The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-07-13
EDEN OF WILD
WOOD.

WOOD.
Paul Rcni0rd was thundcrstruck, For
once in his life he was aroused to some
thing like consideration Of a subject in
hand.
Paul was four-and twenty. Attic age
Of eighteen he had been lett an orphan,
and heir to an estate worth Il million !;
and his unclc-his mothers brother
had been appointed his guardian. This
uncle was Arson Bctterman, an enter.
prisIng merchant, and u true hearted
man After Paul came of age, and be
came master Of his property, through the
advice Ol his uncle he employed Il law
yer named lOyctt TO act rs his agent
to look after rents, and so o n-and grad
ually this lovctt, who proved to be an
ant and ready man Of business, had
gained into his hands the entire control
Of the whole property and 80 implicitly
had Paul trusted him that he had not
even demanded vouchers for his bank
transactions.
In fact, Paul Rcnford had dcgcncratcd
into a IistIcss, aimless being, His natural
abilities, of the very highest order, had
been p%r0stitutcd to the most useless OF
all pursuits mere scckingof pleasure
for the purpose Of killing time. At first
he had lived moderately his youthful
vigor had held him aIoof from the need
OF stimuIants but Of late u long contiu-
ucd round of dissipation parties, balls,
clubs and billiards, in which night was
appropriated to wakcfulncss and the day
to slecp--had 50 reduced his physical vim
that without stimuIants he found no
comfort.
And now Arson Bottcrmm had come
to inform him that Porter LOvctt had
left the country with every available
scrap of his property,
"Do you mean gaspcd Paul, when he
could breathe, " that he has taken all? '
Ycs--cvcrything lou had allowed
him such unlimited sway that he found
no difficulty in getting every dollar into
his hands,
"And ! am pennilcss?"
"You know best whether you had any
Ol your pl"p'I'N 'hN'0V'" III p"H'i'''H'
Not a penny"
"Thcn ! fear that You have little at
hand which You can call your own"
"In heavens name, Uncle Arson,
what shall | do?"
"Really, Paul, ! see hut two ways
open to you. You can lie down, and
withcr and die under the stroke, or YOU
can do as thousands of others have done
in observation-disclosures yourself, put on
the armOr of true manhood, and fight
the battle %braycly,"
81 must earn my own living"
at would seem So"
"And how ?"
al can give you a place in my store"
"No, no, | cannot commence the bat
tie hcrc-not here in the city, where |
have led the van Of folly and dissipation.
Let me have time TO think"
"AIl right, my boy, and meantime |
will be thinking too
On the following day Mr.. Bcttcrman
called again but Paul had not thought
what he would do.
"What have you thought, uncle ~
"Tll tell you what have thought, my
boy. Back in the c%ountry-and yet not
very far from the city--are the mills
owned by my friend Sargent. They are
in a quiet, secluded village, the inhabit-
ants of which are mostly his own opera
tivcs. Mr.. Sargent will give you a clerk
ship there, and the pay will be ample for
your support
"But,' said Paul, "may we not find
Lnvett ?"
"As yet Hc have been able to find no
clue to his whereabouts. He is a man
not easily to be cntrappcd. But we can
try further, if you please"
81 will 90 up and look at the mills"
And so Paul Rcnf0rd went up TO
Wildwood, as Mr.. Sargent had named
his settlement, and he found it rural and
retired enough. But it was a beautiful
spot nevertheless, and he had Il strong
inclination to ACCEPT the proflered situa-
ton. He returned to the city on the
evening of the day of Mrs. S%puitenStin-
gers grand party. He was wondering if
he had better go, when he learned from
Il servant of the house that no invitation
had been sent him. On that very after
noon he met the Misses Spuitenstinger
on the avenue, and they did not acknowl-
edge his s~alutation.
dSo, sol" he muttcred. "And that is
all | am worth to them!
For a little time his heart sunk, but
he rallied.
Come, come, my boy" he exclaimed,
shifting himself upon the breast, "thcre
may besomething in life yet. he bravew
And on the very next day he accepted
the clerkship at the Wildwood mills, and
entered ut snce upon his duties. For II
time he found it dull, hard work but
gradually his health improved, and the
vigor Of youth came back to bim and
under simple living his muscles grew and
strengthened, and his whole frame came
into perfect tune of manly beauty and
elasticity. And now his duties became
light and cheering, and he sung and
whistled at his work.
The Ovcrseer of the mills was Mr..
Grayson, and with him Paul found a
home. Mr.. Grayson's daughter Della
was a hcalihiul, light hearted, true spir-
tied girl of nineteen. She was 'one of
those blonde beauties whose whole pres.
ence is sunshine, and her merry laugh
Iippled like the music of dancing waters
in the pcbbly brooklet. The student of
human nature who heard that laugh
would unhesitatingly declare that only a
heart of native purity and gentleness
could underlie it.
At first Della Grayson, when she saw
that Paul Renford was weak and de-.
jected, sought to cheer and entertain
him. She had heard the story of his
great loss, and she pitied him, She