Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-01-25
CHAT lER l.
THE BROTHERS.

"Wcll, If l had determined to go to
Edition I would not elect to travel
he workhouse."
nd been closely observing my un'
IS for more than two hours, and dill.
emily noting his words and gestures
when his utterancc of this remarkable
Psentence confirmed the dislike Of him
which had conceived at our first
meeting. With only brief and mar.
row experience of men and manners,
the words impressed me as harsh, not
to say brutal, for a rich man to adj
dress TO an only brother whom he had
not seen for twenty years, and who
was comparatively poor
II have made no such determine.
tion," said my father. "As for the
workhousc ny income is still some
700 poInds 4 year more than nothing,
and don't anticipate becoming bur.
den to anybody. not evcn'-turning
his face toward me and smiling-"my
own son.
"Scyen hundred pounds" exclaimed
my uncle Sam, contemptuously, "seven
hundred pounds! And what will that
pitiful sum do toward maintaining a
there are four of the men in my pay
who each earn $500 more than your
entire income! But hOw's this? Hol
denhurst used not to bo such beg
carly property, or my memory is worse
than thought 1t was"
While my father is occupied with the
melancholy recital of the causes, nat
ural and political. of the enormous de
probation of agricultural values in
England-which in ten years had re-
duced his income by rather more than
half-I will furnish the reader with q
brief history of the men thus engaged.
When little more than ten years old
my father. Robert Truman, had sue
ceeded to an estate of 1000 acres, con
sistins Of two entire parishes, Holden
hurst Major and Holdenhurst Minor,
situate few miles from Bury St Ed
mund's, in Suffolk. On his coming of
age Robert Truman found himself the
pOSsessOr of q rent roll Of $500, n
lump sum of about 1000, which had
accumulated during his minority, and
large nondescript manor house OF
which no archneol0gst could deter.
mine the date or order, it had been so
much altered and added to at various
periods. The estate, which had
formed part Of the immense posses,
sions of the rich abbots Of Bury, was,
upon the dissolution Of the abbey there,
settled by Hcnry VIII. in pcrpetuity
upon the first member Of my family
Of whom there exists any record.
With but one relation in the world
his brother Samuel, two years his jul
nior-undou6tedly my father entered
upon the business Of life under condi-
tions more prosperous than attend the
vast majority Of mankind. But that
balance which men adjust where for
tune has shown more favor to one
than to another, themselves making
the tale of human happiness and mis-
cry nearly the same in all cases, was
soon made apparent by the two broth
ers. The affections of these young
men centred upon one girl. Samuel
was the favored lover. But women
had few rights and many wrongs in
agricultural East Anglia in is, and
SO the beauty Of Holdcnhurst became
the wife Of Robert Truman; her faith
er, q small farmer ambitious of form
Ing family connection with the
Squire" having so commanded her.
Before the marriage my uncle Sam
left England for America with the en-
pressed intention of never again Wis
iting his native land. In less than
year my father had lost by death the
wife lie had thus acquired; n loss
which, though it deeply affected him.
was patiently borne for the sake Of
the infant boy who was at once the
cause of his sorrow and his hope.
In American Samuel Truman had
entered in commercial speculations and
1Ourished exceedingly. On the death
of my mother he had written to my
fathcr few lines expressing his SYM
pathy-his first communication with
his brother after his departure from
England. After that his letters had
been brief and infrequent, but reports
reached Holdcnhurst from time to
time of his extraordinary success in
trading. of his evcr-incrcasing wealth
and influence, of his shrcwdness, his
penetration, his slnglencss of purpose.
Through all the days Of my boyhood
remember no variation in the accounts
of the steady and continued decline in
value Of my fathers property. and Of
the rapid Increase of my uncle's
wealth. Neither of these circum-
stances, however, interested me until,
in my nineteenth year-thc week be-
fore this history opcns-my father TO.
ceivcd letter from his brother in
New York stating that he had been
married for three years to an Amcri-
can lady, and that he and his wife in
tended to visit Holtlenhurst, and might
be expected to arrive in about ten
days
1t was almost Immediately after tho
arrival OF my uncle at HoldenhTst,
thus intimated, that the conversation
with which this chapter opens took
place. Uncle Sam did not, however,
bring his wife with him as he had in
tended, but left that lady in London