The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-28
FATHERS WILLS.
A Tale of Breaking and Mending.

A Tale of Breaking and Mending.
In the days when all the world was
romantic, and no one was ashamed of it.
two gentlemen of England conceived the
prepOsterOus, but fashionable idea that.
because they we're 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 arranged
that II either Of the young people de-
clined 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
mund Harrington; the American.
Charles Seabright. Both were wealthy.
and both brought their children up care
fully. AS they grew older they per-
mitted them to correspond with each
other, but each detested the task so that
the letters were actually written by the
elders themselves Once, at the age of
IA, when news came that little Harold
Harrington had fallen from tree and
broken his leg, Elsie Seabright was de-
sired to reply that she felt great regret,
and send 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.
CT wish he had broken his neck. so
so that [ might never hear any more
about him" she said, with a STAMP of her
sllppered foot; "and I won't write
fibs."
So again mamma wrote the letter. hay
ing first locked Elsie up in a dark pantry
by way Of punishment.
And [ am sorry to find child of
mine so unfeeling, she said. GA broken
leg causes great pain, and may make one
lame for life. ("
GA nice thing for me that would be if
I am to marry him, " said Elsie.
Indeed, if shehad been as sympathetic
as her mother desired her to- Elsie would
have had opportunity enough to exer-
else these feelings, for her young be-
trothed was always in some pickle. and
had nearly drowned and nearly shot
himself dozen times, to say nothing of
ordinary tumbles.
1t was TIT for tat, at all events, for.
when Elsie had the measles. Master
Harold received the information with q
contemptuous 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 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 be-
trothed, 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 how much better it was to be rich
than to be poor. If he refused her. her
fortune and his also would be her own
10y 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 while in deep revery.
and then arose and clapped her hands
together. A thought had struck her.
There was in the house seamstress-a