Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-03-12
THE THREE NEPUEWS.

1HE lEh EE n EHllEW D.
About thirty years ago there lived in
the seaport town OF Windsor, Connec-
ticut, merchant named Benjamin
Cole He had never married, and re-
sided at the time of which We speak
with an only aud widowed sister, who
had tIiree SONS
These h.ldren were intelligent lads.
and appeared TO think a great deal of
their bachelor uncle, and all was har-
mony and happ ness until, one day,
news came that certain ship, in which
the merchant had sent a large assorted
cargo of goods 10 foreign ports, had
been lost at sea.
This sad intelligence went hai d with
Cole, for about all he was worth had
heen ri>ked III the venture, aud now, as
that was lost, he found himself poor
man. with a good part of his life gone
and nothing To show for it IN the way
of gains.
AT length he settled up his affairs as
well as he could, sold everything that
would sell, even o his watch, i'll order
TO satisfy in a measure the claims of
creditors who had advanced him goods,
and for a time lie appeared to have no
definite aim or intention. But the
men who had trusted him, knowing his
purity of heart, soon came to his aid,
and w tn the Offer of another and lar
ger cargo, induced him TO again embark
III business. To this end he selected
his goods, loaded a new vessel an |
sailed, going ong himself this time to
see il matters would not turn out more
in accordance with his desires.
He not only sold the merchandise he
had taken from this country, and set
tied up fully with his friends for that
and his previous cargo, but he bought
other goods at whatever pert he found
himself, and traded from one place to
another, until at length, by shrewd
! management, he found himself pos
sessed of much more money than he had
ever had before. He then counted his
gains, and, being satisfied, turned his
face 10 his native land and reached the
town above spoken of after an absence
| of about seventeen years.
During this time there had, OF course,
been many changes in the town.
| Among others his sister had d ed, and
| his three nephews. having grown TO
mans estate, had divided their little
| property, chosen each a calling tol him.
self, and We're doing pretty wei.
The Oldest boy had put all his money
into his bead. In other words, he had
been through college, educated himself
| thoroughly, at least in his own estima-
tion, and prepared himself for profes-
sion; man. Another was junior part
ner In a dry goods house, and, though
! not yet noted Tor particularly bright
| genius In his line, considered himself
| well advanced Oh the road to prosper
| Ity; while the remaining nephew, the
! youngest, had learned trade, and was
| carrying on a small manufacturing eS.
tdbl shment with prospect of accumG-
latIng something as experience came tC
bis aid.
Tie bachelor uncle learned all these
facts without letting himself be known,
and what made it easier for him, was
that for many years there had been q
rumor in the town to the effect that his
vessel had been wrecked, his goods lost
and himself drowned. This rumor baC
some foundation, for there had beer
just such a case, but the unfortunate
adventurer hailed from Windsor, Ma S.
Cole di1 nothing to contradict tie
story, but took survey of the ground,
gathered what information he desire 4
and then went away.
We next find him in the city of BoS-
ton, where for many years he lived tlit
life OF plain, quiet, single gentleman
esteemed by all who knew him, attend.
ing with diligence and precision to hi:
property-for he invested his fortune
IN real estate in that city-and having
a good word, and sometimes LITTLE
cash, he often aided deserving young
men of his acquaintance who were
starting in business. 50 he lived and
| mi hnt fnl
all that, and n came to think at length
that as life was at best uncertain, anC
as he had passed his sixty-fifth m le
stone, he WAS in duty bound to make
some disposition of his wealth, so as t
save useless litigation after his death
and the probability of his gains going
into the hands of those who were not ol
his blood. In furtherance of this plan
he begun to look about him to see how
he should manage to find out to a c-r
tainty if all or any of his legal heir:
were worthy of handling his money.
He IL atured his scheme in due time
and taking a supply of money, together
with a stock of old clothes, he set out
for Windsor, the place where his three
nephews lived, and renting cabin j. Isl
outside the towr, he furnished it witt
straw bed, a pine table, and two ole
chairs, besides few cooking utensils
and then turned in for the night
chuckling to himself at the odd figur,
he presented, but full of hope thai, ole
as lie was, he still had a chance to i'm
prove his mind and learn somethin:
more before he died.
The next day he went into the tow
and bought some provisions-very lit
tie, however and SO he continued to q
back and forth, doing odd jobs for th'
people, and one word brought Oh an
other, urtil at lenath it leaked out tina
Beniamin Cole had come to life, ant
was living hard by, old and poor, ant
only too glad to do such chores as Gin
people were willing to trust 10 his fee
bic hands.
III w long it took his nephews t.
hear the news, do not know, but 1t i
certain that the manufacturer was tn
irst one of them to hunt up the ole
man, and suppose he did it as soon a
he had good reason to beiIeve that hi
uncle was actually alive and lit th
land. At any rate, he came brisk.
down the street one day to where tn
. returned merchant was at work saw
ing some wool, AMI. after identifying
him urged him to 90 into his house
, where he wou'd tini a home for the les
of his life.
, AMI if you desire to work, uncle,
said he. for l know you were alway