The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-02-16
TIT FOR TAT.

In the days when all the world was ro-
mantle, and no one was ashamed of it,
two gentlemen of England conceived the
preposterous, but at the same time rather
fashionable idea, that, because they
were friends, their son and daughter,
then infants in thei- cradles, must love
each other when .ney grew to be man
and woman and, having compared
notes, and found that they quite agreed
on this point, set to work with zeal
worthy of better cause, to arrange
matters so that they must turn out
exactly as they desired.
If they lived, Of course their commands
would be sufficient.
OF this they we're assured but, if they
died, who knew what two misguided
young people might do.
Consequently, each made a will, and
matters were so arranged that, if either
ofthe 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 daughter, left his native
England for America, while the other,
who was n widower, his wife having
given her life for that son, remained in
England; so that the ocean rolled be-
tween the romantic friends.
The English resident was named Ed
mund Harrington. The American,
Charles Seabright.
Both were, as we have said, 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 themselves.
Once, at the aye of fourteen, when
news came that little Hareld 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 re-
covery but the girl, who could never
listen to the boys name with anything
like patience, refused to write one word
of This amiable epistle.
"I wish he had broken his neck, so
that l might never hear any more about
him." she said, with a stamp of her
slippered foot; "and / won't write
fibs."
so again mamma wrote the letter, hav-
ing first locked Elsie up in a dark
pantry by way of punishment.
"And ] am sorry to find child OF
mine 80 unfeeling,," she said, "a broken
leg causes great pain and may make one
lame for life.n -r . -.-.--, G.. "a.
"a nice thing for me that would be il
am to marry him." said Elsie. -.
Indeed if she had been as sympatheti
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 himself
dozen times, tosay nothing of ordinary
tumbles. -1t-or
II was tit for tat, at all levents, for wneI
Elsie had the measles, Master Harold re
ceived the information with con
temptuous indifference amounting tt
heartlessness, and had indeed said tha
he did not care.
He hated girls, and this one the wors
Of them all.
So, with the ocean between them, til,
young people grew to maturity, and tn
year approached in which they were +
meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of sad thing
happened. Elsie lost both her father an
her mother, and away in England, MI
Harrington died suddenly of apoplexy
So the two men who had looked forwar
for 70 many years to meeting when thei
children were married, never met agar
Mr.. Harrington would not bring hi
son TO America to see the lovely Elsie, 8
he had proposed, and but for those obst
nate Wills the whole matter would hay
been dropped, for the last thing tn
young people desired was to meet eac
other.
But the young man was OF age, an
the young lady also, and the proper
must be settled, and could not be uni
the match was either on or off.
The old lawyers in whose hands the
fair rested, knew the feelings of th'