The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-29
HENRY ESMOND
BY WILLIAM MAKEPEAcE TI4AcKERAY
Condensation by Mrs. Annie D. Hubbard LittIeton

In the days when the Stuart was |
playing his losing game for England's
crown, a sallow-faced, precocious boy
was growing up, half-lOved, half-neg- |
lected, in CastleWood House, knowing
all the secrets of it's hidden chambers,
where cavalier and priest could hide
for lifetime. Harry was reputed the
illegitimate son of Thomas Esmond,
Lord Castlewood, whose childless
wife, herself an Esmond, had been a
beauty and kings favorite once. After
Fiscount CastlewOod had died, fight
ing for King James at Boyne Water,
and King Williams men had taken his
lady prisoner, hiding in her bed, paint
ed and powdered, resplendant in her
brocade gown and gold-clocked red
stockings-by her side the japan box
holding the papers of the RoayNsts-
another kinSman, Francis Esmond,
had taken possession of the old house.
20 dea certe," little Harry Esmond
said in his heart, when Rachel, the
new Lady Castlewood, in her lovely
girlhoOd, met him in the yellow gal
lery, and there stirred in him the be-
ginnings of a lifetime devotion to her.
to her beautiful children, Beatrice and
Frank, and to his jovial new patron,
Francis, Lord CastleWOOd. AS loved
kinsman now, Harry had grown to
manhood, when suddenly the small
pOX, ravaging the neighbOrhOOd, de
stroyed for a time Lady CastleWOod's
beauty, and her gay husbands heart
turned to lesser loves, though he still
cared enough to be wildly jealous,
when Lord Mohun, a London blood,
made love to her. The two men fought
and E'ror fn11lIIy NV
hun, on his death-bed made a written
statement that he had long known
| from the priest who heard Thomas,
Lord Castlewood's, dying confession
| that Harry EsmOnd had right to the
name he bore, and was head of the
| house of Castlewood.
This paper, stained with the blood
of his dear master, Harry burned, and
Notwithstanding Heaven that he had
! been enabled to make the righteous
! decision that his mistress should
| never know sorrow through him, and
that little Frank should become Lord
| CaStleWOOd in his fathers stead.
Fate dealt hardly just now with
| Harry EsmOnd, for as he lay wounded
and in prison as a result of his part
! in the duel, his dear lady. visiting
| him, chose to believe that he might
have prevented her husbands death
| Perhaps because she felt in her hear
a tenderer love for him than she dar-
| ed to confess, she forbade him her
| home, and even her friendship. The
| living Of the parish church of Castle
| wood, long since promised him, was
| given elsewhere, and Esmond would
have been penniless and friendesS
! had not the Old doWager his fathers
widow, who had long cherished pique
against the younger and fairer Lady
| CasteWOOd, summoned him to her
new house at Chelscy. AS he kissed
her withered hand and saluted her as
| MarchiOness. something in his assured
bearing made her guess that he knew
he was her husbands true son and
chief of the house. Half frightened,
she drew from him the story of his
remuneration. and whom he told her
| that his fathers son would not aggra-
Vate the wrong his father had done
her, and asked only for her kindness,
! her worldly old heart was touched.
Henceforth he was Son Esmond" TO
her, and when her influence at court
had procured him an ensigns commits
sion, she was proud of him in his laced
scarlet coat.
ESmOnd served with some distinc-
ton under Marlborough abroad and
was wounded at Blenheim, but the
best thing his campaigning brought
him was a chance encounter in St.
Gudule's Church at Brussels with
Father Holt. the tutor of his boyhood,
who told him his mothers story. She
had been of that very town, and q
most tender, faithful creature. His
| father had deserted her, married her
secretly, and again deserted her, and
she had taken her broken heart to
that convent Esmond knelt by her
grave, took a flower from the little
hillock, and as he listened to the choir
chanting from the chapel realized
afresh that love and humility were all
that counted in life.
One great happiness had come to
EsmOnd before this-he had seen
his dear lady, her face sweet and sad
in her widows hood, in Winchester
Cathedral and when their eyes had
met, the time OF estrangement was
passed: Knowing now how her heart
had followed him, he dreamed that
they might be happy together, but she
saw more clearly. When, in thei1
house at Walcotte. Beatrix, the 16-year
old maid of honor with a scarlet rib.
bon upon the whitest neck in the
world, came to meet him. he forgot
her mother. No other woman of her
{ day was like her for beauty and wit
and for ten years he was her slave
kneeling with his heart in his hand
for the young lady to take, while she
, looked far higher than the nameless
and fortuneless colonel. "Yes," she
said, 81 solemnly vow l want a good
: husband. My face is my fortune
Who'll come? Buy! Buy!" While