New-York tribune., 1872-07-23
A TENDER TESTATOR.

There cannot be anything more pleasing
than the spectacle of an old gentleman leav-
ing money to woman who refused TO marry
him, and who, in fact, gave herself to some
body else. case like this has lately shed
the purple light of love upon the dusky Court
Of the English Vice Chancellor. Mr.. Nathaniel
Bates of Melbourne Hall, Northumberland,
who was also lawyer with an income of
f19.OOO year, bequeathed the sum of f1,000
"to the person whom he might have wished
"to marry but in case she should not sur
"vive him he bequeathed the said sum OF
900 to certain trustees for the benefit OF the
"tbree eldest girls under ten years OF age, the
"children of the three agricultural kinds resd-
cling nearest to Melbourne Hail." 1t turned out
that the person whom the susceptible Ma
thanel had wished to marry" was one Ellen
Wandless, now Ellen Wilson, she having mar
ried "anothern The touching circumstance
is that she was Nathaniers cook at the Hall.
He had, while she held that most responsible
official position in his household, several times
offered her his heart and his hand, and as
many times had she repulssd her amorous
master. But the true love even of lawyer
cannot forget, and when Mr.. Bates came to
make his will he remembered the hard-hearted
cook, and to show that he still thrilled,
throbbed, and dilated with an undying pas
sion, he gave her, though she had become
another'sn the neat little sum Of One Thou
sand Pounds!
It must be remembered however, that Mrs.
Ellen was Squire Nathaniel's cook. The great
Milton in one of the most charming OF his
poems does not dlsdain to mention the savory
messes which neat-handed Phillis dresses. 1t
is not too much to suppose that this protes-
sonal lady reached the heart of that pro-
fessional man through his susceptible stomach; /;
that she ravished him by her roasts, and sub
dued him by her sauces; that by gravy and
cruel she conquered him; that by her pud-
dings and pies she made her own his some
what ancient affections The thing has been
done before, and it will continue to be done
while man shall masticate and swal-
low. So far are we from regarding
Mr.. Bates's legacy as absurd, that we
consider it to be one of the most sensible
which ever came under our notice. AS we
remember the leaden bread, the over-done or
the under-dOne meat, the ponderous pastry, all
Gods good victual which, for our sins, we
have been compelled to swallow, the Good
Cook scars in our estimation as the benefac-
tress of her kind, as the true philanthroplst,
as a form of life and light however fat, and
as more worthy of "a star-ypointing pyra-
mid" than the biggest and blOodiest OF con-
ouerors. We desire to give publicity to the
fact that Mistress Ellen has come forward,
claimed the devise, and had her claim al
lowed. The Vice Chancellor has awarded her
the money and the executor has ere this paid
it over to her. Think of that ye cooks. who
dress dinners for well-to-do gentlemen!
What man has done man may do again.
Do MT burn the beef do MT char the outlets,
do MT petrify the eggs, and who can say that
you will not come in for legacies OF Five
Thousand Dollars, even if the man of the
house does not offer to marry youf