Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-22
"I thought So" said Mr.. Watkins.

The second was from Mrs. Calista
Jones, the wife of prosperous mer-
chant
"My dear cousin" II said. IN little spi-
der-wehby characters" your letter fills
me with surprise. such Aeoesaity can
only have Its source in dissipation or
speculation, With neither Of these can
you expect Inc, Christian matron, to
sympathiEe. Under the circumstances
| must beg to decline further poatsl
communication with you. Respectful
ly," etc, etc,
The upward curves around Mr.. Wat
kins' mouth heightened themselves out
into the nearest approach tu a smile In
which the eaustle old gentleman ever In
dulged aa he neatly labelled and docket
ed this letter also, and opened atill the
third, In which Mr. benjamin Courtne.
nay regretted the Strengthened state OF
OF his financial AFFAIRS, and bluntly re,
commended some public charitable In.
stitntion ~ the bsst refuge for his oous-
ms declining years,
"liumph, humphl" muttsred Mr.. Wat
kins, $50 he would pack mo of 10 the
poor.house, would hep Very kind and
oonsiderate OF hlm-ycry,"
Mr.. Peter Dilks WIS u stage less oero-
m0nious still,
"Did his cousin Watkins think he was
made of money! Did no think Il was
his business to supply every old pauper ?
In that case Mr.. Watkins would lind
himself considerably mistaken, and no
no more from his to command.
Il. DILKs."
The ifth epistle from Mis-. Million
alre was excessively civil and as hard
~ granite.
She begged TO call Mr.. Watkins atten-
tention to the fact that she, Mrs. Mil
lionalre, was but his second cousin af-
ter all, and she really wondered at his
audacity In expecting her to patch up
his ruined fortunes.
She enclosed card to employment of
fice, and hoped to be troubled no more
with such useless applications.
Mr.. Watkins silently folded this let
ter and placed 1t with the others before
he opened the one directed in Moses
Haywood's clerkly calligraphy.
Tohis surprise, when he broke the
seal, out fell post-0fllce order for $50.
"My dear cousin Watkins" wrote the
schoolmaster. IL grieve deeply to hear
of your financial distress, and hereby
inclose all have on hand. 1t is not
much-but beg of you to accept IL in
the same spirit in which it is given"
Old Walter Watkins brushed his
wrinkled hands acrose his shaggy brows.
"The poorest, most obscure of them
ALL" he said. "The one of whom / ex-
pected least. Well, well, wonders will
never cease"
And taking up his pen he wrote back
briefly-"CoUsIN HAYWOOD: I thank
you. w. WATKINS"
Father, are you sure you're well
enough to go back into school?"
Alice had drawn up her wheeled chair
close to the lounge on which old Moses
had dragged himself into sitting post
/ are.
Eyes, child, yes;" he said, drawing his
hand vaguely across his forehead; 81
must be well enoughl The children's
parents are getting impatient. / shall
lose my scholars if don't go back into
harness to-day"
Father, father" cried poor Alice pit
eously, eff we had but that money you
saved up so long and painfully-that
money you gave old Watkins-it would
have brought you health, strength, and
repose now.
"My daughter" said the old man,
mildly, "all that is PAST considering now.
And remember, he that giveth to the
poor lendeth to the lord"
He was in the school that morning
trying to accustom his whirling head to
the clamOrOus voices of the little ones
when there came loud rap at the door,
and well-dressed, bluff looking strang-
er walked in and looked unceremonious-
ly around him.
ais this Moses Haywood, the school
master?" asked he, with outstretched
hand.
THAT is my name, sir" said the old
man.
al congratulate you," cried the bluff
stranger, nearly wringing poor Moses
hand off.
"SirT said the schoolmastsr.
you're rich man. roared the stran-
ger.
"I-I-think 1 must be dreaming" /"
said Moses, putting his hand to his
head.
Not bit of it." said the stranger;
mot bit of it. It's your wife's cousin,
| Walter Watkins, of -"
"Yes," said Moses Haywood. al re-
member him now-I lent him fifty
pOnnds; l suppose he has sent you to re-
turn it?'
Fifty poundsl" echoed the stranger.
"It's fifty thousandp He is dead-and
has willed you all his money. Pretty
good interest on fifty pounds for year,
ehp But my client was always eccen-
trie. There's string of names down in
his will for ten shillings each, because,
as he states, they wouldn't lend him as
much as that when he asked for it-a
lot of cousins, you know-and it's all
left to you as the only one who respond
ed genially to his call. IL say, sir" with
with another overpowering shake of the
hand, Il congratulate you with all my
hearth
And the autumn-tide of Moses Hay
woods life is prssed in the sunshine of
wealth and prosperity, and Alice has her
lighthouses, her abiary and her books.
Father" she says, softly, with her
cheek against his wrinkled hand, you
were right, after all, and was wrong
Kindness is sure to find its reward"
BETHANY, ONTARIO.