The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-11-02
HIS LEGACY.

Thomas Yarn was failure. AT least
he was 70 set down by those who knew
him. He meant well, everybody said,
but all in all he was one OF those shift,
less, ne'er.do.wells that may be found
in every community. -
Gov. Hammond was q wealthy man,
who, dying, left his fortune to his only
child, q daughter, the codicil 10 his
will setting forth that he wished his e1.
eeutors to pay Thomas Yarn certain
small sum every year for taking care oi
his library, and Thomas had IN occu.
patton. People wondered at this, as
they had no idea who Thomas Yarn
was, where he came from, or what
earthly interest Gov. Hammond could
feel in him.
One day Thomas took downa volume
OF Scott's Commentaries" in which
he saw o moth creeping, and, as he did
60, o wild.aower fell out-one Of those
which had not been elevated 10 the dig.
nifty OF Emily's herbarium. IL was q
heavy old book with parchment cover,
and, as he busted and shook IL, Thomas
Yarn shook out his fate-a folded paper
fell to the ground with bits ol fern, o
pressed violet, o lady's slipper, and sew.
eral fringed polygalas.
It was q viii. He knew the hand.
writing well, for in his struggles for
existence he had been n copyist, and
had often met the stiff, stately, old.
fashioned, copper.plate hand Of Gov.
ernor Hammond. He read on through
tho formal phrases and legal forms-he
read on as q man does in o dream, and
he never knew how long IL took him to
find out what was written on that piece
Of paper. he might have tainted away
II so, he came 70 all by himself. II
was q will, leaving all his property to
his natural son, Thomas Yarn. II was
witnessed by Deborah Doolittle (mis-
named woman y, then and now cook TO
tho establishment, and by old Deacon
Ramsey, who had been gathered TO his
fathers.
Thomas Yarn remembered the date
OF the will which had given all the
property to Emily, yes, this was written
o year after. It was not recorded, that
hc knew well, but he thought Deborah
would remember signing It. He went
through oil these mental operations
with half his mind, the other half was
paralyzed with surprise.
Thomas Yarn took his way home that
day through the kitchen. II was not
the first time, for Deborah was very apt
To waylay him with tho profIer Of cup
OF ten, or some OF her nice dishes, al.
ways doing 1t with respect.
So, when he appeared down the
stairs, Deborah hustled round, and put
aplate and knife and fork on the side
table.
"No," said Thomas Yarn, "nOthing
to cat"
"Why whatsomdeyer has happened
10 you, Mr.. Yarn?" said Deborah.
"You look as white as q sheetl"
"Deborah, do you remember witness.
ing paper for Governor Hammond in
his last illnessp"
"Well, yes, guess I 90, Mr.. Yarn.
The governor was terrible queer in his
last sickness. He wandered round, and
went TO the library, and wouldn't stay
in bed, and wrote things. Yes, me and
Deacon Ramsey SEQ him sign some.
thing, I suppose IL was his will, giving
everything to Miss Emily. He was
awful troubled, the governor was.
After his son died he got queer, and
then, after Miss Hammond died, he got
queerer. I expect the governor had
been rather hard on the poor when he
was making his fortune"
deborah, put on your spectacles,
and see II this Is your signaturep"
Deborah produced some very large
glasses, and proceeded TO &c them with
difficulty on very small nose.
"Wefl, yes, l wrote that. ! never
was good with my pen; was kind Of
hustered when the governor he called
me, and Deacon Ramsey he was cough
In awful Of the time; he died, poor
mai, before. the governor did and
then / had my dinner on, and the soup
was a.burnin.."
Thomas Yarn was half up the street
before Deborah had finished, and had
reached the registers office. Yes,
Emily's viii was recorded this was
written q year after the other.
Then the poor soul travelled back on
lis recollections, and he saw, here aud
there, the figure Of that stately man,
who had been his father; he recog.
nized, here and there, that he must
have secretly helped him from time 10
t,mo; no remembered, too, that ho