Year: 1876

BY WM. II. MAHER.


Edward Featherby was the richest per
son in Athol And the fact of his being
istence. The Featherby family had been
wealthy during the three generations OF
its known history. Riches might take
wings when in the possession of Smith,
Jones or Robinson, but they remained true
to the Featherbys But money could not
keep them out of the limits of that great
bankrupt court - Death, and hence Ed
ward Featherby came into possession Of a
fortune of two million on his twenty-tirst
birthday - his father having died three
years previously.


We are all familiar with the maxim that
it is our duty to look after the pence. the
dollars being able to take care OF them
selves. The principle holds good among
larger figures moderate income needs
careful nursing; a million will care for
itself and its owner.


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 a poor man,
we cannot conjecture; but filling a posi-
ton where envy could not touch his heart,
he was full Of good feeling towards every
body. and was as natural in tone and
manner as one could be-


The society in Athol was exclusive,
though not "a stocratic. 1t was SO divided
into sets thai the steps between the low
est and 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 Gentle 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. lie had graduated at
Yale when twenty y-four, had spent q year
in Europe, and was now bui just returned
from years wandering in the far West
of his native land.


If to most of US fortune had been
given when we We're III our tWentcs, we
should have made it give us pleasure ard
pleasant visions ahead; but it was not do
ing this for FeatEerhy His life was bit
ter and purposeless because of his wealth.
lie reached that stage in his existence
when he desired to be judged and loved
for the manhood that was in him, and not
for his dollars; but there had come over
him a constantly increasing feeling that
people were really bowing and smiling at
his two millions, though they seemed to
be acting as if friendly to him.


In the way of educating mankind-yes,
and womankind, | fear we do not appre-
ciate at its full value the modern novel
AS to what the young man and maiden
are taught in the classroom we can afford
to be mfortable-they will soon forget
it. But the stories which they carry to
their chambers, are lessons that are apt to
leave indelible marks behind them. The
novel is 4 bit Of life being enacted before
us, and oftcntimes its effect is a thousand
times more potent because the hero and
heroine are but ink and paper, instead OF
flesh and blood. The modern novel deals
with the heart strings Whatever the song,
the refrain is always love- If the theme OF
the book be murder, forgery, gaming, OF
only idylic life. the thread that holds it is
sure to be love Search the heart of your
daughter, my dear madam; probe deep
for the moral lessons you have been teach
ing her these eighteen years; you will
have your labor Tor your pains She has
built a world of her own and peopled ii
with men and women of novels; and her
own life is not as you have made it, but as
Scott, Dickens and Trollope have given ii
to her.


Edward Featherby's life had been mould.
ed into its present unsatisfactoriness be,
cause of steady course of novel reading
And the result of his reading, as it most
vividly impressed itself upon his mind
was this one fact; that to be loved tol
ones self. a man must either be poor OF q
rascal.


In all the novels the rich young man
was sought after for his riches; the villain
was loved because he was not like other
men; the poor young man was loved be
cause of himself And the woman who
married the poor man to-day. was ready
to turn to the wealthy one and marry hin
on the morrow in all life, as Edward
Featherby looked at life, the rich young
man was the least to be envied.


That he should be thinking of love ant
| marriage was entirely natural He hae
reached the age when his friends were
taking to themselves wives, and it was
matter-of-course that he should contras
:. his own empty life with their overhowine
cups. His heart was hungry for love; hi
lie was incomplete if he lived alone. A
thousand and one plans had suggested
themselves to him. wherein he might drol
out of himself into some pennless man
and WOO and win; but there was alway!
some unpleasant feature in each plan
There were stories of rich men playing
coachmen and winning their employers
daughters, but he was sure that he woul(
not marry woman who was willing t.
marry her fathers coachman. Then agait
he didn't know how to do anything in the
shape of work, and consequently sucl
schemes as these were impossible.


In small degree he was an artist. Ha.
he been poor, the probabilities are that HI
would have been an artist of no common
merit; but his two millions had prevented
him from being more than commonplace
Yet it struck him that there was a cover
ing under which he might masquerade
The more he looked at it the more teasbl,
it seemed. and at last he arranged a plal
to suit his purposes,


First, no human being was to be &C
quainted with the proposed adventure
second, his attorney was 70 have exclusive
power during his absence, so that h
would neither need to read or write
business letter during the summer. Th
attorney was not very pleasant man, bu
he was thoroughly honest His bushes
must have brought him a good income
but he was always in trouble about hi
own money matters, while the affairs O
his clients were kept in the most scientiti
manner.


Mr.. Thrift received his rich clients OF
ders as if they were the most matter OF
tact directions, and asked no questions, ex
cept such as were absolutely necessary t.
proper understanding of his position.


When this was settled, Featherby wrot
his friends that he was going on journe
up North drew thousand dollars ou