The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-07-12
FATHERS AND CHfLDREN'S WILLS.
A Tale of Breaking and Mending.

romantic, and no one was ashamed Of it,
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. COnse-
G,lently each made will, and matters
were so arranged that, if either of the
Young people declined the hand of the
other, that young person would be pen
niless, and his or her estate 60 to the
other young person who was willing.
After some years, the gentleman whose
child was daughter left his native
England for America, while the other
remained in England; so that the ocean
rolled between the romantic friends.
The English resident was named Ed
mund Harrington. The American,
Charles Seabright. Both were wealthy,
and both broug ht 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 desired 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, re-
fused to write one word of this amiable
epistle.
81 wish he had broken his neck, so
that might never hear any more about
him. she said, with stamp of her
slippered foot; "and l won't write
fbs.'
So again mamma wrote the letter,
having first locked Elsie up in dark
pantry by way of punishment.
"And | am sorry to find child of
mine so unfeeling," she said. GA
broken leg causes great deal of 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 she had been as sympa-
thetic as her mother desired her to, Elsie
would have had opportunity enough to
exercise these feelings, for her young
betrothed was always in some pickle,
and had nearly drowned and nearly shot
ulLStu a ooLCl OlllCos W Soy VI
ordinary tumbles.
1t was tit for tat, at all events, for,
when Elsie had the measles, Master Har-
old received the information with con-
tenptuous 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 te
meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of sad things
happened. Elsie lost both her fathel
and mother, and away in England Mr.
Harrington died suddenly of apoplexy
So the two men, who had looked for
ward for so many years to meeting
when their children were married, neve
met again. But for those obstinate will
ped, for the last thing the young peopl
desired was to meet each other. Blu
the young man was of age, and tn
young lady also, and the property mus
be settled, and could not be until tn
match was either on or Off The oil
LAWYERS in whose hands the affair reste,
knew the feeling of their wards, bu
they judged that meeting might men'
matters. At least, it was necessary tina
they should meet. So Harold, as il
duty bound, was to cross the ocean t.
meet his betrothed, and give her an op
portunity to refuse him.
The news of his arrival brought int
full activity those feelings of repugnanc
that Elsie had conceived for Harold il
her childhood. Yet there was enoug
of worldly wisdom in her head, to teacl
her how much better it was to de rio
than to be poor. If he refused her, he
fortune and his also would be her owl
by law. She would force him to refus
her, and then she would return him his
and all would be as it should. But HOY
could she do this?
The girl sat for awhile in deep revery
and then arose and clapped her hand
together. A thought had struck he1
There was in the house a seamstress-
vulgar girl, as plain as it was possibl
to be, and with as much conceit as an
young beauty was ever blessed with
Her rough manners and ways of speec
had become proverbial amongst her ow
class, the other servants speaking of he
generally as Crusty Betsy. And thi
girl had of late been occupied in tn
room of her young mistress over som
new dresses. Straight to this apartment
Elsie flew, and, locking the door, So
down opposite Betsy and said;