The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-17

vn us at this present writing, and and
your mother are sore distressed" There
was, however, a chance of keeping the foe
beyond the gates" by temporizing until
such time as l, the sole hope of the fam
lily, should be able to come to the rescue.
The manner in which was to bring relief
was by beating the harpies at their own
game. In other words, was to retrieve
our fallen fortunes by turning lawyer
forthwith.
"After much meditation" pursued my
father, ''the law commends itself to me as
high and honorable profession. law.
yer in our family would fairly set US on
our feet again. Lawyers are all rogues,
Andrew, as / know to my cost, but you
might get a long enough spoon to sup with
the best of them. Once started, once ris-
ing, none knows where you might stop.
You might be my lord advocate yet and 90
to court and make a great name and get
influence, and then we could cock our bon.
nets and whistle with the highest of them"
This was bad enough and hopeless enough,
but the pinch was yet to come. That my
progress might be facilitated, was to be.
gin my legal career in the Office of Thomas
Clephane In Dundee-that is to say, was
to put myself completely and uncondition.
ally in my enemy's power. My father
thanked heaven that had an opportunity
of making SO good start. II will write
to your uncle immediately" he said. "and
it lies secure in my mind that be will admit
you on favorable terms. Delay not, my
son. Let our straits be a spur to your ress.
luton. We look to you to save us, and
am sure we do not look in vain, have
dim memory of hearing you once say that
your cousin, who will naturally be your
uncle's partner and successor, Is your fel
low student at the university. Cultivate
his good will, and by the grace OF God he
may befriend you"
read this letter dozen times, dazed by
its news, sickened ut heart by its mis-
placed and tragic hopefulness. Locking the
door TO prevent intrusion, sat down and
tried to think What was this burden that
had been laid so suddenly upon mes What
was asked to dop Not half an hour be
fore Peter had publicly ground his heel in
the dust to signify how he would crush me,
and had answered in angry defiance. Now
was To plead for his favor, his help, his
good will. was to court his scorn, to in
vite him to heap insults and humiliations
on my head He might taunt me and
tempt me, call his companions TO join him
I'm making sport of me, he might spit on
me, treat me like dog, and / could give
nothing in return but the crouching sub
serviency which dog owes to its master.
sprang to my f.st and began to pace the
room in n tumult of revolt and indignation
No, by heaven, it should never bel Never
as long as he drew breath would Peter
Clephane call me slave. To be snubbed,
contemned, jeered at. treated as creature
ofthe mre, every time the humor seized him
was prospect to be cancelled at once. He
must be aware of our condition. Already
he had flung ut me the gibe that was a
pauper and given me a foretaste of the
treatment might expect at his hands. Ny
father could have no knowledge OF what
his proposal meant. He would not willing
ly deliver me bound into the hands of my
worst enemy.
And then, with n subduing and SOLDERING
effect, IL struck home to my heart that all
this was hut the rebellion OF selfish pride.
The individual has his rights, private feel
ings have their place and value, but TO
weigh them against the claims OF duty is
impious Could I be guilty Of such i'm.
pictyG Could turn needless ear TO the
call fof help that had reached mei No. n
thousand times. MOI Better suffer any hu-
initiation; better sacrifice freedom and lik-