Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-08-05

nant as the period OF bereavement
heightened and which sprang o a
consciousness of imperfections and
failures for which no after achieve
ment could atone.
1t had not been difficult to establish
his rights. Whitaker and the chap
lain, armed with the dispositions, had
taken the man across the continent
When the ship had been put out of
commission at San Francisco, and pre-
scented him to his uncle, the Charnock
in residence in that great house on
the Nansemond shore overlooking that
estuary of the James by Hampton
Roads. The old man, childless and
alone, had welcomed him gladly. The
newcomer was of the Charnock blood
1t was a strange moment for the is
lander when they took him into the
great drawing-rOom and showed him
the pictures of his father and of his
mother. He was the living image of
the man, tempered with some Of the
mothers sweetness. This remarkable
likeness-indeed he was not unlike
his uncle as well-cOupled with the
material proofs, the ring, the Bible,
the evidence of b ship. together with
what was known, removed every lin
gering doubt from the mind of those
most concerned.
The family was reduced to those
two, the uncle and the nephew. The
old man formally and legally reCOg
nized the relationship and offered to
transfer the property r~ightfully his,
which since the discovery of coal had
increased enormously in value, to the
newcomer, but Charnock would have
none of it then. He recognized his
unftness to deal with such things. If
b older man would retain 1t, he
could give it to him at his death.
Meanwhile he could teach and train
him how to use 1t. Bereft of his one
guide, his one inspiration in life, he
would need wise counsel and careful
leading indeed.
In addition to the formal recogni-
ton, the elder man legally adopted the
younger and constituted him the heir
to his own property which was almost
as extensive n as valuable as that
which rightly belonged to the nephew.
Charnock could not have fallen into
better hands Education was his first
requirement and he applied himself
to it with a fierce energy and a grim
determination which presently, from
the splendid foundation which had
been laid enabled him to progress suf-
fiCiently to take his place and hold
his own with men and women. 1t was
impossible to keep secret forever the
details Of such a story as his, es-
pecially when it was linked with a
name SO famous and still remembered
as that of Katharine Brenton, and it
had been decided by Capt. Ashby and
Whitaker and the man himself that
such portions OF it as would suffice
to explain his OWL presence and her
fate should be given to the world. Upon
the foundation thus afforded ro-
nance builded. Charnock Immediately
became a marked man. He would have
been a marked man in any event from
the financial power that he possessed.
His uncle's management had been wise
and prudent, he had spent little and
had saved much, SO that CharnOck
found himself the possessor Of vast
riches in the form of available capital.
Among the first things he learned
was the power of money. Had he not
pee stead1ed by the memory OF the
woman, he would probably have
learned it to his sorrow. AS 1t was, he
was almost misery. He spent little up
on himself. His wants were astOnish-
ingly few and contact with the world
did not develop e~xtravagant IDEAS.
Those were things which he was too
old to learn, against which he had
49, H. ---l-- -vL4k
he had and what he could get for
some great purpose, a purpose of help,
Of assistance in which he could COM
memorate her name. for which future
generations should rise up and call
her blessed.
He had long talks with his uncle
about it. The old man would fain
have had his nephew marry and carry
on the ancient line. Delicately, ten
derby, he preached the subject after a
time, but the suggestion met with alb
solute refusal. Women interested
Charnock as men did. Indeed kSs in
terest in his kind was intense The
intellectual stimulus of conversations
with bright, intelligent people was the
most enhancing result of his contact
with the world. But none Of them
touched his heart. That was buried on
that gemlike island in the far of sea.
He was a man of unusual force Of
! character, prompt and u%nyielding de-
cision. His uncle had not lived his
long life without being able to esti-
mate men. He recognized very early
in the undertaking the futility of ar
gument, and though he tried finesse in
the presence of b wittiest, the clev-
crest, and most beautiful women of
Virginia and elsewhere, for the two
travelled throughout the United
States, welcomed everywhere, his eff
forts were unavailing. Their was
more than one woman who would