The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-26
CHAPTER III.
ARnTr MISFORTUNE

1t was dark as father and son drove home,
and Percival was greatly startled when,
almost as soon as the horses began to move,
the rector threw himself upon him, and, sob
bing Ike a child, called out:
"I am a ruined man, Percy-a ruined man|
The explanation which followed this an
nouncement was in all its main features new
to Percival, who had never known any par
Ii, ulars of his fathers affairs. The facts,
which may be briefly told, were these: Brent
senior was the son of father who had mar
ried twice and the rector had now half
brother oarly twenty years elder than him
self. This brother, under his mothers mar
riaee settlement. had inherited all her prop
erty, which Yves very large. The father had
a life interest in it, hut at his death the whole
passed absolutely to her only child. Rector
Brent's fa' her had ever been a careless and
imprudent man, who, having married for
tunately, lived on his wifes money After
hcf death he married again, as has been said,
and his second wife died in the same month
as HIMSELF but his reckless and improvident
characs was plainly seen by the state in
which his affairs were left He might easily
have saved, and saved handsomely, for the
education and maintenance of his second son,
our rector, but as matter of fact he died so
deeply in debt that even his furniture had to
be sold to satisfy his creditors. Young Brent
was then at Oxford preparing for the church,
but It seem d as if his whole future must be
altered At this time his brother came for
ward, and although he had never been kindly
used by the second Mrs. Brent, he now, with
great generosity, resolved to help his brother;
and he made him an ample allowance for his
university expens Under these cir. UNI
stances very cordial friendship sprang up
between the two and this friendship had
hitherto been unbroken. The elder brother
did not marry being studious; and If not
a woman hater, certainly not woman
hunter. As time went on, and the younger
brothers position and requirements grew,
the elder increased the allowance he
made him, and now for several years he
had been giving the rector fifteen hundred
per annum- This, he promised, should be
continued to his death, when an ample pro-
vision would be made for himself and lis son.
This arrangement had gone on for many
years undisturbed, but short time before,
to Rector Brent's great astonishment, his
brother, then over seventy, told hill he
meditated marriage. The facts were soon
out. A strong-minded Irish widow, of good
family, wi b fils of tall, hungry, Pennies
sons, had marked him for her own There
followed, in the usual artful sequel. fattery
and amiable persecution. The cd man was
cajoled, managed, and, in the last stages of
the affair, buIlied, until, withoT. his brothers
knowledge, he was actually IN lrried to the
triumphant widow, who wrots to the rector,
explaining the haste and secrecy of the tran
saction by the state of 'ouI dear Henry's
nervous system" The elder brother assured
his junior that the marriage wouid make no
difference in his allowance or his subsequent
prospects; and for twelve mo lths this prom
he was kept. But the old man was growing
feeble, and his wife impatient. Her sons
were expensive, and shs wished 10 secure
everything for them. By what means cc1ld
not be ascertained but she spirited Ler hus-
band away to the south of France. Under
the plea of bronchial disease and nervous
prostTation, she shut him up from society;
and when, few months before, the rector,
growing uneasy, had gone to Cannes to see
his brother, he was not admitted to the house,
being comforted by the assuran e that every
thing was being done to restore, or at least to
compose, dear Henry's nervous system To
tku the r. So in a few words, on the morning or
Sibyl's marriage the poor rector received
letter, written by his brother himself, In
which, after some vague sentences about loss
OF money! failure of investments, and in
creasing expenses" he p.ainly said that he
inclosei the last check which he would ever
be able TO send The letter closed with q
pos. script, in which the rector was reminded
1kat already great deal had been done for
him, which gen.a, stroke was due to the die
tation of the accomplished Mrs. Brent So
our unhappy rector found himself placed in
the position of the holder of benefice worth
scarcely hundred year, after outgoings,
costly establishment, luxurious habits, de-
clining years, and a son who had been led to
expect fortune as his Inheritance.
The little clergyman behaved with singular
dignity ard straightforwardness He told
the whole story frankly. and seemed to de
yelop fortitude for the trial We were
pleased to hear now from his lips some Of
those phrases about trust IN God and resigna-
ton to the DISPOSITIONS CT providence at
which we had sometimes felt inclined to smile
when tie sleek little fellow spoke them in the
pulpit Indeed, so deep was our conmisera-
ton for the rector's misfortune that we-who
are neither a church nor. Ifear, a very chari-
table people-summoned meeting of lead
ing parishioners, at which resolved, by
annual subscriptions, to raise CROUCH TO pay
the curates: and thus, without directly pau
perizing cur clergyman, we hoped 10 enabls
him to hold his living In this way Rector
Brent was put IN possession Of about three
hundred a year-not bad allow ance, you
may say; but consider how he had lived
hitherto The carriage must be put down;
<I1r 6att1sA1s f1ft~aS 2 fA4-A vt-N - Gts-1- N1D
cozy dinner parties must be given up; Rector
Brent must for the rest Of his life, walk the
ways Of genteel poverty.
Among the first TO hear the bad news was
Mrs Farbara Temple That excellent little
woman had maxim for every change and
chance. and upon hearing the tidings she re-
marked that such was tie world-up and
Gown If fhe ups were always up.r she
continued, straying for i'm tant into philos-
/ ophy, 4the downs would never have chance.
There was only 20 much money, % much ease,
80 much luck. going. What one lost fell to
the 1otof another Atfhe same time h. ex-
pressed and felt genuine sorrow for Mr. Brent
and Tor his son, who bad always Appeared 70
| her : mort {romisinf young fellow.
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