National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-07-18
old. 1t was written from Stanton, and
read as follows:

"DEAR GEORGE: For ten years have
) not written to any of your family. l
need not disguis, The fact that when
} your father died j had no other tie to
, any of you. BuU / have heard lately
that you have embraced my profession,
and are practicing, l suppose, in the
J old village. Now, am growing old,
: and shall soon give up work (either with
or without my own free will,) and it
might reasonably be supposed that
would surrender to you, the only other
doctor in the family, and my brothers
son, my practice. But am much OPP
posed to bringing strangers into circle
of patients, if it can be avoided, and
have a young assistant, who is better
qualified than any one else to take my
place. Besides, you are far better where
you are. But it may, perhaps, be in
my power to help you in some other
way and, at any rate, | would be very
glad if you can get off for few days,
for you to pay me visit. 1t il to in.
vite you to do this that now write to
you. Your aflectionate uncle,
civilian BARRATT.
When / got this letter, / determined
to start off directly, and on my way ]
stopped in the city to see my mother
/ had left my practice in charge of n
brother physician, residing a few miles
from the village, and consequently,
feeling easy i'll regard to the matter, |
thought of spending day or two in the
city before seeing my uncle. But my
mother strongly opposed this.
Your uncle William, said she, is
a strange person, and although / never
! liked him, and was probably the cause
of his estranging himself so entirely
from us, must admit that he frequent
ly behaved in very kind manner to
your dear father. And he never prom
ised anything, either, but some trifiing
help-which often in the days when
your father was struggling to get along,
was of the greatest value. He paid the
mortgage off the old house, as a Christ
mas gift, before You were born. You
may depend that if he wishes to see
you, he intends to do something hand
some for You, and you should not lose
another hour; especially as the letter is
three weeks old now. am very certain
that you will remind him, as soon as he
sees you, of his brother; but / hope
you will not meet that Bingham"
Until this I had not known that Bing-
ham lived in that town, but, neverthe- |
less, set off Immediately for my I'M
cle's home, and found myself, as | be-
fore stated, walking up the main street
of Stanton, looking for the corner of
Elm Avenue. As few of the streets had |
their names posted up, was about to |
step into a store to ask for information,
when large man, with heavy red |
beard, passed me, then stopped. and
stepping back, put his hand on my
shoulder, and said: "Your name is
Barratt ?''
l stopped, utterly astounded. Was
this Bingham Should | deny the
birthright of my name, or admit it, and
stand ruined from that moment? ? But
suppose it was one of my uncle's family,
denial would be pretty piece of bus
mess in that case? | must confess that
| was greatly tempted to tell falsehood;
but, apart from the meanness of such Il
thing, what good would it have done?
All this, which it takes so long to
write, passed very quickly through my
brain, but still it caused a hesitation,
very perceptlble.
"Why, it is Barrett" said the man.
"Of course it is" said I, for I could
no longer refrain from acknowledging
the fact; ; "but | must say sir, that l
am not acquainted with yours.
Don't you remember Jim Coleman? %
said he, taking my hand and shaking it
heartily.
Jim Coleman, indeed
jim had been a schoolmate of mine
(much older, however than mel, with
whom | had always been a favorite, and
who had got me out of many n scrape.
The revulsion of feeling was so great,
that for a moment | could not speak
but, then, [ gave him a much heartier
greeting than / fear he would have re-
ceived under any other circumstances
Trying to find DIR. Barrat, eh ?
your uncle. Well, l never knew that
I'll show you but you must stop in at
my place first It's all on the way.
Turn right around this way"
And, taking my arm, he led me off in
the opposite direction to which / had
been going. On the way he informed
me that he had been settled in this place ,
for about three years as Conveyancer
and real estate agent, and that he was
doing very well, and had a large and
useful acquaintance in the town.
When we were seated in his back
office, talking over old times, happened
TO think that this large acquaintance of
his might be of no use to me if Bingham
was included among them, and he thus
learned my location and condition. | I
therefore told Coleman, as an old friend, l
my whole story, and the { IS had had t
IN coming to this dangerous town. l
"You never saw Bingham, then ~ t
said he "never were in his office ?'' c
No, said 81 never saw him to j
know him, and certainly was never in
his Office" f
"Well," said Coleman, you're in it S
now." I
fairly jumped as he said this, and .
Jim laughed immoderatelv
Why" he asked, "didn't you see a
5he sign as You came in ?-'J. r. Cole .
nan, late Samuel Bingham & Co."
Late ?'' / cried.
"Yes ; he's been dead this three years !
md l bought out his business. As to
Jlaxton's note, paid the heirs twenty c
i've dollars for that, among lot of
,ther bad papers. You can have it for
what it cost me, and if Claxton can pay
% the old mans folks the whole =
lmount, with interest, he ought to do E
t."
1 bought the note instantly, and was O
If the opinion that Claxton should take I,
ny friends advice. was also of the 8,
opinion that the sky was very blue, the G
Iir fine and invigorating, the naked trees h
ruly beautiful, and all Nature land e.
| f. lok