The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-06-13
THE PIONEERS.

pte, tie luOtSe III our tale. nau, ABOUT
one hundred and twenty years before
the commencement of our story, come
to the colony of Pennsylvania, a friend
and co-religionists of its great patron,
William Penn. He became the mas
ter of many thousands of acres of un-
inhabited territory, and the supporter
of many score of dependents. He
lived greatly respected for his piety,
and not little distinguished as a sec
tary: was intrusted by his associates
with many important political stations /;
and died just in time to escape the
knowlege of his own poverty. 1t was
his lot to share the fortune of most of
those who brought wealth with them
into the new settlements of the mid
die colonies.
The posterity of Marmaduke did
not escape the common lot of those,
who depended rather on their heredi-
tary possessions than on their own
powers and in the third generation,
they had descended to point, below
which, in this happy country, it is
barely possible for honesty, intellect,
and sobriety, to fall. The same pride
of family that had, by its self-satisfied
Incidence, conduced to aid their fall,
now became principle to stimulate
them to endeavor to rise again. The
feeling from being morbid was chang
ed to a healthful and active desire to
emulate the character, the condition,
and peradventure, tie wealth, of their
ancestors also. 1t was the father of
our new acquaintance, the Judge, who
first began to re-ascend the scale of
society: and in this undertaking he
was not little assisted by a marriage
that he formed, which aided greatly in
furnishing the means of educating his
only son, in a rather better manner
than the low state of the common
schools in Pennsylvania could promise.
AT school young Marmaduke formed
an intimacy with youth, whose years
were about equal to his own. This
was a fortunate connection for our
Judge, and paved the way to most of
his future elevation in life, when the
early inclination for each other in the
boys was matured into friendship.
There was not only great wealth,
but high court interest, among the
connexions Of Edward Eflingham.
He was an only child and to him.
his father on his sons marriage with a
lady to whom the father was partiu-
larly partial, gave a complete convey
ance of his whole estate. consisting of
moneys in the funds, town and
country residence, sundry valuable
farms in the old parts Of the colony,
and large tracts of wild land in the
new-in this manner throwing himself
upon the filial piety of his child for
his own future maintenance. When
he thus voluntarily stript himself of
his great personal wealth, the commu-
nifty seemed instinctively to adopt the
conclusion, than he had reached sec
ond childhood. The younger Etfing-
ham did not object, however, to the
amount of the donation; for he felt
that while his parent reserved a moral
control over his actions, he was re-
lieving himself from fatiguing bur
then: such, indeed, was the conf
dence existing between them, that to
neither did it seem any thing more,
than removing money from one pocket
to another.
One of the first acts of the young
man, on coming into possession of his
wealth, was to seek his early friend,
with view to offer any assistance,
that it was in his power to bestow.
The death of Marmakuke's father,
and the consequent division of his
small estate, rendered such an offer
extremely acceptable to the young
Pennsylvanian he felt his own pow
ers, and saw, not only the excellences,
but the foibles, in the character Of his
friend. Effingham was by nature in
dolent, confding, and at times impet-
uous md indiscret; but Marmaduke
was uniformly equable, penetrating,
and full of activity and enterprise. A
mercantile house was established in
the metropolis of Pennsylvania, with
the avails of Mr.. Effiingham's person
al property, and put into the posses
sion of Temple, who was the only os-
tensible proprietor in the coucern,
while, in secret, the other was entitled
to an equal participation in the profits,
This connection was thus kept private
for two reasons one Of which, in the
freedom of their intercourse, was
frankly avowed to Marmaduke, while
the other continued profoundly hid il
the bosom of his friend. The last was
nothing more than pride. To the de
scendant of line Of soldiers, com
merce, even in that indirect manner
seemed a degrading pursuit.
Moreover, Marmaduke was tinctur
ed with the beliefs, language, an(
customs of the Quakers, sect agains
which the elder Efliingham, had {
strong prejudice. The connection
therefore, between the two young men
remained a profound secret to all bu
those who were interested in it.
For q few years, Marmaduke direct
eel the commercial operations of hi
house with a prudence and sagacity
that afforded rich returns for the la
Dor and hazard incurred. He mar
ried lady who became the mother o
Elizabeth, and the visits of his frienC
were becoming more frequent; AM
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