Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-04-22

vised to come on right away, and look
after my interests. i inferred from
this that George had left no will, and
had probably left some money. He
was the son of my fathers younger
and only brother, between whom and
myselfthere had been little intercourse,
and, since | left the town, no cores
pondence. l was his only connection,
and rs he might have had a few thous-
tifds, It was proper | should see to IL.
| made ready to depart at once. Sybil
wished to go with me, but told her
she had better wait for her mother,
and then accompany her on her return.
found, on my arrival mt New York,
that the property of George, to whom
l was sole heir, was considerable, moro
SO than any one suspected. He had
been u bachelor, a merchant who did
q safe but not n SNOWY business, had
lived frugally, and his property kept
turning up every day as we examined
his papers, in all kinds of out-of-the
way, but prudent Investments, His
was one of those unusual cases where
the dead man turns out to have been
richer than was thought. lie really
was worth over two hundred thousand
IA huge sum twenty-four years since,
and nobody thought him worth over u
tenth of 1t. 1t was not my business
to trumpet my unexpected windfall,
and my wifc's family took the current
estimate of Georges means. My moth
cr-in-law was full of schemes about
my going into business i'm New York,
| and her husband seconded her views.
II have been prosperous enough,
xxyIt Ia t0fl In h.,
woods,n said the latter to me. "If you
choose to put your fifteen or twenty
| thousand into some safe business here,
don't mind adding as much more to
it, for the sake of having Sybil at home
now and then"
Suppose you come and visit us first"
1 said. .
My father-in-law agreed to- this, and
in u few days more, when things were
fit to be left in my lawyers hands, we
started. The roads to Mountain Court
| House had not improved much in eight
| years-they were still barely passable
| for a carriage, aud the cabins OH the
| road were no more stately; and /
| could see by the time that we reached
the county town, that my wife's pa
rents were filled with the most gloomy
anticipations of the squalid hut in
| which they would find their pallied
and overwoI Ike ldaugh or. | malicious
ly heighted this feeling by continued
illusions to ''our log-cabin," and in
sisting that every mud-plastered hut
thatwe passed, or stopped Mt for ameal,
or loding, was really very comforta-
BILE residence. When we arrived at
the Court House, and told them that
was the most considerable town for
many miles, their CONSERVATION could
find no expression in words.
Roderick, who had ridden over every
day for week before to meet me, came
dashing up as we drove into town. He
was n handsome boy and rather in
clined to dandyism in his dress. His
grandparents, to whom he was intro
duccd, and whom he merely remcm'
bered, were little relieved, for he did
not bear in his red cheeks afsd well
: knit figure the appearance of n starved
, ing. | sent him on to apprise his moth
er of our coming, and after we hat
taken our dinner at M'Donald's-mN
old friend, who Is dead now, still KEEP
his store there, and was as hospitabl,
as ever-we started towards home.
"This must be turnpike" said my
father-in-law, when we had gone abou
mile. at is great improvement OF
the roads we have travelled
"Oh, no!n l answered, with aff1ctet
simplicity, at is mere private car
riage way. The neighbors call 1t Ash
leigh's load"
My father-in-law made no reply, AM
r said nothing until we came TO the turn
of the road near my farm, from whicl
we had a sudden view of the house.
"That, said l, pointing to the dwell
4 ing, ais my log-cabin, and there ar
: Sybil and the children on the veran
, dali. Sec, they discover u.s."
: enjoyed the discontinue of moth
: er-in-law, and in few minutes NOR
q the old lady was welcomed warmly b
q daughter and grandchildren.
: That evening, after supper, l unloat
:, | various presents for the family; an
A then for the first time told all of Georg
4 AshleigfPs unexpected wealth.
- NV wife went back with heymotbt
Z on a visit, but did not remain. i
# spite of all entreaties, she preferre
a her mountain home, though l put n
constraint on her. There we still liv,
l. waiting for the time, not long nov
: when death shall summon us. w
n have two of our children, and troo
n Of grandchildren around us. We hay
a had our grieis too, ms well as our joy
:, Our youngest son, Marmakuke, joine
n the Confederacy during the late civ
q war, and died at the head of his reg
ment, cut il two by cannon shot, ju
previous to the close of the final can
Ia paign at Petersburg. His widow, wi
A. never married again, lives with IN
Nv child, at my house. SYPHILIS husban'
IL "A lawyer, lives at the next place
mine. Roderick, now grave, though
N full man past middle age, is at the pla
L. with me. In fact, he Is tho actu
40 head of the house for i do little no
e. but sit about, and in fine weather ga
NJ on the beautiful niountRins and wa
Or for my final rest. And II is my lroT
Is as il is my wife's, that when one goc
k the other will not linger long after.