The Portland daily press., 1879-04-23
LIES vICIssITUDEs.
Truth Stranger Than Fic ton.

In 1856 family lived in lower tenement of
house on Danforth street, by the name of
Ayergavenny which the neighbors corrupted
into Aroenny. The husband was rather a
shiftless sort of man, doing what odd jobs he
could procure, and especially fond of garden
work whenever be could procure it, seeming to
delight in flowers. His partiality for liquor no
doubt was one cause of his humble position,
for he possessed a much better education ,tan
men in his position usually do. His wife
was quite coed looking woman of about IS
years of age, ard she occasionally went out to
service. They had three children, a boy and
two girls, the boy about five years of age.
Nobody knew anything special about these PEG.
pie and they gave co cause fJr curiosity, ex-
cept perhaps in the education of the husband.
A few years after they left the city and moved
to New York, and probably have been forgot
ten for years.
short time ago gentleman of this city,
travelling abroad, happened to pass through
the county of Kent, England, and stopped ov-
er, for few days, near Tunbridge Wells we
think, in order to visit some "show-places" in
that vicinity. On the morning after his arriv-
al he left his inn and was taking a carriage for
the beautiful grounds of some nobleman, when
he was struck by the appearance of gentle
man on horseback who was converting with
the landlord of the inn. The appearance of
the stranger reminded him forcibly of the man
who, years before, used frequently to do chores
for him, only he was good deal younger. The
idea as ridiculous but it possessed his mind
and he could not get rid of it. On the way to
his destination he was passed by the stranger
who turned into some very retty gardens, of
not great extent, but evidently the property of
man of com Portable means.
After returning to his inn the 0rtland gen
tleman, discovering he could not get the strang.
er OUT of his mind, concluded to make some
inquiries of the landlord about him. The
landlord said thata number of years previous,
younger son of family of title and position
got into bad habits and, after trying the pa
thence Of the family for some time, they would
have nothing to do with him. He left the
country fnally and went to America; where,
they did not know. Some ten or twelve years
afterwards the prodigal's father died-his two
older brothers having died previously-and left
this small but comfortable estate, to the heir-at-
law, the scapegrace son. Advertisements were
put in the papers in America but no result was
reached until few years ago when young
man, about % years Of age, put In an appear
ance at the solicitors in London and proved his
title to the property.
The gentleman afterwards learned that the
young heir was the son Of the man who form
erly lived in this city. The father, after be
came among strangers, had married respecta-
BILE woman, but in far different sphere in life
from him, attracted by her pretty face, and
gradually had sunk into the position in which |
he was living here. After the family removed |
to New York he gradually succumbsd to his |
,ne great vice, and died leaving the three |
children spoken of above. The mother was de- |
ermined the children should receive as good an
education as the public schools could afford and |
he worked but to this end. 1t was not till her
husbands death that she really knew his fami-
y position, bat he left sufficient proof with her
% substantiate the facts. Owing to her con.
iition in life it was long after the ADVERTISE
nent that she learned Of the death of her hus-
'and's father aud brothers, and of her own
IONS rights. By that time the son had come of
Ige and he Immediately proceeded Ito prove
MS claims The striking likeness between
athef and son was what had attracted the
Portland gentleman's attention.