The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-07-03

was also scion OF one of the most ariStO-
| cratic families in his native state. Con-
! scious that he had lowered his own stan
| dard a man by his miserly habits md
hard dealings with others, he felt secret
pride in the thought that his sons pros
| poets had not suffered from the little es-
TEEN i'll which men held himself.
The marriage took place, but not before
| William Herbert had taken every precau-
| tion to secure absolutely in his own power
! the property bestowed by his father. 1t
was a marvel among the lawyers who
| drew the deeds that such Il man as the
mlser should have opened his purse to
| such an extent but he firmly believed
the training his son had received would
prevent him from using his wealth with a
| lavish hand.
In bitterness of heart he soon saw his
error; the, check secured, the younger
Herbert SOON displayed his natural tastes
they were layished to profusion, and the
money he had never been taught to value
Justly was expended with the recklessness
OF one who thought he had suddenly ac-
qulred the purse of FortunatuS. He pur-
chased a beautiful villa in the vicinity Of
the town, and furnished it extravagaptly.
All the appointments of the establishment
werU luxurious and elegant, and the new
ly welded couple commenced a style of
housekeeping corresponding with them.
The young wife was thoughtlesS, fond
vi plCdSIlOs rtLd oGlOHSlJ fSIbStShSl W IOl
husband ; the two agreed perfectly in their
tastes, and but for the violent displeasure
of the elder Herbert, their life would have
beeA wi houi a cloud. II, often larkeL 1.-THE
sunshine in which they hVeq ny his pres
snce beneath their roof, when, sneeTs,i re-
proaches, and bitter gibes, ever formed
the staple of his conversation.
Sometimes his temper would be aroused
to a pitch of fury by the wastefu extrava-
gance he beheld, aud he would often ana
thematise himself audibly for having been
SO great fool as to place any portion of
his hard earned wealth at the disposal of
such a spendthrift as his son.
Violent scenes were at length of frequent
occurrence, and William finally spoke bold
ly to his father and told him that his house
was his own, and he intended to act as he
nleased in it that be would receive him
az a guest SO long rs he chose to treat him
| self and his wife with the respect he con-
sidered due to them, but he would no long
er tolerate insult snder his own roof.
The father listened with repressed fury
! but when the son ceased speaking his pas
sion broke forth in words of bitter vehe
mence.
| He ended with-'' Yoasr roof indeed
| was it not bought with 1ay money and that
| of old Roger Wilton for you never earn
! ed penny in your worthless life, and if
! all this foolish wastefulneSs goes on, how
| long will it be yours, do you think Boy,
| you know hard as men think me, | have
! always loved you but from this hour you
are to me as though you do not exist. [
never will darken your threshold again,
| and if you come to the direst poverty, as
| know you must, not .apOther peppy of
mine shall you ever receive. 1t is enough
to have played the fool once for such an
migrate as you have proved yourself.
shake the dust from my feet and bid you
f.ttI, r
am no longer such to you, for henceforth
| am your bitter and uncOmpromising en-
emy. I leave with you what you may
smile at, the miser's curse, but it will fall,
| fall, fall ~ And as he repeated the ON
inous word he STAMPED his foot violently
upon the floor, and i'll a species of blind
frenzy left the house never again to re-
enter it. ii
From that day Herberf. was harder and
more grinding IN his dealings than before.
| The only soft feeling his heart had ever
| known became a source of bitterness, and
a sort of maniacal hatred of his undutiful
son took possession of him. He watched
his extraVagant career with malicious ca
! gerness, and gloated over the evidences
which came year after year, that his pro-
phecies were slowly fulfilling themselves.
With no habits of business, and a care
| less disregard of expenses, William Her
bert soon found that even his ample. re-
sources did not saye him from embarrass-
ments. The fortune he thought inexhaust-
ible wasted slowly away he raised money
as reckless meE do, and his father employ
ed an agent to furnish the funds he need
| ed, until his utter ruin was consummated.
| No mercy was shown he was stripped of
everything, and thrown helpless and PEN
niless upon the world with wife and four
children dependent upon him. Then the
father wrote W. ,,.
| -
bert? Come not, undutiful migrate, to ap-
neal TO me in behalf of those you have i'm
poverished by your mad and unprinclpled
waStefulness. Beg, starve, steal, but from
me YOU gain nothing : and that you may
know how hopeless will be your cry for
help, learn that instigated Calder to
close upon you that [ stood behind him
and caused him to act for me and in SO
doing | have regained the money so mad
ly gave to you, because was tool enough
TO believe that you had some of my nature
in YOU, have again made 1t out OF your
necessities, with a fair per centage added
to it, and L am satisfied.
500 now where you belong, among the
wretched and the outcast, and take with
YOU the renewal of the miser's curse"
, To the miserable, broken-down man,
: this was the last bitter drop that caused
his cup of anguish to overflow. The know
, ledge that his own father had precipitated
| his ruin, and now gioated over ms unnap-
| nv condition, overcame the last remnant
r of fortitude, and he sank into a brain
) fever which threatened to destroy him.
The tender care of his wife saved his life,
but the few resources left TO the ruined
l family we're exhausted by his long illness,
l and Herbert arose from his couch to face a
3 world with which he was totally unfit to
wrestle.
The sufferings, the hopelessness, the
r terrible struggles of the four following
: years, no pen may trace, though, alas
/ there are many who can comprehend them
a from actual experience, and know how
r the fe-drops of the heart were turned tc
bitterness by the daily and hourly effort tC
h find the means of sutaining bare existence
) oh the struggle of poverty is dire enough
o to those born to it; but to the gentle nur
Q tured, accustomed to the careless ease Of
Q wealth, how much more bitter it is, whC
is shall tell ?
:. Poor Herbert could gain no employmen
q that afforded reliable remuneration +; h
4 had no business habits, no skill III any