Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-12-07
MIsGELLANE
"sHRINK NoT.v

81 N the early winter of 1852, Nathan Ather>
& ling 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 his 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-ths only child that had
ever been born to bless him-and blessing
indeed had she been "the light of his home,
the-Prlde aud joy of this heart and the pure,
sweet flower that had shed a celestial fras
GRANGE over the lator years of his life" The
daughter stood by her fathers bedside, both
her hands clasped in his
Ada, y said the dying man, 'when I am
gone you will be left the mistress of grent
wealth, and need BOT tell you of the many
trials aud temptations you may be called upon
70 endure, nor of the manifold snarcs which
designing people may set in your path
have tried to educate you we'll and truly, and
| kno" yuu have been diligcnt student in
all things apperts ming to the laws of life
But you must allow me to speak one word
more OF parental counsel In three wears YOU
will have reached your majority, and will
then become sole guardian Of your property.
hope you may live long to enjoy it; but
that enjoyment must depend much upon the
give your heart and hand Oh. my child, be
wise, be circumspect. Marry no poor man
simply because be is handsome aud good
bsarted and choose DO scion of wealth sim,
ply because OF his wealth. Let your choice
be govereRed by sterling merit; and to that
end 90 you cultivate sclf-respeet without
pride, aud virtue of life and judgment With
out osteutatiou God hslp you, sweet one,
in. that important ordeel. Renember-the
last prayer of my soul shall bs to that ead.
No maiden could be more seasrally court
ed by the marriagsable young gentlemen of
her acquaintance. than was the beautiful orr
phan heiress, Ada Athsrling.- Atths age of
eighteen. by provision of her fathers will,
she came into full possession Of very learlysa
million of dollars. A girl with more of
naughty pride might have kept ell poor nd-
mrers at distance but so mild and so kind
was shs-so respectful to all whom she con-
sidered worthy to be held as friends-so do
fersntial to modest meris-and so utterly OBJ
lvious of alaquaiteS of rank aud fashion
when linked with se6shness and Hnobbishness.
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 s1setl5 as upon these more fayoured of
fn-:Uuo.
of twenty, there were two men who had come
nearer to her heart than had any others. One
was Philip Nettleton and the other was Amos
Robbins. Both we're book keepers in heavy
New York houses, and both had prospects of
soon being ad mitted into actual busiuesa part
nership.- Both we're honorable, soher, kind
hearted men, and both were called handsome.
Philip Nettleteu was the more intellectual of
the two; the more stndious,S ueditatiys and
EeserEsd-A mos Robbins was the more poll
ished, sparkling, witty, and freely social
Both of these young men loved Ada Ather>
ling, and though she had never, BY word or
sign, given either of them 10 understand that
she could return that love, yet she had shown
in many Ways, that their position in life did
not in the least limit her respect and esteem
but, on the. contrary, she trestsd them with
far more consideration than sha did those Mho
came floating about her upop she golden soa
Of fortune. ---u
The sad and darksone weeks of 1867 were
passing. Financial ruls swept up and down
the business highways Of that great city On
Tuesday, October l3th-tha day that saw
twenty banks in New York suspend-When
ten thousand people had besn thrown out Of
employment in ,he New jersey city the
house with which Robbins was connected
failed; and tho next day the house whore
Nettleton had all his hopes of bu.iness an
chored went by the board. They hsd bee.
among tha best houses in New York and had
held out to the last, bat the bosom had swept
their credit away, and the ruin was absolute.
So Philip Nettleton and Amos Robbins
were without employment and without monay;
for in anticipation of entering into partial
proRrietorship in their respective e.tSblish>
menis they had allowed their surplus of salary
to remain inthe hands of their employers, aud
in neither case had dollar saved. ~ The ean
Eho IN fta -rnornninc. of tia s-st d.- Of. Ah..