Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-05-12

to conquer, John, and on deserve to cor
quer."
''May gain my deserts, thenl" said MI
Meade. ''Are you not to be nv lovin
wife. Mary? And are you not to sit q
needlework n my studio, whilst paint IN
great historical picture? How can thi
come to pass if Mr.. Collett will do nothin
. for us?'
''Ah, how indeed?' said Mary Jayne
''But here's our friend, Peter Finch, com
ing through the gate from his walk. leav
yoH together" And so saying she with
draw.
What, John Meade2" said Peter Finch
as he entered. ''Skulking in doors on
fine morning like thisl I've been al
E throus h the village. Not an ugly place
but wants looking after sadly. Road
shamefully muddy! Pigs allowed to wall
: on the footpathr"
, ..Dreadful," exclaimed John.
{ Il say-you came ont pretty strong las
night" said Peter. 'Quite defed the ol(
. mani But like your spirit"
IL have no doubt you do" thought MIR
Meade.
''Oh, when was youth, I was littl
that way myself" said Peter. '.But tn
world-the world, my dear sir-soon cure
us of all romantic notions. l regret, o
course, to see poor people miserable; bu
what's the use Of regrettiug? It's no par
of tie business of the superior classes Il
interfere with the laws of supply and de
maad; poor people must be miserable
What can't be cured must be endured"
''That is to say" returned Mr.. JohI
Meade, ''what We can't cure, they must en-
dure?"
Mr. Collett this day was too i'll to leav,
his bed. About noon he requested to see
his nephews in his bedroom. They found
him propped mp by pillows, looking very
weak. but l. good spirits as usual.
"Well, boys" said he, "here am yor
see; brought to an anchor at lastl The
doctor vii, be here soon, I suppose, to
shake his head and write recipes. Humbug,
my boysl Patients can do as much fol
themselves, / believe, as doctors can
do for them; they're all in the dark togeth.
er-the only difference is. that the patti
ents grope in English, and the doctors
groupe in Latinr'
"You are too skeptical, sir" said John
Meade
change the subject. want your advice.
Peter Finch and John Meade, on a matter
that concerns your interests. I'm going tu
1
holr to act about your cousin, Emma Briggs.
En- na disgraced us by marrying an oil
man."
''Al oilman" exclaimed John.
"A vulgar. shocking oilmanr' said Mr..
Collett "A wretch who not only sold oil,
but soao, candles, turpentine, black lead
and birch brooms. 1t was a dreadful blow
to the family. Her poor grandma ther nev-
er got over it, and n maiden aunt turned
Methodist in despair. Well, Briggs, the
Gilman died last week, it seems, and his
widow has written to me, asking for assist
ance. Now, / have thought of leaving her
hundred "a year in my will. What do you
think of it? Tn afraid she don't deserve
1t. What right had she to marry against
the advice of her friends? What have to
do with her misfortuney
"My mind is quite made up," said Mr.
Peter Finch; mo notice ought to be taken
of her. She made an obstinate and unwor-
thy nllteh-and let her abide the conse-
quencos."
..Now for your opinion, John" said Mr..
Collet5.
"Uoon my word think must say the
same, said John Meade, bracing himself
up bo- dly for the part of the worldly man.
''Whst right had she to marry-as yoI OBJ
served With great Justice, sir? Let her
abide the conseq lence-as you very prop
erly remarked, Finch. Can't she carry on
the oIlmans business? dare say it will
support iier very well.
"Why. no." said Mr.. Collett; briggs
died bankrupt, and his widow and chill
dren are destitute"
'That does not alter the question, said
Peter Finch. LET Briggs's family do some
thing tor her."
ITO be surel" said Mr.. Collett. 'Briggs's
family are the people to do something for
her. she mustn't expect anything from us
must she, John?'
Destitute, is she?' said John. "With
children tool Why, this is another case,
sir. You surely ought to notice her-to as
sist her. Confound it. I'm for letting her
have the hundred year.
''Oh. John, Johni What breakdown"
said Mr.. Collett. $50 you were trying to
follow Peter Finch through Stony Arabia,
and turned back at the second stepi Here's
brave traveller for you, Peterl John, John,
keep to your Arabia Felix. and leave stern
er matters 10 very different men. Good
bye, both of you. I've no voice to talk
any more, Ill think over all you have
said"
He pressed their hands, and they left
the room. The old man was too weak to
speak the next day, and, in three days alter
that, b. calmly breathed his last
As scorl as the funeral was over, the will
was read by the confidential man of busi-
ness, who had always attended to Mr.. Col
let's affairs. The group that sat around
him preserved decorous appearance of
disinterestedness and. the usual preamble
to the will having been listened to with
I 4 - Al -
read the following in clear veice:
al bequeatk to my niece, Emma Briggs,
notwithstanding that she shocked her fam
lily by marrying an Gilman, the sum of four
thousand pounds; being fully persuaded
that her lost dignity, if she could even find
it again, would do nothing to provide her
with food, or clothing, or shelter.
Mr.. Meade smiled, and MIR. Finch ground
his teeth-but in quiet respectable man.
ner.
The man of business went ON with his
reading.
"Raving always held the opinion that
woman should be rendered a rational and
indepeI dent being-and having duly con-
sidered the fact that society practically dem
les her the right of earned her own living
4 hereby bequeath to Mary Jayne, the
ouly child of my old friend, Fred. Jayne,
the sum of ten thousand pounds, which will
enable her to marry or remain single, as
she may prefer"
John Meade gave prodigious start upon
hearing this, and Peter Finch ground his
teeth again, but in a manner hardly respect
able. Both, however. by violent effort,
kept silent
The man of business went ON with his
reading.
al have paid some attention to the char
acter of my nephew, John Meade, and have
been grieyed to find him much possessed
with feeling of philanthropy, and with q
general preference for whatever Is noble
and true over whatever is base end false
As these tendencies are by no means such
as can advance him in the world, Ibequeath
him the sum of ten thousand pounds, hop
ing that he will thus be kept out Of the
workhouse, and be enabled to paint his
great historical picture, which, as yet, he
has only talked about
CAS- for ms other nephew, Peter Finch,
he views all .hings in so sagacious and self
ish way, and is so certain to get on in
life. that should only insult him by offer
/ h.. 4