The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-03-24

NEVER LIKED LEWIS.
From London socisty.l

from Ionooo cocieV.g ffer-t
Never. We were boys together
Our mothers were delighted to see U
playing marbles together; but b
could always knuckle down bette
than / could. Weplayed at turn-pik
gate with our hoops; and somehow
| he always trundled his between th
pebbles which constituted, to ou
young imaginations, the pike, man II
apron, toll-bar, and all-while l scat
tered them and lost the game. Whel
we first came together we were botl
schoolboys on the same form. Hi
lessons were my lessons day after day
but then, if there was an advantage
in the progress it was on my side
Somehow he got all the credit.
Lewis was born under extraordinar,
circumstances. His family were ,
wild, ambitious, and, l have offer
heard my mother say, unscrupulou
set. At the period of his birth the,
were in the height of their splendor
1t was impossible to approach then
in those days. They had the bigges
house in their neighborhood by far
Their horses and stables were the
envy of everybody. They gave par.
| ties that blocked up the place with
equipages of The guests. The greatest
| people i'm the land went to see them
| and even people of distinction from
abroad on arriving in the country
would take the earliest opportunity
of pay ing their respects to the Lewis
es. Mr.. Lewis himself was a gloomy,
morose, unpopular man; but his wife,
when she was young, was one OF the
lovliest women, as my father often de.
clared to my mothers modification,
upon whom the sun ever shone. 1t
seems that she was as brilliant in mind
and as courageous in spirit as she was
in person lovely. Mr.. and Mrs. Lew
is were called, among local trades
men, the beauty and the beast. While
be never had gracious word or look,
she was always wreathed in smiles.
She had kind word and ready hand
for the poor. II she disliked her lCrd.
she loved her children, and they were
alwfys with her in the carriage. Two
boys that were the envy of all the 9th.
er bows that saw them; who wore the
loveliest feathers in their hats; trun-
died hoops with padded sticks; play
ed with marbles every one of which
was an agate; and spun tops of satin
wood with silken cords, were the idols
of their beautiful parent and were
very seldom permitted to range be-
yond her sight. There was an uncle
in the family-who had married, /
believe, the mother of Mrs. Lewis,
after her fathers death, and whom
Mrs. Lewis loved as well as the most
devoted daughter can adore the most
indulgent of parents. He was her
mentor, her guide, in all things. His
word was her law; and she was never
tired of telling her friend. 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 closely related to her
step-father.
It was very natural in Mrs. Lewis
to make much of her step-father. He
was the parsonage to whom she look
ed for the advancement of her darling
bows i'm life. His influence appeared
to be boundless-and knew it, as my
brother, who often saw him fr0wning
out of his chariot window on his way
to see his beautiful step-daughter,
would tell me in after years.
The older boy was sickly, and was
kept at home: but the second was sent
to school; and, as / have said, it was
at school l first met him.
The new boy made sensation. 1t
was whispered Aong the forms that
his name was Lewis, and that he had
come in barouche, with a 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 the cock of the school /;
and that most imposing coat of arms
was engraved OH the heaviest of sill
yer spoons and forks, which were
brought for his use at table. The mas
ter fawned on him, and gave him easy
lessons, and put him at the desk near
est the stove. We hated him for this
boys are only little men.
Out of school, Lewis, ] must say,
gave himself no airs, his plentiful
pocketmoney was lavishly scattered
when his apple-wOman came into the
playground. He would buy shil-
lings worth of Bonaparte's ribs, and
give every boy in school one. He
would propose a scramble for apples,
or a whole quart of Spanish nuts. l
have known him como with half a
dozen cocoanuts, and give one each to
the fellows who played at horses with
him. Playing at horses was his pas
sion. A boy must be great favorite,
or be. able to dispense favors, who
wants to drive team III the play
ground. Lewis was amiable enough,
we thought, then, was ready to give
everything he had-provided we
we would be his nags. We made him
pay-and he drove US. He was ready
fellow with his fists, l admit. He
would give-but he would have no
takinss. l got on very we'll with him,
and was often his off-sider, because l
made my bargain openly, and he liked
that. / carried off heaps of things,
till my mother at home was quite
alarmed. "Where did you get that
splendid top, Bob?" said mother.
Lewis" was my answer. "That kite
must have cost five shillings, Boil" "
"Lewis," 1 replied. "Your fathers
knife is not worth that" my maternal
pareut observed. "Lewis," was my
response. But never liked him.
We played truant together, and he
got me of the punishment, and the
schovl cheered him in the play ground
for it. 1 thought they made much of
itlbut l must say Lewis himself
didn't: and he behaved well in asking
me home to his mothers great house
to dine and spend Saturday after
noon with him. Mrs. Lewis's step.
father was there, and everything gave
way to him. He pinched my ear
playfully, and tipped me when went
| of to school in the evening-loaded
with fruit an cakes for the boys on
our form, which Mrs. Lewis packed
up with her own white hands, while
her step-father stood by looking at
her, and joking very affibly for SO
great a man.
When the holidays came--being an
orphan, and my guardians being res.
idcnt i'm Florence-Lewis persuaded
his mother to invite me for q fortnight
or so to their country MsEse. 1t was
here l saw the Lewixcs and theil
mighty friends in all their glory. The