Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-10-24
BROUGHT TO TERMS.

6isC ny SOnoCh0 w yO1i
with that girl, said Mr.. Cameron,
angrily but firmly.
"You are unjust to her you admit
that you know nothing OF her"
"Except that she is the daughter
of a farmer, a poor, illiterate farmer
who has half a dozen other chiluren."
.Mr. Littlefeld is poor, I grant,
but neither he or his children are IL
. literate Sophie has as good an edu-
cation as any girl I know"
"Bah!" exclaimed the old mar
CONTEMPORARY. "Of curse she is
perfection! Why couldn't you have
had sense enough to fancy Lottie
FELTON, or that pretty little Hillaiard
girl? I'd welcome either of them
willingly enough, but this girl will
not receive"
"Simply because she is a farmers
daughter"
"Simply because I choose not to!"
answered Basil Cameron, all the OBJ
stinancy inherited from his Scotch
grandfather rising up against his
sons cool infexibility. 81 say you
shall not marry her-and you shall
not"
Sand I say I WILL" replied Maui
rice, angry in return. II defy any
one to hinder me without showing
better cause than her poverty"
"You seem to forget, man, that
you have not a penny of your own!
Pray how do you propose to support
a wife that 1 disapprove of"
SPY my own e%xertions, sir, as
thousands of better men than 1 am
are doing L am neither an invilid nor
an imbecile."
"Ha, ha, hal" roared the father.
"You work! That is rich! Go and
tell your sweetheart that your father
will not give you another dollar dur
ing his life or after it, and see how
quick she'll repent of saying yes to
you"
"On the contrary, sir, her fathers
only objection to me is that I am an
idle young man."
"Don't talk about the matter
Maurice. Come, give mt your word
to break off this engagement, and"
"Never, sir!"
"Then the sooner you get out of
my sight the better. 1 wash my
hands on you, you thankless boy!
Go to work, and come to me in a
year begging for your wife. I'd see
you starve before I'd give it to you
them"
Maurice Cameron was the only |
o of Basil Cameron, n of the
richest and most influential men in
the busy town of Nelson. He had
received a liberal education, and his
father, who accumulated wealth only
for him, looked to sea him take his
place among the leading men of the
State. Cautious, persevering, obsti-
nate, he had marked out a certain
course for his handsome. talented
boy, and determined that he must
carry it out, forgetting that the son
usually inherits most if not all of his
stronger parents characteristics.
Mr.. Cameron, too, was proud; proud
of his good Scotch descent, Of his
abilities and position in society; and
the idea CT Maurice taking as a wife
this daughter of a small, unknown
farmer was bitterness indeed. 1t is
true he knew nothing whatever of the
girl, but that made no difference; he
had made up his mind that Maurice
must marry into either the FELTON,, or
billiard, or S~tuyvesant families
therefore this unheard-of Sophie
Litchfeld vas an interloper.
Mrs. Cameron worshipped both
husband son, consequently this disa-
greement-ripening, as it did, into
an open rupture between the two
cost her mary a tear, but against two
such stubborn natures she was pow
srless.
The Litchlelds were, rs Mr.. Cam
.eron had said, poor, but they were
honest, cultivated, sensible people.
Sophie was the second daughter, and
was as pretty, well read, graceful a
girl as any Cameron evcr wooed, and
would do honor to any position in life.
Mr.. Litchfield talked seriously with
Maurice when he heard of tn quarrel
between him and his father, and,
finding that he was determined to
pursue his own course, told him that
o little adversely, a little genuine
work, would probably make a man of
him, and that he would give him So
phie more willingly now than ever.
So Basil Cameron was a false prophet.
Maurice left home, bag and bag
gage, the day of the conversation
above recorded. His father felt very
much curiosity to know what he
would do, but would not condescend
to make inquiries or show any inter-
est.
A fortnight passed away. Mr.. and
Mrs. Cameron were dining with the
Feltons Ga very quiet family dinner)
one day, when there was a very fine
leg of mutton on the table.
eyes, thank you, FELTON,, I will
take another slice," said MI. Gamer