Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-10-11

cupati0n, NaF0~Work1uHs Calculating,
saving man, who had come to Bel
mont when the town was new. attFae-
ted thitheT By promise Of inueh oceH-
patton in the iine Of his calling. he
was good mechanic, very fair ar
chiiect. competent to superiptend the
erection of any ordinary building. and
able 70 do uslch &C the better class Of
work with his own hands He was
also q shrewd man. When he had
thoroughly inspected the town and its
surroundings. be sae that is posi-
Utilities we're great, end al the money
he could raise and all The credit be
cared to ask were invested in lard.
And hs did not mieaake. lie lived
70 zee the land thai he bad bought at
the rate Of ffty dOllaFs per acre, sold
for one dollar per square foot. He
built for himself a large and comfort
able dwelling in the new town, feel
ing we'll assured that he was settled
down for the remainder Of bis life.
Solomon Speed had three children
three sons-Nathan, Thomas and
Peter. aged respectively. eighteen, ten
and four. This four-year-Old son was
the child ola second wife, married after
Mr.. Speed had built his new house In
Belmont; and We may cay hare that che
two elder sons were never quite recon-.
ciled to their father ssecond marriage.
They had inherited all his shrewd-
ness, and, haviag seen that wealth
was likely to Aow in, upon their IA
ther, they did not take kindly to the
idea Of "A increase in the Number Of
his heirs. The step-mother they new
er ill-treated-that they dared not do
but they never liked her, nor were
they heartily kind to her. After lit
tie Peter had become large enough
and strong enough to creep around on
his hands and knees, and anon to
stand upon his feet, the two brothers,
large and strong. sometimes spoke
pleasantly to him, and would pick
T him up when he fell, but they never
kissed him; never gave him brotherly
love.
But the child was not without a
playmate Of his own sex. Tn che fam
lily, adopted by Solomon Speed, was
boy named Robert Ashworth, a son
and only child Of his-Speed's-only
sister. His father had died when Ro-
bert was an infant, and his mother
had survived her husband but few
years. On her death bed she had cal
led her brother to her side and beg
ged Of him that he would take care Of
her boy; and he promised that he
would do so. Robert was at that time
FIVE years old. just the. age Of Thomas,
and from that time he had been one
of the family, enjoying all the advan-
tages of life aud education that his
two cousins enjoyed.
But with the dawning Of better
times-as the prospect of wealth OPEN
cd upon the family-the aspect of Ro-
bert's situation changed somewhat.
AS Solomon Speed began to gain more
money than he could spend, he be-
came more and more inclined to save;
and he came, in time, to look upon
his sisters child as a burden which
he ought not to bear. And the same
feelings found life in the bosoms of Ma
than and Thomas. As their prospects
grew brighter and brighter, they be-
gan to cherish the idea that they might
De called upon. in some way, to share
with Robert, their "pauper cousin, as
they had called him, more than once.
Robert Ashworth loved the bright
eyed. aaxen-haired child, and never
tired OF carrying him in his arms, and
playing with him in all sorts OF WAYS. |
In fact, the time came-it had come
ut the time at which we open the sto- |
Ty--when little Peter and his mother
were the poor cousins only friends
The only ones who loved him and con- |
tributed to his happiness.
At the age ofsixteen Robert con-
cluded that he had been burden
upon his uncle long enough, and he
suggested that il might be we'll for
him to 60 out into the world and seek
his own fortune. Uncle Solomon
thought the same; and Nathan and
Thomas both conceded; and the un-
Gle, STIMULATING that the boy should
never trouble him no more-should |
never appeal to him for money-oE |
fered to give him one hundred dollars
IN money. The lad had thought his
uncle would give him something; but
this condition aroused his indiqna.
ton, and he would not take q penny.
lie had ten dollars, saved in two
years, and he would make that an |
swsr. Mrs. Speed. who was becom-
ing thin. and pale. and weak, wept
with bitter grief as she held his hand |
for the last time; aud from little Pc |
ter ne was forced TO tear himself avay.
Time passed on. Mrs. Speed re- |
ceived two letters from Robert-oue |
written at ST. Louis, and the other
away out towards the Rocky Noun |
taina. She answered them both. In
the last she confessed that she was
very weak, with but little hone oflife
remaining. AZ the end Of 4 wear and |
q hall he wrote his third letter, from |
the Pacific coast. bidding her that she |
should direct her answer te San Fran.
cisco. He was going away 70 the
mountains, beyond Sonora, bat a friend
in San Francisco would forward Il Ia
him. Another year passed, at the end
OF which time his last letter 10 Mrs.
Speed was returned to him: She was
dead and the wandsrer wrote no mora
letters 10 his old home.
Ten years more aad passed. when
Robert Ashworth--novV a akrono wu,,-