Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-23

them. Be we democratic as We may. we
cannot help liking friends the better
for descending from stock like that.
Let us now make skip of century and
q half or SO, during which the Billops gen
erations succeeded one another in a steady
honorable, but somewhat uneventful career
OF prosperity; raising crops, breeding cat
tie, sending representative to the wars,
when there were any, and voting for that
form of government which stands for lib
erty, security and minding your own bust
ness.
The original Billop was pioneer in that
region, and owned everything in sight from
his windows When, in course of time
other settlers came along he had treated
them Hospitality, and bid them help them
selves to anything they wanted in the way
OF farms, UP to within a radius of a mile
from his doorstep. The land within that
radius got to be known as Billops farm;
and 1t contained the finest land-upland
pasture, forest and meadoW-to be found in
the neighborhood. Early in the century,
about half of this farm was sold to a man
by the name of Corvin. We have business
with some of his posterity in the present
narrative.
The house which Corvin built stood half
way between the old Bilop homestead and
the village of Fenbro ok, which had been in
gradual course of naturalization since be-
lore the revolutionary war. Corvin was a
lawyer. He brought money with him and
made more. He was pushing shrewd
n an, and before his death had served a
term in the state legislature. His son
adopted the profession of law also, but did
not make out so well with it. He seemed to
lack the gift of success. Being, upon
t1me in straits, he got a considerable loan
OF money. Now, no details as to this loan
were known, but it was the general impress
sion that 1t came from Matthew Billop, the
then head of the Billop clan, with whom
Corvin was understood to be on rather inti-
mate terms What security did Corvin give
Tor it? What was there for him to give eX-
cept mortgage on his land? 1t was not
known what use he made of the loan; but
theSe were indications that he never paid
interest on it, and it was only question of
time, therefore, when it would be foreclosed
For Matthew Billop was rot the sort of man
to give up his just dues to anybody
This Matthew Is known in local history
as Miser Billop. He vas the last male of
his race, and perhaps the ablest of any of
he never married. He had two sisters, one
of whom. Sally, married John Linton, and
died a year after, followed several years
later by her husband; the other Nancy, re-
mained an old mail, and kept house for
Matthew. We shall have the pleasure of
her nearer acquaintance shortly. 1 will
only observe here that she was in love, in
her salad days. with certain good-looking,
easy-going young fellow by the name of
Brent. Brent, being more good-looking
than otherwise good, Tilted her, and married
her bosom friend, Mary Selwin. The pair
went to New Orleans. had daughter and
then both died of yellow fever. Nancy
might have said Serve 'em rightr' but she
did not, not being that sort of a woman
But she had the little girl brought up north,
and took care of her, and made her a daugh-
ter Of her own. Betrayed by both her lover
and her friend. she loved their little Nellie
all the more tenderly for their sakes.
This transaction took place about 1870.
Now, Sally before her death, had presented
her husband with son. Thomas; and this