The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-06
TIE FIRST F0LI0.'

fectico readers will come 10 the concin-
sion that ny prosperity was not deter
mined by chance alone.
Ny uncle was rich Ny cousins, though
neither saints nor perhaps even models OF
propricty. wore none Of them bad follows.
One Of them was la the FOREIGN oiicc, am
other was making his way slowly az tho
bar. and third was. ike myself a soldier.
The otheIe possessed small puycta means,
sufficient % enable them 90 lifo dcccnty.
and one Of them az LEAST increased bis in
come considerably ~ whist a.. his club
aud hv pigeon shooting lul So.e 90 30
army cIamwera while only q leg, a.I
after leaving s4adhurst went with uy
regiment o. India so that ry 'n le he'd
seen very it'll. OF me. which Citima'o.y
proved fortunate circumstances THO
frsi communication which bad With My
uncle was uala H. re With considerable
dhideneo. anl was u3t Of q kind % rec
ommnd no 30 bin had lost two
charger. AID not possessing the means
TO replace them, ! ,roie % my un lc
explaiuint i-c ua.tcr. and asking FIR
q loan T. iesiT De cat Io CHECK for
the aum required | va5 very g.'~-c.ul,
and ccoaomizi-g till had sascd the
moncy snt uo repaid it 10 him. Soon
aftcrvards / returned with ny regiment
10 England. and GA my arrival in London
had an Invitation from my uncle asking
me 70 dino with Lin ioand him rery
tactiturn and apparently unsociablc.
During Cinlcr ! noticed that nc IRE
quently looked o. mo furtiyely as though
he found in my appearance some cause for
surprise When W. reached the dessert.
however. tie interest that ho had been
manif-sting in 10 was explained, for he
said. almost &C. ii be were sollloquizing.
"You were tho last Of NY ncpacws TO
borrow Of me. and you arc the first who
has ever repaid loan
After delivering this verdict which ap.
pearcd 10 give his mind relief ny uncle
became cutie taltatyc. and amused nc
very much by relating the various
causes which had led TO his disin-
, herlting his different heirs. While
H. apc-e. | could tell by his iadig-
nant suorts, and b. the fire IL his eyes,
that BE- must bc terribly irascblc cid
fellow The barristCr. VINO was a convey
ANGER ard equity drlughtsman, Lad pro
posed that 30 shorlG examine all tho tile
deeds OF tho real property, which ho had
Learnt he waS some day to inherit, and.
when he bad finished his investigation.
had limited that fee Of n hundred glineas
would BE- cecep;ablc. This sum had been
handed to him. and his name forthwith
struck out Of the viii. Tho way in which
ny uncle told this story was very conf
cal. Ny cClsil who WAS tho crack shot
had bored min. il seemed. one night by
Il t.fs inc
matches in which 10 was engaged, and
had afterwards Won from him twenty
five pounds at whist What fool
the fellow must have been Still
moro foolish, il possible had Dccn
that cousin who on seeing my
unclcs splendid collection Of Iare books
and first editions, had said that if
thcy were bis he would soon turn them
into cash Finally, lac told nc that his
nieco vas now lis leiresS. and | could see
that hc was not altogether satisfied with
this arrangement. After dinner my uncle
offered 10 SHOW me his library, and will
ineiv assentCd Apart from my desire to
crafty my host | had a genuine interest
in rare books. al was eager to see his
valuable collection, Of which had often
heard. but had been too young 10 apPre-
ciatc when, as boy. had last been il
his house My admiration on beholding
his treasures was not feigned, and my
uncle was sharp enough 10 understand
that. We spent the remainder of the
evening ia the library, and 50 well lid We
get Oh together that before | left the
house my uncle proposed that | should
resign my commission and become his
secretary did not misunderstood the
full significance Of this proposal; lme v
that was not asked to give up my pro
fession without better equivalent than
"a private secretaryship being in store for
me. was the only one OF his ncphews
whom he had never appointed his heir.
On the other hand. what guarantee had |
that should not meet the same fate -
my cousins, or rather a worse, seeing that
Knight be cast adrift on the world with
out money OF the means OF earning live
lihoodg Observing my hesitation my
uncle said,
Think over the matter till to morrow,
and give me your answer then.
This | agreed to DO, and then | babe
him good night. found myself face to
face with very puzzling dilemma. But
the stake might win was big one, so de-
cided to run the risk The result was that
week later was installed in my uncle 5
house rs bis secretary. and was also in
possession Of the comforting knowledge
that his viii had been altered in my
favor did feel many qualms, both Of
heart and conscience. on account of my
pretty cousin whom | had supplanted. but
Il was not for me 70 interfere with my
uHclcs right to beQueath his property as
he chose
My uncle was very well read, and was
man Of considerable refinement and cul-
turc lie was q Shakesperean scholar. of
great learning. and his collection OF books
pertaining 10 the greatest Ehzabethan
dramas Was most extensive As his opin-
Ion ON the authorship Of these plays ought
10 carry weight ! shall here state it.
lie thought that neither TO Shakespeare
nor TO Lord Bacon WAS due the whole
credit OF those sublime creations, but that
BY each OF them the need Of honor had
been merited, as they had worked in col
liberation. Lord Bacon he said, had
undoubtedly supplied both the poetry
aud philosophy but that the stagecraft
was manifestly that Of an actor, aud be-
ionged 10 Shakespeare. Tho pans aud
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