Year: 1859

search of him, when her parent came in
sight. She ran to meet him, and was
bestowing on him thousand endearing
expressions of affection, when his hag-
gard wo-begone countenance startled
her.


He uttered not word, and went into
his house and seated himself in silence.
1t was in vain that she tried to cheer
him. After great pause, during which
there was long struggle going on in
his feelings, he arose and took his daugh
ter by the hand, and led her into the
room where Wilson was seated. You
must all know" he said, /" / am ruined
| am beggar. In a few days 1 must
quit this house the farm which l have
SO highly improved and thought my own,
belongs to another" He proceeded to
state that few days before, Crosby, in a
fit of ungovernable malice, tainted him
with being a beggar, and told him that
he was now in his power. and he would
crush him under his feet. When Mr.. Da-
Wis smiled at what he regarded as only an
impotent threat, Crosby told him that tie
patent of hisfarm was forged one, that
he. by, knew the real owner of the land !;
had written to purchase it, and expecteda
deed in few days. Davis Immediately
went home for his patent, and during
his long absence had visited the land
office. Crosby was right. The patent,
beyond all doubt. was a forged one. and
the claim of Davis to his farm was not
worth farthing.


1t may be proper to observe that coun-
terfeiting soldiers patents was regular
business in some of the eastern cities,
and hundreds had been duped.


cit is not for myself" said the old
man, "that l grieve at this misfortune.
| am advanced in life, and it matters not
where or how l pass the remainder Of
my existence. have little home be-
yond the stars, where your mother has
gone before me, and where l would have
loved to protect her child, my own afec-
tionate Lucy" The weeping girl threw
her arms around the neck of her father,
and poured her tears upon his bosom
"We can be happy STILL" said she, % for
| am young and can easily support us
both.' 81


A new scene followed, in which ano-
ther individual was the principal actor.
l shall leave the reader TO form his own
opinion of it, and barely remark that at
the close, the old man took the hands of
Lucy and young Wilson, and then join
ing them said My children, cheer
fully consent to your union. Though
poor, with good conscience you can be
happy. l know, Charles, You will be
kind to my daughter, for few nights
ago, when you thought that no human
ear could hear you, l heard you fervent-
ly implore the blessings of heaven upon
my gray hairs, and that God would re-
ward my child for all her kindness to
you." Taking down his family Bible,
the venerable old man added j" it is
season of affliction, but we are not for.
saken. Let us look for support to him
who has promised to sustain u.s." He
then opened the book and read


Although the fig tree shall not bios
som, neither shall fruit be in the vine.
the labors of the olive shall fail, and the
fields yield no meat the focks shall be
cut off from the fold, and there shall be
no herd in the stall, yet will l Joy in the
God of my salvation"


Charles and Lucy knelt beside the
venerable old man - while he prayed
they wept tears of grateful emotion. It
wac sleePlese, but no. an unhappy night
to the three inhabitants of the neat,
cheerful dwelling they were about to
leave, and go they knew not where.


1t was then that young Wilson knew
the real value of money. BY means of it
he could give shelter to those who had
kindly received him when every other
door was closed upon him.


All night long he thought of the
forged patent. There were few words
dropped by Mr.. Davis which he could
not dismiss from his mind-that Crosby
had written to the real owner of the land,
and had now obtained the promise of the
deed.


1t is now time for the reader to become
fully acquainted with the history of the
young stranger. His father. Charles
ST., was merchant in Boston,
who had acquired an immense fortune.
AT the close of the war, when the soldiers
received from the government their boun-