Year: 1876

person IN Athol. And the fact of his
being rich was the most annoying fact
in his existence. The Featherby tami-
ly had been wealthy during the three
generations of its known history. Rich
eS might take wings when in the posses
siou of Smith, Jones, or Robinson, but
they remained true to the Featherbys.
But m Iney could not keep them out of
the limits of that great bankrupt court,
I Death, aud hence Edward Featherby
came into possession OF II fortune of two
millions ON his twenty first birthday
his father having died three years pre-
viously.


Weare all familiar with the maxim
that it is our duty to look after the pence,
the dollars being able to care for them
selves. The principle holds good among
large figures "a moderate income needs
careful Cursing;a millen will care for
itself aud its ownet.


| In all Athol County there was not to
be found more unaSsuming young man
than Edward Featherby. What he
might have been had he been the son Of
IL poor man, we cannot conjecture but
filing II position whore envy could not
touch his heart, he was full of good feel
ing towards everybody, and was as
natural in tone and manner rs one could
be.


The society in Athol was exclusive,
| though net ariStOcratic. 1t was so divid-
ed into sets that the steps between the
lowest and the highest were numerous,
though the actual difference between the
two was very small. But the lines were
drawn tightly, and the walls of partition
between jew and Gentie were not more
real than the barriers each little clique
piled against the clique below it.


1t was six years since Featherby came
into his property. He had graduated at
Yale when twenty -four, hnd spent year
in Europe, and was now but just returned
from years wandering in the far West
of his native land.


/ to most Of us fortune had been
given when we were in the twenties, we
could have made it give us pleasure and
pleasant visions ahead but it was not
doing this for Featherby. His life was
bitter and purposeless because Of his
wealth. He had reached that stage in
existence when he desired to be judged
aud loved for the manhood that was IN
| him, and not for his dollars but there
| had come over him constantly increas-
ing feeling TINT p"'ple were really bow
ing and smiling at his two millions,
though they seemed to be acting us if
friendly - him.


IL the way of educating mankind
VS., aud wOmankind l tear-we do not
appre, late at its full value the modern
novel. As to what the young mpn and
maiden are taught in the classroom we
can afford to be cDmtortable-they will
soon forget it. Bot the stories which
they carry to their chambers, are lessons
that are apt to leaVe ndeible MAJ Ks be-
hind them. The novel is IA bit of life be-





rtI cts nre II thousand times more potent
because the hero and heroine aie but ink
md paper, instead OF flesh and blood
The modern novel deals with the heart
stings. Whatever the song, the refrain
Is always love. Ii the theme of the book
be murder, forgery, gaming, or only
ldyiic HE, the thread that holds it is
sure tD he love. Search the heart Of
your daughter, my dear madam probe
deep fol the moral lessons you have been
teaching her these eighteen years /; you
will but have your labor Tor your pains.
She has builtu world of her own, and
peupr1 it with men and women of nov
ell and her own lie is not rs you have
made it, but is as Scott, Dickens and
frollope have given il 10 her.


Edward Featherby's life had been
nodded into It's present unsatistnctoriness
because Of steady course of novel read
ing. And the result of his reading, as it
most viydIy impressed itself upon bis
mlnd, was this one tact: that to be loved
for one self, man must either be poor
or rascal.


la all the novels the rich young man
was sought after for his riches the viii
lain was loved because he was not like
other men the poor young man was
loved because "fhimself. And the wom-
an who loved The poor man to day, was
ready to turn to the wealthy one and
marry him on the morrow. In all life,
as Edward Fratherby looked at life, the
rich young man was the least to be en-
We'd.


That ne should be thinking OF love and
marriage was entirely natural. He had
reached the age when his friends were
taking to themselves wives and it was
II matter-ol-course that he should con
trast his own empty lite with their
ovrrhowing cups. His heart was hun
cry for love his life was incomplete If
hs lived alone. A thousand and one
plans had suggested themselyes TO him,
wherein he might drop out Of himself
into some penniless man, and WOO and
win but there was always some unpleas-
ant feature in each plan. There were
stories of rich men playing coachmen
and winning their employers daughters,
but he was sure that he would not marry
II woman who was willing 10 marry her
fathers ctmchman. Then again he didn't
know how To do anything in the shape
Of work, and. consequently such schemes
as these were impossible.


Ina small degree he was an artist
Had he been poor, the probabilities are
he would have been an artist of no COM