Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-10-09

stranger, and inquired what it was he
wanted. The sight. of her sweet face,
so familiar-though it was more care
worn and iurrowed than of old-al-
most unnamed poor Sid, but he man
aged TO ask for :ssomething to eat. He
could think of no other way in which
to crafty his longing to see and speak
with his parents for the last time before
leaving them and the city forever, as
he had made up his mind to do, for it
was too CALLING to his feelings to re-
main here any longer a!sf
His mother kindly invited him in
and set before him simple. lunch.
which he pretended to eat while he
looked at her aud earessed the heads
of the little ones who came TO his side.
At length, he summoned resolution to
ask her if she had heard from Sid, adj
ding that he had known him in the
army. In husky. choking voice, she
told him of the letter they had receiv-
ed from him in New York at the close
of the war, adding that they had heard
nothing OF him since. Sid then men
toned that they had been friends and
mess-mates in The army, and he saw al
once that the heart of the mother
warmed 10 him. She sighed deeply
and said, Poor Siddie," turning
away to hide her tears.
The sound of that pet name of his
boyhood and the sight of his mothers
tears nearly conquered the resolution
he had formed of going away forever;
but he reflected that if he revealed
himself and remained, it would cause
dissension between his father and
mother; it would mortify them to re-
ceive him back, even if they consented
to do so, and against this his pride re-
VOTED. Nervmg himself as best he
could. he rose hurriedly, and thanking
his mother in trembling tones, and
kissing the wondering little ones, he
tore himself away ana literally fed
from scenes where his feelings had
beenso cruelty narrowed. As he passed
down the walk, he dropped letter ad-
dressed to his mother After he was
gone, this letter was picked up and
read by the mother with feelings of
unutterable grief and tenderness, and
by the father with emotion of relent-
ing and remorse.
Sid Fraziers one desire was to get
away as far out of the. werld and out
Of old acquaintance as his strength
and means would permit. In lonely
pine forest Of Ala ALBANIA, he came upon
a deserted log Goblin. 1t had been
built and occupied by an eccentric Old
man, whose family and former place
Of residence no one knew. The few
settlers who lived near him supposed
that he was deranged in mind. but
harmless aud industrious. He lived
there several years, titled his vegeta-
bles and cultivated his flowers. One
J day he was found dead in his bed, and
was buried by his neighbors in cor
ner of the little garden among the
flowers he had planted. Nothing was
ever known of his previous history or
his family connections. Sid Frazier s
cynical mood led him to FIX upon this
deserted hermitage OF the dead recluse
as his abode. His industrious habits
and love of neatness caused him to re-
pair it comfortably-tO plant fruit
trees around itand cultivate the garden
of the old reeluse in his intervals Of
leisure, for he worked at cutting logs
for saw mill some miles distant from
his cabin home.
la course Of time, his industrious
and steady habits and genial nature
had won him the friendship and respect
of those with whom he associated. He
began TO gather few comforts around
! him-bought him COW, horse and a
few chickens to enliyen his hermitage
| But his evil fate found him out. One
night there was terrific storm. The
little cabin rocked like a reed in the
wild rush of wind and rain, and the
trees fell crashing around it on every
side. Sid feared for his poor dumb
friends withour. and tried ogO to their
assistance, but the fierce storm beat
him back and almost deprived him OF
breath. In the morning, his worst
fears were realized. 4 large tree had
fallen upon his stable, killing his horse
and COW; his chickens too had perish
ed. He looked arounl sadly at the
ruins of his little property, but he had
met with too many reverses to be east
ly discouraged. He went to work to
repair his thatehed chimney, which had
blown down by the storm, and when
this was done he turned his attention
to the hearth, that had also been part
y demolished. Itwas formed of large
stones. and as he was pulling one of
these 10 place. he discovered beneath
it rusty tin-box. Greatly surprised,
he took it out from its place of con-
ccalment and burst open the lid.
What was his amazement to fad it
filed with gold, silver, and a roll of
papers He ran his fingers into the
mass of shining coin; then he counted
it over caretuliy and found that there
was a thousand dollars in gold and
four hundred in silver Then he I'M
rolled the sheet of musty paper. 1t
was j will, duly attested, making over
lands in Virginia and bank stock in
Richmond to two persons. Probably
the old reclusc had meant to reveal
the hiding place of the will aud the
treasure to his heirs by letter, but he
had died suddenly before accomplish h.
ing his purpose, and they had fallen
into the hands Of one who least ex-
pected such disclosure.
+ Sid sat for an hour with The contents
| of the box spread out before him. 1t
may be that temptation assailed him
and whispered to him to appropriate
the shining coin-perhaps TO take steps
TO claim the large estates and property
in Virginia by forging will in his IA
/ VOr and bribing witnesses to attest 1t.
/ He had suffered so much from poverty
and the sights of his fellow men, that
Que could could hardly wonder if he
was tempted TO triumph over want and
contumely in this way.
Bat his better principles prevailed.
I He put away the box and it, contents.
and at once wrote to the two persons
named in the viii "a legateeS, asking
/ them to communicate with him immedi-
ately. RecelvingnO reply at the end of u
month, he caused an advertisement to
be inserted in the Richmond papers.
and quietly awaited the result Mean
while. he worked induStriously as be-
fore, and being far above his neigh
bors in intellect, he won their respect
and confidence. His opinions on DO
litical matters were listened TO with
Difference, and as he took few stand
ard newspapers. and kept up with the
times, he was looked up to as some
thing of an oracle He kept his coun-
sci about the treasure, which he had
consigned to its old hiding place under
the stones of the old hearth.
After he had nearly given up the ex-
peeta tion of hearing from the adver-