The Southern herald., 1896-11-20

- We ueEU 10 Ndll IT, AluNu 70 AAA-
dler and harness maker in New York
city TO learn the trade. That used to
be common az the north, and l have
known some eases in the south in the
long ago. but not many. My father had
an orphan boy bound 20 him for seven
years, and the covenant was board and
clothing and two months schooling
every year and 5000 in money at the end
Of his time. He was smart, handsome
and willing, and made a good merchant
and married well.
Mr.. CarnOchan says he had to work
diligently, and by the time his term
was out, the habit Of work was fixed
upon him and kept him out Of mischief.
There is the secret. But few of our
boys have formed a habit of work. II
they do any at all, they look upon il as
a hardship.
The old man says that Aaron Burr
traded at their shop. and he remembers
him well, a handsome, eourtly old gen
tleman dressed in tip-top fashion and
with manners like Lord Chesterfield
Years before he had been forced to
leave The country and lived In exile, but
he came back when the storm blew over
and he was such great lawyer that he
soon got lots Of practice and made lots
Of money. lie drove fine horses and
was a high-born aristocrat and never
lost a minutes sleep about killing Ham.
ilton.
/ was terminating about that, for
there is no story like IT in American
biography. The young people ought tC
read 1t. His fathers name was AaroT
Burr and he was a very learned and
pious preacher and teacher. lie wa'
founder and first president Of Prince
ton college, and is buried there, and si'
other presidents are buried near him
He married Esther, the only daughter
Of Jonathan Edwards, the great preach
er and profound thinker. A man whose
sermons made the people trerihle anC
cry out and beg for mercy. ThC
younger Aaron had a sister named
Esther, and these two were left or
phans at an early age. They had {
good estate and the best of guardians
and received good education. AaroT
was sent to Princeton, where he grad
uated with distinction. 1t was ex
pccted that he, too, would be preach
er, but he suddenly astounded hi
friends by denouncing Christianity al
a humbug, and declared his admiration
for Lord Chesterfield, whom, he said
was the finest gentleman in the world
Then he studied law, and soon becam,
the top Of the profession. When th'
revolutionary war was impending h,
was given high position, and became
an inmate Of Gen. Washington's fam
lily; but he did not like Washington
steady habits and religious principles
and left him. At the close of the wa
he married a wealthy widow-a Mrs
Provost, an accomplished and piou
Christian woman. She became tn
mother Of Theodosia, celebrated in he
day for her beauty and her graces O
mind and heart, and universally 10
mented for her sad and mysterious fate
The only child, son, died when he wa
10 years old, and she herself was los
at sea but few weeks after; no on
ever heard of the vessel after it sale
from Charleston. There are man
stories about it having been seized
pirates and Theodosia with other pai
sengers being made to walk the fatt
plank that dropped them into the SCI
Not long before this sad event Bur
had forced Hamilton to fight duel wit
him, and killed him, not only withou
regret, but with unfeigned satisfaction
This put him under the ban, and h
had to fly to avoid arrest. He fled t
Carolina, where his daughter lived. Sh
had married Joseph Alston, one Of Sout
Carolina's best citizens, and who aftei
wards became governor Of the state.
burr was the vice president of tn
United States when he killed Hamilton
After this he conceived great politics
scheme to found a limited monarch
in the southwest, with New Orlean
as the seat OF government, and he wa
to be the monarch. His reasonable d,
signs were discovered, and he was al
rested and tried, and barely escape
conviction. Theodosia saved hil
through her pleadings, her devotio
and her fascinating beauty. But sue
was the public temper that he had
exile himself and escape to Paris, wheI
he lived for several years under tn
assumed name Of Arnot. When
dared to return he resumed the prR'
tice of law in New York, and soon b,
came entangled In many scandals an
intrignes. When he was 20 years ol
he was still handsome and engaging
and SO beguiIed a French countess (
great wealth that she married hin
lie wasted her money SO lavishly tbs
she separated from him in a short tim
and be was left penniless. His fe'
friends abandoned him and he die
degraded and disgraced at the age (
four score years. In his last days
read the Bible anew--read and poi
dered, and with sadness and contritio
Eaid: There is the most perfect syI
tenn Of truth the world has ever SEEN"
What life, what a record, what
wreck Of great talents, and all becaus
he forsool the teachings Of his nobl
Christian ancestors and became
seotfer, an inildel, q Chesterfield. Whu
bitter memories what anguish h
must have felt II liin last aays-his la
hpuFsl when be bsgged To b buried