Year: 1873

The ancestors Of the good people Of
these United States came to this coun.
try ostensibly to escape the persecu
tons Of aristocratic England, but, ala;
for the Inconsistency Of human nature
they were very far from abandoning
aristocracy when they left the mother
country. They brought it with them,
together with all its accompanying
notions and absurdities, and have left
their children as an inalienable legacy
which we seem TO be trying to in,
crease every day.


In the days Of good colony Of Eir-
ginia, the distinction between rich and
poor were based upon laws which, like
those Of the Medes and Pcrsians, al
tered not. One OF the most devout
followers Of this code was wealthy
planter, living in what is known as the
Northern Neck He was in all other
respects frank, open-hearted, manly
gentlcmat, but his estimate of his
fellow men was founded upon the prin-
ciples that governed his selection Of
horses-blood. Wealth, too, was by
no means an unimportant feature with
him. lie had our human weakness,
and Ike all Of Us influenced more than
he ever believed by pounds, shilling,
and pence.


This MIR. Chad quite a large
family aud among them was daugh.
ter whose beauty was the standing
toast Of the country. She was just
eighteen and budding into lovely
womanhood Not only was she beau
tiful in person, but her amiable dis,
position and many accomplishment
made her more than ordinarily attrac-
tive, and half the gentleman of the
Northern Neck We're already sighine
for her love,


There was in the country at this
time, young man who was already
rising high in the esteem Of his neigh
bots. He came Of D good family, but
was, as yet, a poor surveyor, who had
taught himself his profession, and who
had spent much Of his manhood ira
versing forests with nothing but hi:
compass for his guide, and his Chain
for his companion. locating lands anl
setting disput. d titles. He was mode
Of manly beauty and cXceIled in al
the varied teats OF strength in which
the olden time Americans took sucl
pride. He was calm and reserved
and there was about him q dignifed
sweetness Of demeanor that accorded
well with his frank independence o
character. He was a great favoritC
with all who knew him, and there wa.
no gathering to which he was not ask
ed.


Mr.. G--- seemed especially to like
the Young man, and it was not long
before he insisted the latter should
abandon all ceremony in his visits tc
him, and come and go when he pleas
ed. The invitation was heartily giver
and as promptly accepted. The young
man liked the planter, and he founC
the society ofthe beautiful Mary c.
a very strong attraction. The resul
was that he was frequently at the
planters res dence, so frequently, in
deed, Mrs. G--felt called upon tc
ask her husband if he did not think il
wrong to permit him to enjoy such
unreseryed intercourse with thei
daughter. The father only laughed a
the idea, and said he hoped his daugh
ter knew her position too well to al
low anything like love for poor sur
vcyor to blind her TO her duty to he,
family.


Nevertheless, Mary G--was no
so fully impressed with this convic
ton of duty as was her father. She
found more to admire in the poor sur
veyor, than in all her wealthy and az
istocratc suitors, and, almost beore
she knew it, her heart passed out o
her keeping, and was given to him
She loved him with all the honesty
and devotion of her pure heart, an'
she would have thought it happiness
to go out with him into the wilderness
and share his fatigues and troubles, nj
matter how much sorrow they brough
her.


Nor did she love in vain. Tht
young man whose knowledge Of tn
world was afterwards so thorough, ha'
not then learned TO consider as blind
inn the distinctions which snciety drer