Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-06
81 NEVER LIKED LEWIS"
A Remark able Character sketch.
From London Society.

From B0ndon cNsety.
i never liked Lewis--never. We
were boys together. Our mothers were
delighted to see us playing marbles to-
pether; but he conld always knuckle
down better than could. We played
Mt turnpike gate with our hoops, ana
somehow he always trundled his be-
tween the pebbles which constituted to
our young imaginations the pike, man
in apron, toll bar and all-while scat
tered them and lost the game. When
we first came together, we were both
schoolboys on the same form. His
lessons were my lessons day after day !;
but then if there was IN advantage in
progress, it was generally on my side
Somehow he got all of the credit.
Lewis was born under extraordinary
circumstances. His family were a
wild, ambitious, one, and ! have often
heard my mother say, INSCRIPTIONS
set. At the period OF his birth they
were in the height of then splendor.
1t was impossible to approach them in
in those days They had the biggest
house in their neighborhood by far
Their horses and stables were the envy
of everybody. They gave parties and
blocked up the place with the equipa-
ges of their guests, The greatest peo-
pie in the land went to see them; and
even people of distinction from abroad,
arriving in the country, would take the
earliest opportunity OF paying their re-
spects to the Lewises, Mr. Lewis him
self was II gloomy, morose, unpopular
man; but his wife, when she was
young, was one OF the loveliest women,
as my father often declared to my
mothers modification, upon whom the
sun ever shone. 1t seems that she was
as brilliant in mind and ascourageous
in spirit rs she was in person lovely.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis were called,
among the local tradesmen, the beauty
and the beast. While he never had Il
gracious word or look, she was always
wreathed in smiles. She had kind
word and ready hand for the poor,
Ii she disliked her lord she loved her
children, and they were always with her
in the carriage. Two boys that were
the envy of all other boys who sawthem
who wore the loveliest feathers in their
hats, truudled hoops with padded sticks,
played with marbles, every one OF
which was an agate, and spun tops of
stained wood with silken cords; were
the idols of their beautiful parent,
and were very seldom permitted to
range beyond her sight There was IN
uncle in the family, who had married,
l believe, the mother of Mrs. Lewis,
after her fathers death, and whom Mrs.
Lewis loved rs we'll as the most devo
ted daughter can love the mosc ludul-
gent of parents. He was her mentor.
her guide in all things His word was
her law, and she was never tired of tell
ing her friends about his wisdom and
the great position he held in the world
Gossips said that the only fact which
made the married life of Mrs. Lewis
bearable was that her husband was re.
lated closely to her step-father.
1t was very natural in Mrs. Lewis tC
make much of her stepfather, He was
the parsonage to whom she looked fol
the advancement of her darling boys
in life. His influence seemed to bt
bouudless and he knew it, as my moth
er, who often saw him frowning out o.
his chariot window on his way to SET
his beautiful stepdaugher, would tel
me in after years.
The elder boy was sickly, and Wa
kept at home, but the second was sen
to school, and, rs have said, IT was u
school where ] first met him,
The new boy made a sensation. [
was whispered among the forms tina
his name was Lewis, and that ne hat
come in the harouche. with servant
in livery to carry his books. We crowd
ed around him in the playground, and
found that his pockets were full OF
money that he had knife with one
blade more than that of the cock OF
the school, and that most imposing
coat of arms was engraved on the
heaviest silver spoons and forks, which
were brought for hisus at table. The
master fawned on him, and gave him
easylessons, and put him at the desk