The Placer herald., 1872-02-03
if acted dishonesty in even So small mat

| tcE HS tHls
81 don't call ten pounds small sum to
you, whatever it may be to Uncle Paul.
Take my advice, Letty-keep the money
and hold your tongue. You need it and he
doesn't, and he never will be bit the wiser.
What are you tying on your bonnet for?"
81 am going to Uncle Paul. was the
quiet reply, as Mrs. Carver folded faded
black cashmere shawl across her slender
shoulders.
"You are determined ?"
eyes"
"Then I'll go with you," said Hetty
Hewitt. "Perhaps between us both we can
manage to shame the old screw out of lit
tie of his surplus cash..
"Hetty."
81 mean it, Lettia. He used to pretend
to be fond of us"
''Unti we set his wishes and judgment at
defiance, and proclaimed ourselves entirely
independent of his will" "
Hester Hewitt shook her head, her wilfull
nature was entirely unconvinced, but she
abandoned the argument temporarily.
Uncle Paul Sheffield sat alone at his desk
when his otfice-boy announced:
1.-TWO ladies', sir
"Well, girlsl" said Uncle Paul, sticking
his pen behind his ear as composedy as if il
had been only six days since be had seen
them, instead of six years. "Sit down
sit down!'
Mrs Hewitt obeyed, but Lefty Carver
advanced to her unoes desk and laid the
ten-pound note upon its blottcd surface of
green blaize Uncle Paul surveyed her
from behind the moon-like orbs of his silver
mounted spectacles.
"Eh, what's this ?" he asked, with appa-
rent Inconsistencies. "What's this ?"
"You were kind enough Uncle Paul."
began Lefty, hesitaingly, 'to send me some
clothes to make up for the children. | found
this money in the waistcoat pocket when
was ripping them up this morning"
"You did, eh?' said Uncle Paul reflect
lively. Then, turning his spectacles reflect
lively on his other neice, he demanded, with
embarrassing abruptncss:
"You, Mrs Hester ?-what became of
the ten pound note that was in the waistcoat
pocket of your bundle, ell ?"
Hester hesitated, turned first scarlet, then
pale, and was obliged to s;ammcr FORTH
"1-l didn't suppose | could make the
old garments useful, so sold them to rag
man?"
"For shilling ?"
"No, uncle; for two nice China vases"
"Two fiagrec fddlestcks!' barked Uncle
Paul sharply. "Too shiitess to make up
good suit of only half-worn clothes-too
proud to work for your own living, but not
too sensitive to expect others to do it for you
too naughty to accept charity-you'r re the
the same Hetty that you always werel
Even the sea of trouble you have gone
through hasn't changed you and don't be-
evc anything will but death"
"Unce!" faltered Hetty, beginning weakly
to cry, the worst policy she could possibly
have adopted, if she had only known it.
eyes" went On Uncle Paul, rnmpling his
hair over his eyebrows; 81 put the two
notes in the two waistcoat pockets to try you
two girls. One of them is sold to rag
man, the other has come back to me. | ac
cept the omen. Lefty, my lass, you and
your little ones may return to the old nest
again. If the boys are like you shall take
| to them"
"But, uncle" whispered Hetty Hewitt
through her tears, "what shall do?'
"Sell yourself to the rag-man for match
box to match your China vases" quoth the
old man, waxing grimly facetious. "Don't
| tell you that will have nothing more to
do with you? p
No tears or entreaties on the part of either
Hetty or Lefty could move the old mans
adamant resolve. Hetty had sealed ber
own doom past redemption, and her more
thrifty cousin had become a presumptive
heiress, all through Uncle Paul's whim.
! ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.-One hun
dred and ten years ago there was not sin
gle white man in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. Then, what is the most -four
| ishing parts of America, was as little known
as the mysterious Mountains of the Moon
1t was not until 17G7 that Boone left his
home in North Carolina to become the first
settler in Kentucky. The first pioneers of
Ohio did not settle until twenty years after
this time. A hundred years ago Canada
belonged to France, and the population did
not exceed million and half of people
hundred years ago the great Frederick of
Prussia was performing those grand ex-
plots which have made him immortal in
military annals, and with his little monarchy
was sustaining single-handed contest with
Russia, Austria and France, the three great
powers of Europe combined. Washington
was a modest Virginian Colonel, and the
great events in history of the world in
which these great but dissimilar men took
leading parts were then scarcely foreshadow-
ed. A hundred years ago the United States
were the most lnyal nart nf the Rritish En-.