The enquirer southerner., 1874-07-24
70 "a
THE HElRESS' CHOICE.
A TRUE)sTORY.
BY sYEvANUs COBB, JR.

In the, early winter of 1852 Nath-
an Athefling lay dying in New
Jersey city not very far from the
Hudson He had amassed great
wealth in mercantile business, but
now, in the prime OF, life, he was to
leave it all behind him. His wife
had been dead several years, and
his only near and dear relative was
his daughter Ada-the only child
that had ever been born to bless
him. snd a blessing indeed had she
-been-the light of his home; the
pride and JOY of his heart and the
one sweet, pure flower that had
shed a celestial fragrance over the
later years of his life,
The daughter stood by her faiths
er's bedside, both her hands clasped
in his.
Ada, said the dying man, when
[ am gone you will be left the mis-
tress of great wealth, and | need
not tell you of the many trials and
temptations you may be called upon
to endure, nor of the manifold
snares which designing people may
set in your path. l have tried to
educate you we'll and truly, and I
know you have been diligent stu
dent in all things appertaining to
the laws Of life. But you must al
low me to speak one word more of
parental counsel. In three years
you will then become sole guardian
of your property. I hope you may
live long to enjoy it; but that en-
,joyment must depend much upon
the character of the partner to
whom you shall give your hand and
your heart. Oh, my child, be wise
BE circumspect. Marry no poor
man simply because he is handsome
and good.hearted; and choose no
scion of wealth simply because Of
his wealth. Let your choice be
governed by sterling merit; and to
that end do you cultivate self.re>
spect without pride, and a virtue of
life and judgment without ostenta>
ton. God help you, sweet one, in
that important ordeal. Remember
tho last prayer of my soul shall
be to that end
No maiden could be more gener>
ally courted by the marriageable
young gentlemen of her acquaint-
ance than was the beautiful orphan
heiress, Ada Atherling. At the
age of eighteen, by provision of her
fathers will, she came into full pos
session of very nearly a million of
dollars. A girl with more of fhaugh-
ty pride might have kept all poor
admirers at distance; but so mild
and SO kind was she-so respectful
to all whom she considered worthy
to be held as friends-so deferential
to modest merit-and so utterly OBJ
livious of all qualities of rank and
fashion when linked with selfish
ness and snobbishness, that young
men of humble station ere long
learned that she could be kind and
respectful to them, and that she
could smile upon them as sweetly
as upon those more favored of for
tune.
At length, when Ada had reach
ed the age of twenty, there were
two men who had come nearer tc
her heart than had any others.
One was Philip Nettleton, and the
other was Amos Robbins. Both
were Book-keepers in heavy New
York houses, and both had pros
pect of soon being admitted into
actual business partnership. Both
were honorable, sober, kind heart
ed men, and both were called
handsome. Philip Nettleton was
the more intellectual of the two
the more studious, meditative, and
reserved. Amos Robbins was the
more polished, sparkling, witty and
freely social.
Both of those young men loved
Ada Atherling, and though she
had never, by word or sign, givel
either of them to understand tina
she could return that love, yet she
had shown, in many ways, tina
their position in life did not in tn
least limit her respect and esteem
but, on the contrary, she treated
them with far more consideration
than she did those who came float
ing about her on the golden sea Q
j fortune.
The sad and darksome weeks Q
the autumn of 1857 were passing
Financial ruin swept up and dow
the business highways of the grea
city. On Tuesday, October 1St
} the day that saw twenty banks i
: New York suspend-when ten thor
sand people had been thrown out
employment in the New Jersey cit
; the house with which Robin
was connected failed; and on th
5 next day the house where Nettleto
had all his hopes of business ar
chored went by the board. The
had been among the best houses i
New York, and had held out to th
last /; but the besom had swept the
credit away, and the ruin was al
solute.
) So Phillip Nettleton and Amos Re
: bins were without employment, al
: without money for, in anticipate