Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-18

home, and Jacques went to bed.
These circumstances, trivial in them
selves, came forcibly 10 mind the next day,
when Jacques Turgot was found dead 10
his bed. lie had passed away peacefully,
with bis mind at rest for he lay like one
asleep, with smile on his face, as IL his
last thoughts had been on Petit Jean.
Achilles first act was to make thorough
examination Of the private room. If he
expected to find hoard Of money, be was
disappointed there was nothing in II but
a few articles of furniture hung with ancient
spiders-webs, and chest Of papers and
business accounts. lie stored 10 the room
the Few relics his father had left, as If
anxious to hide them from his sight and
locked the door, he hoped, forever
An examination Of Jacques Turgots
affairs showed that there was little founda.
tion for the stories of his immense wealth
The plantation, thanks to careful manage.
ment, had been very productive the last
few years yet the income had little more
than sufhcsd for the support Of the family
and lis numerous dependents. Achille dis.
covered too, to his CONSERVATION, that his
father had overdrawn bis account with bis
factor in New Orleans, so that there was
virtually , mortgage on the growing crops.
He saw tie necessity of moderating his ex.
penses a. once, and Of paying, thenceforth,
a strict attention to business.
Achale was aroused to a sense Of duty in
another direction. His son was now twelve
years old and, having seldom received any
kindness from his parent, regarded him
with Indifference. Achile found it more
difficult task to win his love than he bad
anticipated. He made an effort to console
the boy 10 his aifliction, but Jean sulked
and would not listen TO him Mortified at
bis want of success, too ungenerous to
ascribe 1t to its true cause, and too indolent
! TO try to overcome his sons antipathy by
the only means left to him-persistent
kindness-Achile soon relinquished the
effort, and left him, as before, to care for
! himself Almost heart-broken, Petit Jean
moped about for many days, studiously
keeping out Of his fathers sight. lie spoke
to no one but Gustave, negro boy whom
his grandfather had given him for his
special servant. Gustave was almost the
reflection Of his young master. He sym.
patbized with his feelings, and appeared to
know his wants intuitively. Their mutual
attachment was intensified when Jeans
grandfather died, for Jean, left to himself,
found 10 Gustave his only consolation.
Achile tried hard to carry out bis good
resolutions, but temptation proved too strong,
aud be reapsed into his old habits. Re
Taxation of discipline on the plantation was
followed by its usual effects Bad luck ap-
peared to attend every movement. His gin
caught fire in some inexplcable way and
burned to the ground the collie decimated
his mules the scab swept off his focks ;
and the worms and the floods destroyed his
growing cotton. His crops failed for sew
eral successive years. Meanwhile, his per-
sonal habits went Gu from bad to worse.
He lost heavily at cards, aud was reduced
to the necessity of borrowing money. 10
this strait, shrewd Mississippain, named
Lester, who had bought the adjoining plan
taton, befriended him and supplied his needs,
taking a mortgage on the place as security.
The money was to Achille like fuel to FIRE.
He plunged deeper into dissipation, aud,
before many months was again an applicant
for relief Lester put his purse at his dis
posal as long as Achille could give good
security. When that failed his friendship
failed, aud he discovered that be had no
more money to lend.
A crisis came at last. Achille, who had
long been staring ruin in the face, awoke
one morning to the consciousness that it
could be ayerted no longer, and sought
refuge from his sins in the towards alterna-
tive-he blew out his brains On the set
tlement of his estate it was found that the
assets were insufficient to cover the debts,
the greater part of which was due to Lester.
Achille had quarreled with NJ. Courtois,
his fathers friend, soon after succeeding to
the property, and had employed one Davis,
recommended by Lester, in all his after
business transactions. Some suspected this
new attorney of double-business transac.
tions. Some suspected this new attorney
of double.dealing; but as nothing could be
proved, all of Testers claims, which amount.
led in the aggregate to sum much larger
than the mortgage be held, had to be al
lowed. 1t was supposed that NJ. Courtois
would interest himself in his old friend
grandson, notwithstanding his trouble with
Achile; but it was noted as strange cir
cumstance that he kept aloof from all the
proceedings until the day of the sale, when
he appeared, and made extraordinary efforts
to buy the estate. But Lester showed
equal determination and longer purse.
1t was evident that Courtos had not count
ed on so strong an opposition, for he exhib-
tied the utmost chagrin when the planta-
tion became the property of Lester. AT
the close of the sale Courtois proposed to
Lester to buy of him the west half of the
plantation including the house and other
buildings, offering an advance on the cost ;
but Lester, irritated at the persistence with
which the lawyer had bid against him,
curtly declined to sell foot. Courtois
was supposed to be acting in the interest
of Jean, and won much credit for his gen.
erous effort to rescue portion Of the prop
erty from Achilles creditors, while the
course pursued by Lester was universally
condemned.
His patrimony having thus passed into
the hands OF strangers, Jean Turgot was
thrown on the world penniless. The semi
vagabond existence that he had led during
the last few years of his fathers life bad
taught him nothing Of selfreliaDce, for
Achile, notwithstanding his personal neg.
lect, had supplied him freely with money
as long as he was able.
Jacques Turgot had sedulously inculcated
his grandson with the idea that he was born
to be rich, and Jean had always been sur.
rounded with the evidence of wealth Tc
one Of his sensitive temperament, SO sud.
den descent to penury was terrible
blow. He was peculiarly constituted. liz
had never known mother he had never
experienced fathers love. The memory
OF his grandfather was all he had to look
back upon. Brought up among slaves
and taught to crafty every whiui as soon
as it was born, he was strange mixture
of tenderness, generosity, and arrogance
His heart craved for sympathy, but hii
pride prompted the suppression of every
tender feeling.
As mark of special generosity, Lester
gave Jean bill of sale of Gustave, his
body servant. Jean hesitated to accept a
present from him, but Gustave's earnes,
III. 4 4 n. Al. L..