The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-21
THE MISTAKE ABOUT DARRArT,

OF Stanton, town with which was
entirely unacquainted, never having
visited it before. i knew Of but two
persons living in the town, and Of the
personal appearance Of one Of these 1
had no recollection, not having seen
him for twelve or fifteen years. The
other / did not remember ever having
met. My presence in the place was
caused by peculiar circumstances.
My father, country clergyman,
dying when was but eighteen, left mo
the village home in which I was born.
I remained there with my mother and
sisters, only leaving when it became
necessary for me to attend medical
lectures in a distant city. was but
twenty-five when l graduated, and with
an extensive country acquaintance 1
hoped and expected to soon build up u
thriving practice. ,aa1 iia
In less than a year after I had put up
my little tin plate upon the front gate,
1 did very foolish thing. I indorsed
q note for IN old sehoolfellow, who was
starting in the drygoods business, IN
our village. The note was for three
thousohu uulAs PnSuple III uluu
months, and was held by man who re.
sided at distant place, I knew not
where. ~
This person, Samuel Bingham, had
accepted my Endorsement on the
strength OF q letter / had written and
given to Claxton (my school-friend), in
which / stated my property was worth
five thousand dollars. Bingham stated
that he had known my father when he
was in the habit of visiting our village,
and that he also knew me, and so was
satisfied with the Endorsement. I
When Claxton returned from his sue
cessful negotiation, and told mo that
Bingham (who Isupposed was farmer)
remembered me, was surprised; but
as my father used to have q great many
visitors, II was no wonder that l did
not recollect them all. .t.s. D.
But three months after that Claxton
had an opportunity OF buying for cash
some auction goods at extraordinary
low rates. He borrowed ono thousand
dollars, on another note ut three months,
with my indorsementl .r-s,s,
Before one month had elapsed, Clax-
ton was entirely broken up by the
rascality OF q much older man, whom he
had taken in rs his partner; and when
the thousand.dollnr note fell due, i
could not pay it, and my place was sold.
II brought under the hammer fifteen
hundred dollars Tint beautiful old
house, with its lawn, its gardens and
meadow-worth, as I had often been
assured, five thousand dollars, now
sold for Just enough to pay this wretch.
ed note, to take my poor mother and
sister to the home Of q maternal aunt in
the city, and to enable me to take board
in a distant village, and there to ell.
deavor in IN humble manner, TO build
up practice. / might have staid
among our friends, but subsequent &C.
currences made this unpleasant even 10
think OF.
Bingham, hearing Of the failure and
the sale, came to our yilluge, one day
while / was in the city, and finding
that, when his bill came DUE. there
would be absolutely nothing for him..
fell into tremendous rage, which was
visited principally upon me. / was q
scoundrel and cheat to indorse anoth-
or note, and one, too, which cut out
his; and to all the representations Of
my friends that 1 had thought my
property fully equal to the payment Of
both notes, II it became necessary, lie
gave not the slightest credence.
When / returned, he had left /; but
heard all this story, and soon found
that many persons believed that I had
treated Bingham very badly and that,
II he carried out his threat Of making
me pay for this ut some future day, he
would be but serving me exactly right.
So / set up my sign in the village Of
s., and I now had been practicing
for nearly six years. My sister was
married, and my mother was living
with her, in the city.
AS matter OF course, l had not lived
80 long as this without falling in love-.
and II you had seen Annie Tango, you
would not have been surprised at the
fact. Her father, the squire Of the vii
lage, had long been my friend, but
I proposed for, her hand, eighteen
months before the time at which I COM
monco my story. he had told me plain
" that, although ! had o good practice,
and had, what was for physician Of
my nge, q very fair balance in bank, he
could never consent to his daughters
marriage to q man who did not own, q
house to which to take her. Accord.
ingly, being very much in love, and not