Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-08
TIE HERALD.
THE HEIRESS' CHOICE.
A True Story.
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.

10 the early winter OF 1852, Nathan
Altering lay dying in New Jersey
city, not far from the Hudson. He
bad amassed great wealth 10 mercan.
tile business, but now, in the prime
OF life, he was to leave it all behind
him. His wife had been dead sew
eral years, and his only near and
dear relative was his daughter Ada
the only child that bad ever been
born to bless bim-and q blessing in
deed had she been--the light of his
home the pride and Joy of bis heart;
and the one sweet, pure flower that
bad shed celestial fragrance over
the later years Of mis- life.
The daughter stood by her faith
er's bedside, both her hands clasped
in his.
'Ada,' said the dying man, when
am gone you will be left the mistress
of great wealth, and / need not tell
you OF the many trials and tempta.
tons you may be called upon to en-.
dure, nor the manifold snares which
designing people may set in your
path. | have tried TO educate you
well and truly, and know you have
been a diligent student in all the
things appertaining TO life. But you
must allow me to speak one word
more Of parental counsel In three
years more you will have reached
your majority, and will then become
sole guardian of your property.
hope you will live long to enjoy it
but that enjoyment must depend
much on the character of The partner
to whom you shall give your hand
and heart. Oh, my child, be wise
be circumspect. Marry no poor man
simply because he is handsome and
good hearted; and choose no scion
of wealth si because of his
wealth. Let your choice be governed
by sterling merit; and to that end
do you cultivate selfrespect without
pride, and virtue Of life and judg.
ment without ostentation. God help
you, sweet one, in that important or,
deal. Remember-thel last prayer oil
my soul shall be to that end"
y =
No maiden could be more gener-
ally courted by the marriageble
young gentlemen other acquaintance
than was the beautiful orphan heir,
ess, Ada Altering. At the age Of
eighteen, by provision of her fathers
will, she came in full possession OF
very nearly million dollars A girl
with more of naughty pride might
have kept all poor admirers at dis.
lance but so mild and so kind was
she--so respectful to all whom she
considered WORTHY to be held as
friends--so deferential to modest
merit, and so utterly oblivious of all
qualities of rank and fashion, when
linked with selfishnass and snobbish-
ness, that young men of humble sta
ton ere long learned that she could
be kind and respectful to them, and
that she could smile upon them as
sweetly as upon those more favored
of fortune.
At length, when Ada had reached
the age of twenty, there were two
men who had come nearer to her
heart than had sny others. One was
Philip Nettleton, and the other was
Amos Robbins. Both were book
keepers in heavy New York houses,
and both had prospects Of soon being
admitted into actual business part
nership. Both were honorable, sober,
kind hearted men, and both were
called handsome. Philip Nettleton
was the more intellectual of the two !;
the more studious, meditative, and
reserved. Amos Robbins was the
more polished. sparkling, witty, and
freely social.
Both of these young men loved
Ada Atherling, and though she had
never, by word or sign, given either
of them to understand that she could
return that love, yet she had shown,
in many ways, that their position in
life did not, in the least, limit her re-.
spect and es' eem; but on the con-
trary, she treated them with far
more consideration than she did
those who came floating about her
on the golden sea Of fortune.
The sad and darksome weeks of
autumn Of 1857 were passing FL
nancial ruin swept up and down the
business highways of the great city.
On Tuesday, October l3th-,he day
that saw twenty banks in New York
suspend-when ten thousand people
bad been thrown out Of employment
in the New Jersey ci,y-the house
in which Robbins was connected
failed /; and on the next day the house
where Nettleton had all his hopes of
business anchored, went by the board.
They had been among the best
houses in New York, aud had held
out to the last but the bosom had
swept their credit away, and the ruin
was absolute
So Philip Nettleton and Amos
Robbins were without employment
aad without money; for, III anticipa
ton of entering into partial proprie-
torship in their respective establish.
ments they had allowed their surplus
salary to remain in the hands of their
employers, and III neither case had a
dollar been saved. The man who,
on the morning of the first day OF
that eventual month of October, might
have retired from business with q
fortune, now found himself the owner
of not one solitary dollar.
Philip Nettleton was sorely dis.
tressed. He was an orphan, and a
sick sister had been depending upon
him for support for over q year. Tha,
sister now lay PROSTATE, and she
must have succor and comfort. HI
sought all up and down the bushes:
part OF New York, where he was &C
quainted, for employment as CLERK
or salesman; but there was no open
ing. Then he sought in the New
Jersey city where he lived, but with
out success. Weary aud sick a
heart, he was on his way homeward
when he met the butcher of whom
he had that morning bought som,
meat, and TO whom he had told lht
story of his great need.
well, Philip what luck to- day !?
The Young nan shook his haaC