The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-14
FATHERS AND CHILDREN'S WILLS.

two gentlemen OF England conceived the
preposterous but fashionable idea that
because they were friends, their son and
daughter, then infants in their cradles,
must love each other when they grew to
be man and woman Consequently, each
made will, and matters were so ar
ranged that if either of the young people
declined the hand of the other that young
person would be penniless, and his or
her estate go to the other young person,
who was willing. After some years the
gentleman whose child was a daughter
left his native England for America,
while the other remained in England, so
that the ocean rolled between the roman
tic friends.
The English resident was named Ed
ward Harrington the American, Charles
Seabright. Both were wealthy, and
both brought their children up carefully.
As they grew older they permitted them
to correspond with each other, but each
detested the task so that the letters
were actually written by the elders them
selves. Once, at the age of fourteen,
when news came that little Harold Har-
wington had fallen from tree and brok-
en- his leg, Elsie Seabright was desired
to reply that she felt great regret, and
sent her best love and wishes for his
speedy recovery but the girl, who could
never listen to the boys name with any
thing like patience, refused to write one
word of this amiable epistle.
1" | wish he had broken his neck, so
that might never hear any more about
him." she said, with stamp of her slip
pered foot and won't write fibs"
So again mamma wrote the letter, hav-
ing first locked Elsie up in dark pan
try by way of punishment
''And l am sorry to find a child of
mine so unfeeling," she said. GA brok-
en- leg causes great pain, and may make
one lame for life"
ga nice thing for me that would be if
/ am to marry him." said Elsie.
Indeed, if she had been as sympa-
thetic as her mother desired her to be-
Elsie would have had opportunity
enough to exercise those feelings, for
her young betrothed was always in the
same pickle, and had nearly drowned
and nearly shot himself dozen times,
10 say nothing of ordinary tumbles.
1t was tit for tat, at all events, for
when Elsie had the measles Master Har-
old received the information with con-
temptuous Indifference amounting to
heartlessness, and had indeed said that
he did not care. He hated girls, and
this one the worst of them all.
So, with the ocean between them, the
young people grew to maturity, and the
year approached in which they were to
meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of sad things
happened. Elsie lost both her father
and mother, and away in England Mr.
Harrington died suddenly of apoplexy
SO the two men, who had looked forward
for so many years to meeting when their
children were married, never met again
But for those obstinate wills the whole
matter would have been dropped, for the
last thing the young people desired was
to meet each other. But the young man
was of age, and the young lady also, and
the property must be settled, and could
not be until the match was either on or
off. The old lawyers in whose hands the
affair rested knew the feelings of their
wards, but they judged that a meeting
might mend matters. At least, it was
necessary that they should meet. So
Harold, as in duty bound, was to cross
the ocean to meet his betrothed, and
give her an opportunity to refuse him.
The news of his arrival brought into
full activity those feelings of repugnance
that Elsie had conceived for Harold in
her childhood. Yet there was enough of
worldly wisdom in her head to teach her
l., . h. Oh 81
to be poor If he refused her, her fort
une and his also would be her own by
law. She would force him to refuse her,
and then she would return him his, and
all would be as it should. But how could
she do this?
The girl sat for awhile in deep revery,
and then arose and clapped her hands to-
.gether. A thought had struck her.
There was in the house a seamstress-a
vulgar girl, as plain as it was possible to
be, and with as much conceit as any
young beauty was ever blessed with.
Her rough manners and ways of speech
had become proverbial amongst her own
class, the other servants speaking of her
generally as Crusty Betsy. And this girl
had of late been occupied in the room Of
her young mistress over some new
dresses. Straight to this apartment
Elsie flew, and, locking the door, sat
down opposite Betsy and said:
Il have something for you to do, and
I'll pay you well for it,"
"'Just name it, then" said Betsy.
90 When | was little girl, Betsy" said
Elsie, "poor papa promised that | should
marry Young gentleman who lives in
England when | was grown, and that if |
did not should lose my fortune, Now
the time has come and he is coming, and
] can't marry him, Betsy, and want him
TO refuse me. Do you understands"
40 understand" said Betsy, land if
were you I'd buff him off quick enough,
and make him glad to go, that would I"
"And | can't think how to do it,
Betsy" said Elsie, and if you can you
must do it for me. While he stays you
must pretend that you are Miss Sea
bright you must wear my clothes, and
take all the airs you possibly can, and
make him as unhappy as possible, so that
he'll have to refuse you that is, me,
you know. Be sharp as you can with