Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-01-31

| you not?"
The old old man seemed to have some
little pride in this singularity OF for
tune. expressed the proper interest
in such change Of destiny.
"You shall hear how it happened" he
said. "You remember-no, you are too
young to remember, but you have heard
how we all went mad about mills and
mines in Lancashire some twenty years
ago.
"Yes," 1 said, sit was then thatstea
and cotton began to understand each
other, and coal and negroes became i'm
portant.
"What panic Of speculation we all
rushed into in lancashire" said the old
gentleman. 1--WE all felt, we gentle
men, that we were mere idlers, not do
ing our duty, as England expects every
man to do, unless we were building
chifnneys or digging pits. We were all
either grubbing down in the bowels OF
the earth for coal, or rearing great
chimneys up in the air to burn it. l
really think most of us began TO like
smoke better than blue sky; certainly it
tasted sweeter to US than our good old
English fog.
"Well, sir" continued he, 81 was like
my neighbors. l must dabble in milling
and mining. l was willing 10 be richer.
Indeed, as soon as began to speculate
thought myself richer. spent more
money. l went deeper into my opera
tions. One can throw a great treasure
into a coal mine without seeing any re-
turn, and can send a great volume OF
smoke up chimney before the mill be-
gins to pay. 1t is an old story. l will
not tire you with it. l was all at once
a ruined man."
He paused a moment and looked about
the dim, starlit prairie, with the white
wagons and the low fort in the dis
lance.
WELL" said he, in the careless, easy
manner which seemed his characteristic
one, ''if had not been ruined l should
have staid stupidity at home and never
worked in coal mine or Travelled on
the plains, or had the pleasure OF meet
ing you and your friend here. 1t is all
fresh and novel. If it were not for my
daughter and my duties to the church, l
should take my adventures as lightly as
you do when your gun misses fire and
you lose dinner.
THE thing that troubled me most at
the time of my disasters" he resumed,
twas being defeated for parliament.
There had always been Clisheroe there.
When my father died l took his seat.
/ used to spend freely on elections, but
thought they sent me because they liked
me, or for love Of the old name. When
l lost my fortune there came snob, sir,
and stood against me. He accused me
OF being free thinker, as II the Clithe-
roes had not always been liberal! He
got up cry and bought votes. My own
tenants, my own tenants, whom l had
feas.ed out Of pure good will hundred
times, turned against me. | lost my
election and my last shilling.
at was just then, sir, that my dear
wife died and my dear Ellen was born"
He turned sadly around to look at his
daughter. She was walking al some
distance with Brent. The earnest muir
muir of their voices came to US through
the stiffness. / felt what my friend
must be saying in that pleading tone.
Everything went disastrously with
me-" continued Mr.. Clitheroe. 81 tried
to recover my foatunes, fairly and hon
estIy, but it was too late. My creditors
took the old hall. Hugh Clitheroe in
Harry the Fights time built it, on land
where the family had lived from before
Egbert. lost it, sir. The family came
to an end with me. l found sheriff's
officers making beer rings on my old oak
dining table. The Vandykes went.
Hugh, of Cromwell'S days, was divorced
from his wife, the Beauty. / tried TO
keep them together; but scrubs bought
them and stuck them up in their vulgar
parlors. Sorry business! Sorry bust
ness"
"You kept a brave heart through it
ALL"
eyes, until they accused me Of dis
honesty. That felt bitterly, and every
body gave me the cold shoulder. / could
get nothing to do. There is not much
that broken down gentleman can do,
but no one would trust me. | grew
poorer than yon can conceive. lost all
heart. Men are poor creatures-as a
desolate man finds"
''Not all, hope" was my protest.
Truly not all, but the friends OF pros
perity are birds that come to be fed and
fly away when the crumbs give out. ALI
are not base and time serving, but men
are busy and careless, and fancy that
Others can always take care OF them
selves. could not beg, sir, but II came
near starvation to me in Christian Eng
land-to me and my young daughter,
within year after my misfortune. Per
haps | was overproud or overvain, but
grew tired of the sights Of people that
had known me in better days, and now
lodged me because l was shabby and
moor. wanted to get out OF sight OF
the ungrateful, ungracious world. The
blue sky grew hateful to me. / must
live. or if life was nothing to me my
daughter must not starve. | had q
choice of factory or coal mine to hide
myself in. | sank into coal mine"
"a strange contrast" / said, after a
pause.
NJ am trying to make the whole his
tory less dreamy. Each seems unreal
nv luxurious life at Clitheroe Hall, and
nv troglodyte life down in the coal pit.
Idler and slave; either extreme had It's
own special unhappiness and unhealthi-
ness"
How much wisdom there was In the
weakness of the old mans character
The more talked with him the more
pitiable seemed his destiny. "Oh, John
Brent" groaned in my heart, plead
with the daughter as man never pleaded
before. We must save them from the
dismal fate before them. And II she
cannot master her father, and you, John
Brent. cannot master her, there is no
hope"
NV friend made no sign that he was
ready TO close the interview with the
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