedness. Our expert
ence, however, had happy ending, though
with some the struggle lasts as long as life
itself. and with others the end comes to
find love, faith. and all that is best and
brightest in life, ended too"
Still, Lucy and | are so young" said
the young man.
Then, can't you wait. / don't like
long engagements, and don't believe in
them; but 1 shall never hurry Lucy into
marrying against her inclination. My wife
and like YOU, and would sooner give our
little girl into your keeping than that OF
any one else we know. If you think you
can make your fortune, for goodness sake
90 and make it, She won't be twenty one
for three years yet but, mind, you will
have to- trust each other I'll have no let
ter-writing, nor anything of that lind; Sc
now, good bye, and don't look SO disconsO
late You know the Old adage, faint
heart
Privately thinking lovers great bore
and wondering why i'll the world hi
daughters seemed so anxious to leave home
Mr.. Lansden began collecting his various
belongings. preparatory to paying his daily
visit to the city; while George Rylston
looking very much as if he had made NJ
his mind to be miserable for life, wandered
off into the garden in search of Lucy, al
the more disappointed because he and tina
Young lady had, before his interview will
her father, settled everything 80 entirely t.
their own satisfaction.
The fact was, George had, IA few days be
fore, received letter from an old uncle il
India--a letter that had placed him on tn
pinnacle of happiness; and he and Lucy
reading it over, with their heads very clos
together, could not close their mental eye
to the vision of all sorts of good fortune
Certainly it was not very atlectiOnate
but then il is too hot in India for sent
ment, although Mr. LandSen was obstinat
enough to see nothing very promising i
the following:
DEAR NEPHEW | have thought seN
eral times since my sisters death,
e. Humph. that's six years" muttered NJ
Landsen,) that, perhaps, could do somt
thing better for you out here than you wi
ever do at home. So, if you like, you ca
come; but you had better make hast
about it, for these cOnfounded doctors sa
may go off any day. Yours,
"FREDERICK HEDGES.
"P S.-Mind you pay, your bills betol
you start.
So George had given up his situation
the clerkship of which Mr.. Landsen ha
spoken So slightingly, and before startin
for India he found time To- tell the old, ol
story to pretty Lucy Lansden, who, it mu
be confessed listened to it with far mo-
patience than her father displayed, and 5
terribly crcstfallen, George went back
the summerh house, where he had leit Luc
and very moOdily seated himself besiC
her
$50 all that's at an end,7 he sai.i
What is - asked Lucy
why, our engagement, and my hapI
ness"
Nonsense, Why, George, what can
the matterg What did papa sayg"
Say Oh suppose he said what :
fathers say to any poor fellow vino goes
them without his rentroll and chequ
book in his hand. | thought | shou
have goo out so cheerfully to work
you, Luz, and he's sent me off with SO
heart, that's all.
NOW, George, dear, i VIII. NOT ha
You he cross: come, now, tell me what
the matter. ] am quite sure papa wou
not say word or do anything unkind."
"Well, perhaps not" said George; 81
it's not exactly pleasant to have ones fe
ings coolly put aside and be told that o
is next door to brute for thinking of q
ting married at all y
''Did papa say that?" exclaimed Luz
opening her eyes very wide. "Ob, Geor
think you must be mistaken
After much coaxing the history of
Landen's resolve was told but Lucy
not seem near So disconnected by IL as
lover had been, for M it's conclusion
laughed a little soft laugh, and said, lo'
ing down: why, George, dear, you
not think that we've could be MARI
before you went out y
And don't see that there would IA.
been anything so very dreadful in tha
said George. I'm twenty-three,-'
enough
ITO know better, .you goosel w
George, dear, we are in just the same p'
ton we were before I'm sure | should
like to face your uncle ut first ;and besid
| don't want To- live i'm India. Why, I
morning you were talking about what J
could do in three years and do not
that what papa has said need make Q
dtfFerpucen