The Florida agriculturist., 1889-06-05


fast life either.
One of the executors Of Mr.. Bartemus
Nolen's will was Judge Odin Ketelle,
gentleman who had at one period been a
partner of Nolen's, and had always re-
manned on intimate and friendly terms
with the family He was man of po-
sition and influence, and was quietly and
steadily amassing large fortune. Mrs.
Nolen. in her anxiety about Percy, nat
urally turned to this friend for counsel;
and probably she could not have done
better if she were to do anything. The
Judge heard her timid and fond COM
plants, in which she tried to shield the
son whose misdeeds she was forced to
expose. When she had finished he sat
with his hands folded on the. table and
his eyes under their thick eyebrows fixed
in thoughtful contemplation as he had
been wont to sit on the bench when con-
sidering some point of law advanced by
counsel.
"lf boy wants to be a fool he mostly
succeeds in his wish. he remarked after
while. Percy has good deal of un-
tanned blood in his composition, and he
will probably work it off in his own
fashion. His father gave him his money
without conditions or restrictions. hop
ing that the sense of responsibility would
sober him. but it will need more than
that He will spend it-that is, throw it
into the gutter-and then we may look
for the dawning Of reason in him"
Il am sure he is good boy" said his
mother. He is only full of life and
thoughtless.
There is no reason to suppose him
actually vicious, the Judge replied,
land, that being the case, we may expect
that the want of money will bring him
to terms. do not look to see his fathers
son commit any act that will bring him
under the cOgnizance of the law; he is |
take it. incapable of any dishonesty;
consequently. when he becomes bank
rupt, he must do one of three things:
either he will sit down and starve like a
gentleman. or he will find some employ
: ment that will give him living. or he
will come back to you, like his prodigal
prototype in Holy Writ"
Percy starvel Oh. judgeI'' faltered
Mrs. Nolen
do not be uneasy, Percy will not
starve, returned he. with slight flavor
of irony in his tone. He is not natu-
rally disposed to asceticism, nor has he
the kind of pride that would prompt him
rather to die than betray signs of human
weakness. On the other hand he is
clever and quick. and could easily pick
up an honest livelihood in other ways
than by pursuing his project of mining
should he find it necessary to forego
that. But my own anticipation is, my
dear Mary, that he is too lazy, and that
his habits Of application. such as they
were, have become too much broken up
to make that course likely What | do
expect is that he will come back to you
and ask you to provide for him."
THAT is all askr' Mrs. Nolen ex-
claimed
Il have no doubt of it. my dear" an
swered the judge with smile. "But in
this connection there is something that
| wish to impress upon you very strongly.
Do not, as you value his ultimate well
fare. not to speak of your own, give him
any money without first consulting me.
Ii you fail to observe this precaution, de-
pend upon it you will get into trouble
know what young men are. and how
they regard their mothers-as lust so
much lndulgent soft heartedness to be
taken advantage of No, it isn't cvnic-
ism. it's tho trIsfL, ox,d