The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-03-13

rant. They got there just in time for
his funeral. Middleton was there and
saw them, and asked them to attend it.,
and to speak to him after the reading
of the will.
Proceedings are stayed" said he;
"but, perhaps, having acted against me,
you might like to see whether it would
not pay better to act with me-" '.
sand no mistake" said one of them;
so they were Toasted with the rest, for
it was a magnificent funeral, and after
that Middleton squared them with ESQ
apiece to hold their tongues-and more
to divert all suspicion from the house
and the beautiful woman who now held
it as only trustee for her son.
Remembering that he had left the
estate to another mans child, Monck-
ton, one fine day, bequeathed his per-
sonal estate on half a sheet of note-pa-
per to Lucy. This and the large allow
ance Middleton obtained from the Court
for her, as trustee and guardian to the
heir, madeher rich woman. She was
German, sober, notable, and prOvi-
dent; she kept her sheep, and became q
sort of squire. She wrote to her hus-
band in the States, and by the advice of
Middleton, told him the exact truth in
stead of q pack of fibs, which she GER
tainly would have done lad she been
left TO herself. Poverty had pinched
Jonathan Braham by this time; and as
he saw by the tone Of her letter she did
not care one straw whether he accepted
the situation or not, he accepted it
eagerly, and had to court her as stran-
ger, and to marry her, and wear the
crown of matrimonial; for Middleton
drew the settlements, and neither Bra
I,at lste,
half-penny. And then came out the
better part of this Indifferent woman.
Braham had been a good friend to her
in time of need, and she was q good and
faithful friend to him now. She was
generally admired and respected; kind
to the poor; bountiful, but not lavish;
an excellent manager, but not stingy.
In vain shall we endeavOr, with our
small insigS into the bOsoms of men
ind women, to divide them into the
good and the bad. There are mediocre
intellects: there are mediocre morals.
This woman was always more inclined
to good than evil, yet at times tempta-
ton conquered. She was yirtuous till
she succumbed TO seducer whom she
loved. Under his control she deceived
WalteI Clifford, and attempted an act
OF downright villainy; that. control re-
moved, she returned to virtu0us and in
dustrious habits. After many years,
solitude, WEAKNESS. and Il gloomy future
unhinged her conscience again; comfort
and affection offered themselves, and
she committed bigamy. Deserted by
Braham, and once more fascinated by
the only man she had ever greatly low
ed, she jeined him in an abominable
fraud, broke down III the middle of it
by Il sudden impulse of conscience, and
soon after settled down into faithful
nurse. She is now faithful wife, q
tender mother, u kind mistress, and
nearly everything that is good in a me-
dunn way; and so, in all human proba-
bility, will pass the remainder of her
days. which, as she is healthy and sober
in eating and drinking, will perhaps be
the longer period of her little life.
Well may we all pray against great
temptations; only choice spirits resist
them, except when they are great temp
tations TO somebody else, and somehow
not to the person tempted.
1t has lately been objected to the
writer's of iiction-eSpecially those few
who are dramatists as well as nOvelists
that they neglect what Shakespeare
calls "the middle of humanity" and deal
in eccentric characters above or below
the people one really meets.
For our part we will never place Fic-
ton, which was the parent Of History,
below its child. Our hearts are with
these superior men and women who,
whether in History or Fiction, make
life ii beautiful, and raise the standard of
in this plain tale, and it is these alone,
and our kindly readers, we take leave
of with regret.
yIIC END.