The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-05-11

| and scientific institution; and if yo,
| bad not built the literary and scientif
, institution you would not have Leel
| here tonight; and if you had not beel
! here tonight, you would not have go
, wet through and if you had not go
wet through, you would not have
ahem !" .'-.! ~
.--"What shall do | oh, what shall
| I dol" said Tom 81 am so yer,
sorry +"
"You must do this" said the ghost
"and I must make haste and tell YOU
for am evaporising very fast. Y OF
must make your will at once-the very
first thing tomorrow morning"
$50 pressing as that 2" murmureC
Tom Soper.
"And, in the first place, you must
leave that FIVE hundred pounds to the
clergyman he has sixteen children
already. and will be very glad of the
; money"
| "Yes, yes" said Tom Soprr "Ill
do that, and leave the rest - Fanny
Champion"
mo such thingl Leave half to
Fanny Champion, and the other half
to Jerry Simpson.
"Mr. Jerry Simpson and what has
he done ?''
"When Fanny was living with the
old lady, Jerry fell in love with her,
but was too proud, or too modest, or
think too foolish-to saything to her,
as she was then looked upon as an
heiress. But, since the altered state
Of circumstances, Jerry has spoken
out, and they have got themselves en-
gagged to one another, but cannot
marry just yet for want of means.
Now, if you leave all the money to
Fanny, Jerry's spirit will be up in
arms again, and no one can say what
will follow; but you leave it between
them, and 1t will make things right"
II will l will But would it be
honest to depart from the terms ofthe
the .f F.. .'-.
''The burnt will? Bahl how can
you talk of honesty and the burnt will
in the same breath Do as / bid you
and if you do not, so much the worse.
But 1 can't stay, Pm going fast"
Here the voice became very faint.
"I'm evaporating, Tom, or I'd STAY
with great deal of pleasure. Good
bye, and mind you do as l bid you.
Good by, for the present"
And so the voice died away.
Tom Soper never knew how he got
home; but the servant who opened
the door to him always declared that
he got home in wet bundle, in the
bottom of the gig, perfectly insensible,
and in that state he was put to bed
and a doctor sent for and IN the morn
ing, more comniou than the dreaded
tick of any death-watch, came a law
yer; and Tom Soper made his will, and
such reparation as lay in his power
for the wrong he had done.
In less than fortnight that will
had to be read, and people declared |
that it was the most incomprehensible
will that was ever penned; for, as to
Miss Champion, it was known that |
Tom Soper had what amounted al
most to an aversion for her; Jerry |
who was then up in London
being turned into an. architect, was
40 more than speaking acquaintance;
and there was not penny bestowed
N charity. The trustees ofthe schools,
The pump in repair, the board of the
literary institution, and, in a word,
every one connected with any of the /
ocal charities, declared finally that
he five hundred pounds had evident
y been intended as charitable trust
'und, and even went so far as to quar-
'el among themselves as to its distribu-
ion; but the Clergyman, happening
o differ from them in toto, Kept the
money for his own use and benefit
md so the literary and scientific in
titution, which it had been in con-
to call 1.-The Soper Lyeeum
# Science" came to q speedy end for
rant of funds, and the building stands
lesolate and untenented - (there is
ak of turning it into n lunatie asy-
um, but the BLACK Lion" has petit
ioned against D-even unto the pre-
ent day-a melancholy monument of
he vanity of human wishes. -
Every one said 1T was the most in
will ever penned; and
o oneshalf of Cogswell asked, "W hat
1duced him to do it?" and the other
alf answered, Heaven knows!"
'ut the above may be taken as true
of the matter, though how
he facts came 10 be known-whether
hey were divulged by Mr.. Soper him
elf, or whether the ghost of the last
ill and testament paid a second visit
, earth and told the story-must re-
lain a profound secret. All that is
ecessary to say is, Jerry Simpson
nd Fanny Champion were married,
nd lived happily ever afterwards.