The sun., 1893-03-16

settled that was to be christened
William.
My mother-she told me the story
herself years afterwards-strongly OBJ
jected. She declared that she had
great faith in me from the first. The
doctor said l had good head, and
my dear mother, who was very ro-
mantle, made up her mind that | was
going to be great man. Now, william
Smith Is not an easy name to render
| famous. There are so many William
| Smiths that the celebrated one would
| want to go about labelled in order TO
distinguish him from others.
After deal of argument and not a
| few tears she succeeded in so far, turn
ing my father from his original pur-
pose as to allow me to have a second
name, and that second name she finally
| decided should be Hengist.
William Hengist Smith might be
somebody, and so William Hengist
Smith was duly christened.
My father died when / was seven
teen. Up to that age l had enjoyed
all the advantages of being the son OF
& prosperous city merchant. was
about to go to Oxford when the death
of my father altered all my mothers
plans for my future.
| We had been living in a FOOLS para
| disc. My father had speculated rash
ly, and was on the verge Of ruin. 1t
was a knowledge of his terrible posi-
ton which had caused his fatal Illness.
| After the estate had been wound up
1t was discovered that we were almost
penniless.
My mothers friends came to her as
sistanee, but they were not rich, and 1t
was necessary that / should at once
begin to earn my own living.
| / was what is known as a smart
| fellow" and l wrote capital hand
In fact, my penmanship was my strong
point I could do almost anything with
a pen in my schoolboy days. I used
| frequently to amuse myself by im1-
tating the handwriting of my school
fellows and of the masters. / did this
so successfully that it was often very
difficult to detect the forgery.
The masters, who were made aware
| of any accomplishment, and to whom
specimens of my skill were occasion
ally shown, would shake their heads
and say it was a dangerous gift. -.
OF course I laughed. AS If it was
likely that should ever do anything
wrong.
Alas, those who called my gift fatal
enc were right after all. I owe to it
the great misfortune Of my life.
To pass from prosperity to compara-
tive poverty is to most Of us a great
trial. The men and women who can
shrug their shoulders and take re-
verse of fortune with a smile are very
few in number.
I accepted the position my poverty
forced upon me. but 1oathed it. I
longed for the old days of comfort and
luxury, when almost everything fan
cied was within my reach. But did
very well as clerk, and being quick
at figures, as we'll as a splendid PEN
man, soon began to rise in the office.
When was two and twenty had
E200 year But what was that to a
Iyoung man of extravagant habits, who
had quite as much allowed him when
he was seventeen, and had looked for
ward to a splendid income and life
Of pleasure.
Ny mothers health about this time
began to decline, and she was ordered
to live in the country. / could not ac-
company her, as I should have had to
sacrifice my position in tue city, so
had to look about for q new home,
and at last decided to go to board
Ing house. 1t void be cheaper for me
as a bachelor than lodgings, and
should have some society and certain
amount of comfort.
1 selected a boarding house in Blooms
bury, and / soon began to be quite at
home in it. My fellow boarders were
two German clerks, a French gentle
man who described himself as an
agent, middle-aged scientific author
who spent most Of his time at the
British museum, two old ladies-one
the widow of a colonel $50 she said)
and the other an old maid who had
been governesS to German princess
and was never tired Of talking of the
distinguished society in which she
moved-and a young lady, very charm
ing, very pretty and very self-pos-
sessed, who was supposed to be stay.
Ing at the boarding house because all
her relatives lived abroad, and she had
law business in London.
This young lady was Miss Ellis,
and as we were the youngest members
Of the happy family we soon became
friendly.
After dinner in the drawing room
we generally found ourselves together
and when Miss Ellis obliged the com
lpany with little music usually went
to the piano and turned over the leaves
of the music for her. .
From being friendly we became con.
fidential / impaired to Miss Ellis the
story of my reverse Of fortune, and
she confided in me the fact that her
business in London was connected with
disputed will.
A relative of hers, an old gentle.
man, had died and left her the sum
of f5O,0N. The family disputed the
will on the ground that while nursing
him during his last illness she had ex,
ercised undue influence. They further
contended that he was not of sound
mind at the time he made the bequest
She told me long story to explain
how it was her relatives were so bitter
J against her, and ], believing her, gave
her my fullest sympathy.
The law Is proverbially slow, and
Miss Ellis, WI o had to collect evidence
found 1t necessary to remain a long
time in, town.
So it came about that we were fol-
nearly six months at the Bloomsbury
boarding house seeing each other daily
IL were to say that during this time
fell in love with Miss Ellis / should
be saying that which is not strictly
| true.
But she had q certain fascination fol-
me- and when I remembered that she
would probably be worth f50,000 ] al
last began to think that if I ever In
tended to marry this would be by nc
means bad investment.
The young lady was not slow to see
that she had made an impression or
me. She became more confidential thar
ever.
One Sunday afternoon, when we
were alone in the drawing room she
asked my advice.
1t seems that she had found letter
among her papers from her dead rela
tive. It was strong evidence in hel
case, and to her horror she discovered
that he had omitted to sign it, II
had been written to her by an amanu
ensis employed by her relative, and
she supposed that it had been placed
before him to sign and accidentally
put In the envelope and posted with
out the signature.
Sac showed me the letter. 1t Ger
tainly waS inlnortant hut Vallleless