Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-11-29


resolved that we would consult Mr. Car.
naby In the matter. It woald perhaps
have been better II we Ind kept the thing
to ourselves. For this gentleman, though
| he kindly considered the case, could do
nothing to remove the dreadful doubt
under which we lay. except that he re.
commended us to patience and resigna.
ton, virtues of which. Heaven knowsl we
women who stay at homo must needs con-
tinuahy practice. We should I say. have
done better had we held our tongues. be-
cause Mr.. Carnaby told the barber who
told the townsfolk one by one. and then 1t
was whispered about that Ralph had
Joined the gypsies, according to some; or
been pressed and sent to sea- according to
others; or had enlisted. according to
others; with wild stories ted IN addition.
born Of Imagination. idle or malignant, as
that he had joined a company Of common
rogues and robbers; or-but seorn 10 re-
peat these things Everybody, however.
at this juncture. remembered the wicked
things said Of the boy by his cousin As
for Mathew himself. overjoyed at the wei.
come news, which he received open
mouthed. so to speak. no went about call.
ing all his acquaintance TO witness that
he had long since prophesied ruin and dis.
aster TO the boy, which, indeed. to tho
fullest extent, lad so depraved as to
horsewhip his own guardian. richly de-
served. AS for coming back, he said that
was not likely, and. indeed, impossible,
because he was already knocked on the
head-Mathew was quite convinced Of
this--in some midnight biawl, or at least
fallen so low that he would never dare 70
return among respectable people These
things we could not believe yet they sank
into our hearts and made US uneasy. For
where could the boy be. and why did he
not send us one letter, at least. TO tell us
what he had done, and how he had fared9
Child" said my grandmother, ut Is
certain that Mathew does not wish his
cousin to return He bears malice in his
heart against the boy. and he remembers
that should he never get back the mill
viii be his own" Already he began to
give himself the airs OF the master, and
to talk of selling a field here and field
there, and Of improving the property, as
IL all was his.
He will come back" said tho fugle-
man, Brave hearts and lusty legs do
not get killed Maybe he hath enlisted.
Then he may havo gone a-soldiering to
America. or somewhere in the world. and
no doubt will get promotion-ay corporal
first, sergeant next, and perhaps be made
fugleman Or maybe. rs your lady mother
says. he hath been pressed. and Is now at
sea. so that he cannot write. But, wherever
he is be sure he is doing well Where.
fore, heart upl"
Well, to shorten the story, we got no
news at all. and could never discover. for
many years, what had become Of the boy.
When four years had passed 10y without
word or line from him. Mathew grew
horribly afraid. because Ralph's one.and.
twentieth birthday drew near. and no
thought the time was como when the heir
would appear and claim his own What
preparations he made TO receive him |
know not. Perhaps blunderbuss and
cup Of poison. But the day passed and
there was no sign of Ralph Then. indeed.
Mathew became quite certain that he would
no more be disturbed and that the mill
was his own
As for myself sat at homo chiefly
with my grandmother, who was now be-
ginning to grow old. yet brisk and nota-
BILE still There was great deal to be
done, and'the days pass swiftly to indus
trious hands yet not ono so busy and
not one so swift but | could find time
to think and to pray for Ralph
Still the fugelman kept up my heart,
and Sailor Nan swore. as If she was
still captain of tho foretop, that no
would come home safe. | was young.
happily. and youth is the time for hope.
And about the end Of the sixth year
had cause to think about other things,
because my own misfortunes began.
had long observed in the letters OF my
dear parents a certain difference, which
constantly caused doubt and questioning:
for my mother exhorted me continually,
in every letter. to the practice of frugal
ity. thrift. simple living. and the acquis-
ton Of housewifey knowledge and. in
short. all those virtues which especially
adorn the condition Of poverty. She also
never failed to bid mo reflect upon the uh-
certainty OF human alfhirs and tho insta-
bility Of fortune; and every letter fur
nished examples Of rich men become poor.
and great ladies' reduced to beg their
bread My grandmother bade me lay
these things TO heart, and per-
ceived that sho was disturbed, and
she would have written to my father
to ask If things were going Ill, but for
two reasons The first was that she could
neither read nor write, those arts not hav
ing been taught her in her childhood; and
testify that she was none the worse for
want Of them. but her natural shrewdness
even increased. because she had 10 depend
upon herself, and could not still be run
uing to book for guidance. Tho second
reason was that the letters Of my father,
both to her and TO myself, were full Of
glorious anticipation and confidence. Yes,
while my mother wrote in sadness he
wrote In triumph when she babe me
learn to scour pots he commanded mo TO
study the fashions: when she prophesied
disaster he proclaimed good fortune.
Thus he ordered that was to be taught
whatever could be learned in so remote
town as Wnrkworth, and that especial
care was to be taken in my carriage and
demeanor. begging my grandmother to
observe the department Of Mrs. Car
naby and to bid me copy her as an exam
pie, for. he said. city heiress not uncom-
monty married with gentleman Of good
family. though impoverished fortunes;
that some city heiresses had Of late mar
ried noblemen; that as he had no son, nor
any other child but myself, ! would in
hert the whole Of his vast fortune Il
thought how could give it all to Ralph.
and. therefore. must study how to main
tain myself in the position which Ishould
shortly occupy. Ho desired me especially
to pay very particular attention not to
seem quite rustical and country bred, and
to remember that the common speech Of
Northumberland would raise a laugh in
London. With much more to the same
effect.
say not that my father wrote all this
In single letter, but In several; 50 that
all these things became implanted in my
mind. and both my grandmother and my
self were, in spite ofsny mothers letters,
firmly persuaded that we were already
very rich and considerable people, and
that my father was a merchant Of the
greatest renown-already a common coun-
Gilman, and shortly to be alderman,
sheriff and lord mayor-in the city Of Lon
dov THE haliaf xvaa aIso held nv otir