The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-26
DIAMONDS
AND
PEWTER SIXPENCES."
BY ANNETTE L. NOBLE.


Six people were waiting expectantly, il
not impatiently for old Ezra Hazard to
die. He was a terrible sufferer and want
ed to die. He had always been unlova-
BILE, and no one would mourn for him.
He had money to leave and needy heirs
to inherit. OF these last weIe the follow
ing persons: Mrs. Sarah Holmes, her
pretty daughter Nell, and her son Ned
Also equally near of kin to old Ezra were
Miss Miriam Hazard Mrs. Holmes sister,
and her brother Bob. Perhaps "needy"
is too strong word to have used of these
heirs-at-law. The Holmes had one thous.
and dollars a year. Miss Miriam had
small house and lot and four hundred
year. Bob was an able-bodied man with
very little Judgment and defective
memory, having in early manhood been
sunstruck, his brain receiving permanent
injury. He was amiable and naturally
sluggish. He lived with his sister, Mrs
Holmes. He mortified her pride, but if
he were later to be left with neat little
fortune, he had better, she thought, be
under her guardianship.
One day old Ezra Hazard died, and
left Mrs. Holmes just six hundred dol
lars, to each OF her two children he left
three hundred. to Miriam Hazard five
hundred, and to -- College his for
tune minus these requests. The will was
of kind not to be broken. The heirs
were only his grand-nieces and nephews
to whom he had never promised a penny,
and to whom he declared he was in no
way indebted. Their wrath and disap-
pointment were mighty to behold. The
Holmes heirs were the most vociferous,
but the Hazards were very sorry.
One afternoon in February, six weeks
after the funeral, Miriam, a fine intelli-
gent woman of thirty -ive, sat meditating
in her cosy little sitting room, when her
sister, Mrs Holmes, came for one Of her
frequent visits of wailing, declaiming and
protesting she "could and would break
that will"
"Sarah p exclaimed Miriam, suddenly,
"poor old Ezra Hazard is desd-let him
stay buried. will not have him haunt
ing me any longer. Let us take up our
life sensibly, and make the best of our
possessions, thankful that we have as
much as We have. Shakespeare says,
but content is our best having The
Bible says with godliness it is even more
- is great gain.'"
81 am glad you are so philosophical
and pioua, not to say prosperous" return
ed Sarah, tartly; she had been souring
somewhat under trial, "for 1 came to talk
hard facts. Don't you thing, considering
there is only one of you, and there are
three of us without Bob, that you ought
now to take your turn supporting him?'
Let him bring his trunk over to-
night"
"You know have the children to look
out for, and must make some very de-
cided economies and plan very differently
for our future"
"What are you going to do, Sarah?"
well, first am going to hold my So
cial position, and keep Nell where she
belongs, with girls of her set then,
where 1 can without the whole town
knowing, shall retrench. Ned is six
teen, he has been in school long enough
he could graduate from the High School
this spring. 1 have persuaded him to
give up going to college Che was bound
to work his way through, and go to earn
ing something at once"
80, are you wise there, Sarah? Ned is
made for a doctor, and he has no head
for business, that is"
IL have got him clerkship good for
beginning, in the Ninety-nine Cent Store,
at five dollars week." returned Mrs.
Holmes triumphsntly, "snd he is moth
ing but boy"
sand boy with marked peculiarities.
20 nonsense And 1 have dismissed
Ellen"
What, are you strong enough TO do all
your own work?" asked Miriam really i'm
pressed, for Ellen was a strong, faithful,
very capable servant, who had almost
upborne the household at times, as cook,
maid, nurse and devoted friend.
"No indeed, but am going to live
great deal palmer and cook far less, and
then can save the wages Though 1
never gave Ellen but two dollars, and
she was offered three week repeatedly.
shall take Mary Belts who will come
for her board and clothes-Nell's cast-off
things will dress her decently."
"Oh Sarah She is worse than 'Guslet
in Bleak House, she has epileptic fits
almost every day"
"Let her have them, so she scrubs and
washes dishes. L shall buy bakers bread