Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-09-03
Brought to Terms;
Or, Maurice Basil CamerOn's Stratagem.

IA Selected Story.1
"You are surely not in earnest, faith
II assure you am. 1 will not give
my consent to your marriage 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 dozen other children"
"Mr. Litchfield is poor, grant, but
neither he nor his children are ignorant;
Sophie has as good an education as any
girl know"
"Bah W exclaimed the older man, con-
temptuously. "Of course she is perfec-
tion! Why couldn't you have had sense
enough to fancy Lottie FELTON, or that
pretty little Hillard girl? I'd welcome
either of them willingly enough, but
this girl I will not receive" f
"Simply because she is farmers
daughter ?"
"Simp,y because choose not ton an
swered Basil Cameron, all the obstinacy
inherited from his Scottish grandfather
rising up against his sons cool inflexi-
bility. 81 say you shall not marry her
and you shall not!
"And say will" replied Maurice,
angry in return. 81 defy any one to
hinder me without showing better cause
than her poverty"
'You seem to forget you have not a
penny of your own. Pray how do you
propose to support wife that I disap-
prove off" ra,s.
"By my own exertions, sir, as thou
sands of better men than am are doing
I am neither an invalid nor an imbe-
cile."
"Ha, ha, ha !" roared the father. "You
work! That is rich Go and tell your
sweetheart that your father will not give
you another dollar during his life or af.
ter it, and see how quick she'll repent o1
saying yes to you"
'On the contrary, sir, her fathers only
objection to me is that 1 am an idle
young man."
"Don't talk about the matter, Maurice
Come give me your word to break of
! this engagement, -"
''Never, sirw
''Then the sooner you get out of my
sight the better. I wash my hands O
you, you thankless hoy! Go and work
and come to me in year begging breaC
for your wife. I'd see you starve before
I'd give it to you."
Maurice Cameron was the only son OF
Basil Cameron, one of the richest and
most influential men in the busy town
of Nelson. He had received a liberal
education. and his father, who had ac-
cumulated wealth only for him, looked
to see him take his place among the
leading men of his State. Cautious, per.
severing, obstinate, 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 of his stronger
parents characteristics. Mr.. Cameron
too, was proud proud of his good Scotch
descent, of his abilities and his position
in society and the idea of Maurice tax
| ing as wife this daughter of a small, un
known farmer, was bitterness indeed
| 1t is true he knew nothing whatever o.
the girl, but that made no difference
he had made up his mind that Maurice
must marry into either the Fenton, Hill
lard, or Stuyvesant families; therefor'
this unheard of Sophie Litchfield wa
an interloper.
Mrs. Cameron worshipped both hus
band and son, consequently this dis
agreement-ripening, as it did, into ar
open rupture between the two-eost he
many tear; but against two such stub
born natures she was powerless.
The Litchfields were, as Mr.. Cameron
had said, poor; but they were cultivat
ed, honest, sensible people. Sophie wa
the second daughter, and was as pretty
well read, graceful a girl as any Cameron
ever wooed, and would do honor to an,
position in life. Mr.. Litchfield talke,'
seriously with Maurice when he hear
Of the quarrel between him and hi
father, and finding that he was determn
ed to pursue his own course, told hin
that a little adversity, a little genuin
work would probably make man q
him, and that he would give him Sophi
more willingly now than ever. So Bas
Cameron was a false prophet.
Maurice left home, bag and baggag.
the day OF the conversation above record
ed. His father felt;very curious to kno7
what he would do. but would not cor
descend to make any inquiries or, sho,
lapy Interest, ssag .,sff ts,rst s'.1s