Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-23

man. Tho man was Josiah Blngdcn,
Esquire, iron-founder, of tho firm of
Blagoen, Bilgc & Co, of Birmingham
and elsewhere; the means was my
humble self f..rl r.l =
The day after my arrival at Rock
hampton Jim proposed that / should
drive with him on his morning round,
and" added he, 1--WE call at Mount
Grove on our way home" Mount
Grove was the residence of Mr. Spald-
ing; and two o'clock found us at the
gate of very nice villa residence over
looking the river, and standing within
its own niccly-kept grounds.
We were ushered into the drawing
room, where we found assembled cer-
tain persons whom Jim had not eX-
pcctcd to see. Mr.. Spalding received
me courteously, rs also did Mrs Spald-
ing. Miss Nellie greeted me most cor
dislly, adding that she was much
pleased to make tho acquaintance of
DR. Brooke's old friend of whom he so
often spoke. In addition to tho family
circle of three, it was clear there were
strangers present. These latter were
Mr.. Josiah Blagdcn and his sister. Mr..
Blagden did not impress me favorably.
He was stout, ilorid- d-complcXioned
man. remarkable for the extreme
breadth of his white wnistcoat and for
the profusion of jewelry displayed
thereon.
"a safe man, my dear sir; very
safe man." said Mr.. Spaldmg to me at
lunch. 'Why, | suppose his turn over
is about half million ycar-the iron
trade, you know" added the old gen
tleman by way of explaining that Mr..
Blagden was one of the metal kings of
England.
"Self-made man, too" said Mr..
Spalding; "began life as foundry
boy"
From what l saw of Mr.. Blagden
within the next few weeks, his origin
could have been pretty accurately
guessed from the manner in which he
impaired the foundry-boy' man
ners into the sphere in which his indus.
try and success had led him. He was
essentially vulgar man, who bullied
his sister, meek, silent little woman,
with good heart and n kindly nature,
rs discovered later on.
AS we drove home from lunch that
day Jim was strangely depressed.
guessed his thoughts pretty accurately,
for he burst out into TRADE against
Mrs Spalding on our arrival Mt home.
81 shouldn't wonder, Regy," said he,
:" if that fellow Blagden has been in
vited down here as q suitor for Nelly.
He's friend of Mrs. Spalding's-
the Black Country"
Jim's state OF mind, from the mo-
ment he broached this theory. may be
| I,,tt .,x,o Nn1 EN,,
the next three weeks l am bound to say
that his temper was well-nigh unendur-
able. One evening at dinner at Mount
Grove, felt half afraid he was going to
inllict personal chastsement upon Mr..
Blagdcn. n feat | should have much re-
joiced to have seen skillfully performed,
after the iron-masters coarse invectves
against the medical profession, which
had been called forth during some ar
gument concerning doctors fees. Nel-
ly's attitude toward Jim appeared TO
have undergone no perceptible change.
She was loving and gentle rs before;
but l fancicd that Mrs. Spalding con-
trived dexterously to keep Miss Blag-
den and Nelly as frequently together as
possible; and thus Jim's totc-a-tetes
were reduced to miserable minimum.
Worst of all, as jim remarked to me
one day, Nelly had confessed that her
step-mothcr had on more than one occa-
sion limited that Mr.. Blagdcn' visit and
stay were not solely prompted by rela-
tionship to her parents. Mrs. Spalding
was, in other words, Il clever woman
playing a nice little game of diplomacy,
and willie keeping on the most friendly
terms with Jim, was, to my mind, fur
thering her own aims and ideas of a
matrimonial alliance for Nelly with the
elderly iron-founder. l know that most
of my readers will say that Miss Spald
ing should have settled the matter for
herself, and have given Mr.. Blagden to
understand that his attentions were
unwelcome and hopeless. But, as |
remarked before, we are not all cast in
one mold; and the most loving natures
may sometimes be coerccd by what
seems to be their duty into self-sacri-
flee of the most unreasonable kind,
and which can only entail misery in the
end.
So things went on at Rockhampton,
} with diplomacy at Mount Grove and
J despair at No. II High street, where
J DR.. James Brooke announced his will
} ingness to relieve the afflicted daily
from ten to eleven Il. M, and from
: six to eight p. m. had been sitting
} cogitating over matters one evening al
the Red Lion-Jim having been called
to u distant part of his parish-when
an idea, founded, | believe, on quo
} tation from an old French author, oc.
cured to me. The quotation was tc
the effect, that "when moral suasior
fails from any cause to change an opin,
ion, it is lawful to appeal to the mos
trivial of our emotions" Happy idea
thought l. shall see whether or moi
can work it out to the advantage o
; DIR. James Brooke and-shall add It'll
j Ito the confusion of Josiah Blagden
Esquire.
My plans were then rapidly matured
! Morning, noon and night find me busy
J in the old church. i am hard at work
on n canvas in which the interior of the
} ediice grows under my brush day by
| day. There are no sounds of the "Ky
rie" now; nor are the jubilant strains
of Mendelssohn heard, as on a bright
sunny day not SO far gone by. Nelly
does not come to practice her old fa
vorites as of yore. Blagden, | know
hates music; and painters, as he once
, expressed it-in shocking bad taste =
/ are usually "a seedy lot" lremembe
\ Mr.. Josiah's white vest and cable chain
5 with enough appendages attached
thereto to have set up small jewele
: in thriving way of business. Thu
t aisle and gallery Of the church are nov
1 complete in my picture. | paint it a
. sit in the aisle; in the distance yol
: can see the altar and chancel: and tn
1 vicar, who looks in upon me occasion
ally, says it is rs like as can be. He j
Y curious, however, to know the natur
of the figures / have skctched roughl
: in. There is group passing down tn
n aisle from the altar-rails where tn
t vicar can still be seen at his post; an
t there is figure standing alone and so
itary in pew, as if facing the advanc
y ing party. The vicar cannot quit
+ fathom the design. The church he ca
o understand; but the meaning of tn
d picture puzzles him. bid him wa
o patiently for the solution of the myl