Litchfield enquirer., 1876-07-20
A BUNDLE OF RLuMDERs.

l On the American side of the Atlantic it is difficult to estimate properly the obsta- cles which impede the smooth progress through life of rash young couples who marry on insufficient means, whose friends on either side are we'll favored by fortune, and who propose to themselves comfor- table and respectable residence in Lon- don.
 Ten years ago I committed the blunder l of believing that could solve this diff culty. With more egregious folly still, l acted upon my belief. The youngest son of 8 man possessing large landed prop ertY which was rigidly entailed, looked forward complacently to my brother hay ing the estates and myself having my fathers blessing when the latter died; and as had been born, bred, and nurtur- ed in full view of this fact, 1t never ap- peared to me hard or lamentable one.
 At least I was thus philosophical while | my father was alive and my allowance was | good, while my home was still in the head quarters of my race. But when my fath- CT died, and my brother William married a lady who looked upon me as an interlo- per if appeared at her board without a solemn invitation from her, my view of the case altered, and regarded the law of entail as hard, lamentable and unjust | mistake. =5
 My father had given me the advantages of an Eton education and college career, but he had not been able to leave me more than five hundred pounds when he died, and with this paltry sum I soon found my family expected me to fight for fortune and famine, unassisted by any lit 1 tie effort of theirs. ''My family at this iuncture consisted of my brother already married to the daughter of the rector of the parish, and my two sisters, the elder of whom was the wife of 1hardheaded, 1 prosperous, courtly, muchsought, and well-paid London surgeon.
 | We had all assembled at Brooklyn Place during my fathers illness, and we l all (Wlth the exception of my brother in-law, Sir Alfred Edmonstone, the hard headed surgeon) had remained there until after the funeral. My brother William had not resided in Brooklyn Place during the old mans life. He had been antago- nistic to the lady and opposed to the marriage. But during his illness she took her seat upon the throne, and after i his death, of course. she retained that seat by right. She was only about i've and-tHenty at this time, but already she was an adept in the art of rendering those whom she did not like uncomfor- table. The practice of three-score years and ten could not have made her great CT proficient in it.
 It was the night of the day after the l funeral. In measure we had all calmed down to conventionalism again-that con- ventionalism which had been really dis turbed while our father was dying. In a measure we had all calmed down, but my younger sister, Lady Edmonstone, was still a little agitated. When the sub- | ject of their departure on the following day was mooted, saw her look at my brother, and then glance quickly toward me. as she said:
 What are your plans, Adolphus 1 When shall you be in town?" ,l. .-H= "When l have something to do there, and some place to go to, Addy," answer l ed"
 sYou always have some place to go to, '' Addy said, half tearfully. The sum left to me by, my fathers will appeared In sisters eyes so fearfully disproportionate i to my wants that she had been more or less lachrymose all the day.
 And you can always find something to do if you try my sister-in-law sad, nip: l pingly.
 was only twenty-two, and my heart swelled at this speech. But two days ago she had not dared to utter it. But she was the lady paramount now and I was only her guest. I looked all round the group as I answered:
 ''You 're-very kind, Addy and you're very right, Fanny But my plans are un- formed, and I would rather not talk about them"
 ''The group upon which gazed was very pleasant one to look at, though it was garbed in sable. My brother-the head of the house nova tall, weedily grown. but aristocratic looking man, sat on the right of the fire in capacious lonuge which had been my dear moth CTS seat when l was a child. His wife was opposite to him in little fanciful lady's chair which she had imported to Brooklyn Place. She was moderately endowed with mind, too, but she was pos sessed of a good share of tact and discre- tion, and my grounds for disliking her were vague, though the dislike itself was we'll defined. There was that in her ar this evening which convinced me that if got worsted in my battle for fortune. | must not come to Brooklyn Place to have my wounds healed. .-.a s.ca4 rl-a. ..F
 My eldest sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Warrington. were absorbed in the advertising sheet of the Times. He wanted butler and she wanted 'lady's maid, and until those wants were satisfied could not hope to excite any feeling of interest in their breast respecting my flu. ture. They were handsome well-fed couple, fond of themselves, and one anoth- CT. and of their children, and serenely in- different to the welfare of every human being. The last of the group to be de- scribed was the dearest and most sympa- thetic-my sister Lady Edmonstone
 Addy had always been a warm-hearted loving girl, in her unmarred days, and when she became the wife of Sir Alfred Edmonstone, though she could not develop these qualities with the free dom of old days. they existed in all their former force, was well aware. My broth ! er-in-law had what is called an ''iron will," an admirable thing in itself, doubtless, but nevertheless one that is apt to bear | heavily on the more malleable metal of 1 which lovable and nice women are con- posed. As looked at my pretty, gentle | young sister this night, and saw the tears glistening in her soft hazel eyes, I felt sure that she was not justified to herself in that hint she had given me of her house being very much at my service.
 ''The sooner you talk to William and l chalk out some plan. the better" I think, | Mrs. Brooklyn said earnestly. t'Don't | you think So, Margaret don't. you think l so, Addy? Of course if Adolphus likes | to stay here for time, we shall be glad l to see him, but still he can't afford to | idle away his time for long, can he?"
 ''No. he can't, poor darling, "AddY said, l signing while Margaret looked up for an instant with bland smile that might | mean anything, and then down again | upon the column where the possible | maid might be found.
 .'I shall not intrude upon you very long, Fanny" said, with sndden sense of | the bitterness of it all overwhelming me- |
 "Let me speak with you for an hour to- | morrow, William, added; and when he | promised compliance with my request. I |