Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-06

beautiful, the brilliant, the gifted, the
illustrious crowded TO his halls,
thronged his drawing rooms, peopled
his park and tasted OF all the sweets OF
his refined and liberal hospitality. He
alone remained calm and easy, / might
saw unconcerned Misfortune had hit
/ him hard and had not stirred a muscle
OF his face: fortune was now his gen
Gus friend and she could barely extort
a smile from him. was | think, more
grateful | blessed and thanked-the
Fates, for, while any care as to my
means Of hveng was removed far away
from me, / neglected no opportunity
of promoting my own advancement IN
my own way. ! worked at my profess
ion, and Lewis was able to introduce
me to firstrate business. | had at
times more than | could well manage.
When | was AT the castle | would retire
from the scene of the festivities to my
own apartment, and there turn out my
brief flag upon the table and read into
the small hours. Very few men, | flat
ter myself, would have done that, with
the advantages l had within my reach.
But | was determined not to be de-
pendent on Lewis. / was resolved to
draw the line somehow Tor, as | think
l have remarked before, never really
liked him
grew rich-I do not deny it, and it
was Lewis money that enabled me to
make figure in the world, which is
half the battle in the professions. But
he wanted me l was necessary to him,
and therefore it was for himself that he
was open-handed with me. / am not
the first orphan who has been adopted,
nor the first school-chum who has been
befriended in after life, nor the first
man who has owed his stepping stones
to fortune to accident. ! don't see
why ! should be pestered about 1t, as
though there was something SO very ex
traordlnary in the case. / made my
acknowledgements once for all, and l
fail to see why l should be perpetually
uttering thanks 1t has been said that
gratitude is lively sense of favors to
come; | am sure that | expected moth
! ing more from Lewis. The brougham
in which | ride was his granted. The
case in which Ipocketed three thousand
pounds was of his introduction have
ever denied it Ny wite's brilliants
were present made to her by Lewis
when we were married. Does not this
happen every day in the week? Am |
bound to like man because he finds
pleasure in my society and profit in my
advice2 Let me tell my story in my
own way to the end. We were at the
castle Ny wife and children had been
staying there for months, and ] had
been in the habit OF running down IL
the intervals of my arduous professional
duties. Lewis had stood godfather to
our eldest boy, and had settled sum
OF money on the engaging young fel-
low that insured him good position in
life; so that we felt bound to humor
the godfather's desire to have the boy
as much with him as possible. Lewis
was very fond OF children, and they, /
am bound to add, were very fond of
him.
Well, on a certain autumn morning
the first on which a fire had been
Seemed necessary III the breakfast
room-Lewis asked me to give HIM half
an hour in the library. | had business
of nv own in hand but ! was always
q gooG-natpred fellow, / believe, so |
followed my old scloolfellow. He be
gan quietly as when he put the band
round his umbrella when he had gained
his cause:
THE vicissitudes OF my life are not
ended yet. Ny dear old schoolfellow,
learn that once again haven't ia penny"
At this point | begged him to ex-
cuse me for moment, and ] ran to my
wife's boudoir and told her to have
everything ready for the midday train.
Above all she was not TO forget her dia-
monds. She was the most obedient of
consorts, and I would do her the just
ice to say that she did not forget any
thing-even to the babys socks. |
returned to the library, and, taking
Lewis 10y the hand, expressed my re-
gret. He continued;
Not penny IN the world ] am
beggared, my dear friend, by the men
whom ! have helped to Gffiuence. Ny
own people have turned upon me. Ny
own stewards have destroyed me, The
people and places found poor and
bare, and that are now thriving, are
the centres Of the infany that has strip
ped me. You heard one OF my bailitis
this morning give me notice. This ras-
cal is rat number twenty, and carries
oil a handsome competence with him.
But some are not at the trouble OF
masking their ingratitrde. There is
no creature upon two legs, nor upon
four, half so ungrateful as a bad ser
want that you have petted and can pet
no longer. See that fellow crossing the
park with q loaded cart He came to
me shirtless rat number twenty-one.
g But how has this come to pass, my
dear Lewis ~ / asked SIS il altOoeth-