The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-24
MAJOR HAMMOND'S RING.

MAJOR HAMMOND'S RING.
"What's this?" cried Miss Hammond,
breaking open letter justhanded to her
BY servant You read it, Maggie;
& your ewes are better than mine"
Small wonder at that, indeed, seeing
that Maggie is aged about eighteen, and
the other sixty-five at the very least, a
pleasant looking, well-preserved spin
ster, with a brown, resolute face and
sausage curls over the forehead. Mag
gle, a handsome modern girl, sits down
and reads:
MADAM: The parishioners of st. Crispin,
Gigglesham, in vestry assembled, have de-
termined to rebuild their parish church, pro-
nounced unsafe by the surveyors. Contribu-
tons are earnestly requested. The Pltera-
lions will Hecessitate the removal of many
vaults and graves, among others, that OF the
Hammond family. 1t is the wish of the
church wardens to respect the wishes of sur
vivors and others in the disposal of the re-
mains. Any directions you may have to
give, you will be good enough to communi-
cate to the undersigned. Your most humble
and Obedient servants,
THOMAS TRUsCoTT,
WILLIAM BONNER,
Church Wardens
The two Misses Hammond (Margaret
and ELEM are joint proprietors of the
comfortable estate of Westbury, near
Gigglesham, and of the handsome man
sion thereto belonging. Maggie, the
young girl, is distant although
she calls them aunt"-and lives with
them. There is also young man, Ralph
Grant, somewhere about the place, of
whom more anon.
Old Tom Hammond, the father of the
two maiden sisters, was born in the year
174O, and might have seen the heads
owe Temple Bar after the rising of 1745.
He ived till 1880. He had married late
&A,hters. Thus two generations
br1dged over space of time generally
occupied by many successive lives, as in
the case of another branch of the family,
the founder of which, Maj Richard Ham
mond (the uncle of the two old ladies',
who had been at the capture of Quebec
when Gen. Wolfe was killed, being the
great grandfather of Maggie Lauderdale
and Ralph Grant. Maj. Hammond was
the elder of the two brothers, and should
have inherited the Westbury estate; but
he offended his father, Gen. John Ham
mond, by what was called low mar
rage, and was disinherited in conse
quence.
Tom Hammond had done his best to
remedy his fathers injustice, as far as
ne could without injuring himself and
his own, by making settlement of the
estate, in failure of his own issue, upon
the lawful descendants of Maj. Ham
mond, his brother; providing that if the
issue of his elder brother should fail, the
estate should go to the issue of young
er brother Henry, who, by the way, had
been we'll provided for by the small es-
tate of Eastbury. This brother Henry
was now represented through the female
line by Mr.. Boobies, of Doodle Court,
who now also held the Eastbury estate.
The descendants of Maj Hammond are
now confined to these two young people,
Maggie and Ralph They are both or
phans and without means, their forebears
having been mostly in the soldering and
official lines. Ralph is Lieutenant in
the artillery, and his battery is now in
India; but he is home on sick leave; and
he has taken advantage of his furlough
to win the affections of his fair cousin
AS the Westburry estate would become
to be eventually divided between them,
it was considered most fortunate thing
that the young people had come to an
understanding. Ralph was to leave the
service when he was married and take
the home farm. BY and by he would fall
naturally into his position as country
Squire; aud it was arranged that eventu-
oil no ohnttl1 tho no of Ham
mond; hoping to continue the old line.
This preamble being necessary, let US
return to the comfortable old-fashioned
drawing-room at Westbury.
What do you think of that, Ellen?"
cried Mrs. Hammond, having read over
once more the circular to herself with
subdued emphasis Miss Ellen was sit
ting looking into the fire. Her great
wooden knitting pins and bright .colored
woods lying on her lap, as she shook her
head while talking gently to herself.
DO you hear, Ellen?" cried Miss
Hammond, more sharply. I" What do
you think of that letter from Truscott?'
81 don't like the idea at all, Margaret.
No, not at all. Why can't they leave our
ancestors alone? And l am sure al
ways looked forward to being buried
there myself"
"Lal don't talk about that, Ellen, and
you five years the younger" said Miss
Hammond, briskly; and as we can't
prevent its being done, we must make
the best of it. Ralph had better go and
see to it,"
every we'll, sister; as you like" said
Ellen. Presently she resumed "Sister,
I've been thinking that this would be a
good chance to try to get back Uncle
Richard Hammond's ring"
"Uncle Hammond's ring?" repeated
the elder sister, Il don't understand.