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About The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1890)
Oil? M DER. By XT ALTER EESANT. Ir want of the muster's 'presence, for luck or pushing uud encouragement, the yearly return of the shop grew loss and less No one know this except my mother It won useless to tell oiy fatlior. - it she begged Uis attention to tho fact, ho on!y said tiut business was. in the nature of tunica. Uiietuutitig, that a bad year would be succeeded by a pood yeur; that large profits had recently been made by traders to Calicut and Surinam, where he had designs of employing his own capital, anil that venture to Canton had of late proved extremely successful Alas. poor man! he had no capital left, for now H was gone capital, credit and custom Vet he still continued to believe that his shop, the shop which came to him with his wire. wabringing to him. every year, a Treat and steady return, and tUut lie was amassing u fortune Oue day it was a Saturday evening In May in the year 1TT0. alx years after the Eight of Ralph Cmbletou. when I wo iu my seventeenth year, and almost grown to my full height. I taw coming slowly along the narrow road which leads from the high way to Wark worth a country cart, anil In It two persons, the driver walking at the horse's head I stood at the garden gate watching this cart idly, ami the setting sun behind it. without u much ait won Uenng who these imthohs might lie. until presently it came slowly down the road wbi-'h here sloes gently to the river and the bridge, and pulled up In trout of our gate When the cart stop)ed a lady got quickly down and seized my bauds "You are my DruniilaT" she asked, and without waiting for a reply, because she was my mother and knew I could be no other than her own daughter, she fell upon my neck in a passion of weeping and sob bing. say.'tig that she knew I wax her daughter dear, and that she was my most She kttew I eu hrr tlar.yh'er dear. unhappy ruined mother It was my father who descended after her lie advance! with dignified step ami thecarriage of o r in authority I observed that his huei. and the lace of his ruffles were of the ver) Guest, and lib coat, though dusty, of the finen broadclo'b ie seened not to perceive my niother"s -are. he kissed me and gave me his blessing U bade the carter. wb majestic air. 'lead the 'coat I.' he called the coun'ry cart a ctMch anC take great care of lie horse, whi -h he said was worth forty gu.neas if a iny but the horse was i U) year-old at. hors-j. worth at most four guineas, oj I knew very well, because I knew the carnei Amazet.' ut this extraordinary beliavi'ir I led my ii-etils to my grandmother, and then .ivM.n:!y burned the truth My father. ;i you please, wa.t ruined, he was a bankrupt. Lis schemes of greatness had eome I. nothing. Iii va.st fortune lay Hi Ills imagination only; he had lost his wife s money mid his own lie had returned to his native county, his old friends having rmuutu lugemcr uiui made a little purse lor him. and Ins creilitoua having con seuieu 10 accept wnut tney could got and to give him a quittance in full, because he was known to be a man of integrity otherwise ho might have been lodged iu jail, where many an unfortunate, honest, man lieth in misery The disaster was more than my father Dram could bear Hrst. us soon as he fairly understood whut had happened, be fell into a lethargy, aitting in a chair all day in silence, and desiring nothing but to lie left alone After a while the lethargy changed into a restlessness, and he must needs be up and doing something it mat tered not whut Then tho restlessness disappeared and he became again his old self, as cheerful, as sanguine, as confident, with no other change than a more settled dignity of hearing, caused by tne belief the complete delusion, that now his for tune was indeed made, that he possessed boundless wealth, and that he was going to leave Loudon and to retire into the country, as many great merchants used iu do, iu order to enjoy it lie was fully possessed with the idea that he ws as wealthy as he ever desireo to i His poor brain was turned, indeed ou this point, and after a while I thought little of it. because we became accustomed to it. and because it seemed a harmless craze Vet it was tiot nannies, as you will hear Indeed, even an Innocent babe lu arms may be made the instrument ol mischief in the hands of a wicked man. Our first visitor was Mathew Humble lie came first, he said, to pay his respects to my father Then he began to come with great regularity. Cut 1' perceived soon, for 1 was no longer a child, but already a woman, that bo had quite another object In view, for be cast his eyes upon me in such a vay as no woman can mistake. , Even to look upon those eyes of his made me turn sick with loath lng. Why. if tiiis man Lad been another Apollo for beauty I would not have re mmmp gurded him, and so far was he from an Apollo that a fnt and loathsome satyi mow nearly resembled him lie was idmu'. three or (our and thirty which i. i 'iiiic; i,. regarded as wry great age indeed, and most Northumbrian folk are ceridniv married and the fathers of children already lull before that time lie was a man who made no Irieuds. aim lived alone with his sister unrhura No girl at all. so far as I know, could boast of having received any attentions from liiin, he was supposed to care for nothing e.vcopt money and strong drink F.vory evening he sat by himself in the room which overlooks the river, with account books before him, and drunk usquebaugh Out he loved brandy as well, or Hollands or ruui. or indeed anything which was strong. And being naturally short of stature lie was grown fat and gross with red hanging cheeks, which made his small eyes look smaller and more ptg like. double chin, and a nose which already told a tale of deep potations, so red and swollen wus it What girl of l? could regard with favor even if there were no limine of a brave and comely boy already liu pressed upon her heart such a man as this, a mere tosspot and a drinker? And worst of all. a secret and solitary druiknr a gloomy drinker CHAPTER VI. THE I.ETTEIt AT LAST. It was stntngo that, about the time when Ralphs disappearance was find heard of. rumors ran about the town that perhaps the mill would turnout. after alt to lie the property of Mathew Humble that these rumors wr revived at the up preach of Ralph's 21st birthday, and that again, when Mathew first began his ap preaches to me. the rumor was again cir enlated By the help of the fugleman I traced these rumors to the barber, and sfili with Ills help because every man must shiived and while being shaved, must talk I inu-ed Uime to none other tliail Matliew hininelf fie hail then, ouie ob. t lo gain I knew not what at Hie Hum ller on I discovert! that his lesign lo make ll appear should tiaiph evi return that I had taken him tot a UiiHlmud when I liiouglil he was the tclnai master and ownei of all lot I be leted he allowed himself no doubt as to the lesull ut his orient lolb It not seem as if l lie tu'lier the older the lew attract iv a man is whether III person or in mind the mure certain he becomes of con qiierniK a woman s beartT The riiiuiH on this occasion was more certain and distinct than before It was now staled thai Mr Kmblulun was dis covered lu have made a later will, which had Iimi proved and was ready to be prodm-ed if iieceimary that tu this will Lite texialor atlei deploring the badness it lieart manifested by Ins nephew Ralph levi.M-d the whole of bin property to his nei.hew Malbew The barbr. for bl lirt bad no doubt of the truth of this r-mrt, out those whc asked Mathew wliethei It was inie received mvslertous iiiswers as Unit tlmo would show, that .11 tins world no one should be certain of tunning that many is the slip between :H sod lip thai should ail occasion arie the iruth of the story would b tested Mich oracle as incline the hearers to he leve al llial has been said and more Httrbam his sisler lor her own part, showed jfreai willingness lo answer any piestious which uiuht be put lo her Hut she knew little hoi brother, she said "as a cbrne man. who sat much alone um' lk nit in nno men me ru(rieman loid me s very irsm-e i..rv indee.t au) one which teemed in ,ne no LnNl lo allV of IIS !v .inn '.line I mi reanled .Mathew Ulrtl I niild not u-lteve lie could do or design iul'IiI imii evn Huh was wroiw hut he iieml cortaltily a limn of very evil dis tniHllloll Ills- own pnvnle Iminiiiiis the fiiglemun 'old rue ilitit win. iintliiiii; In the world. JK I Vei v We, KllHIV lull UlM Mllimilg (if M l.lii lit iMien iriridueM and ol lief pume III tile IHK Ol l.ie river led I J 1 1 II Home '.iuie .ksi M.irwi, r Mill to the evening i iau- ui muni I'heie wax nsim lu the ulli tne nimie room 111 which Miitiieor vim (tusi,-d mm Ueateii the window l winch iKikeil out itHin the river, which hi-ie s bruud and shallow brook The isiiis rise sleep on the other iiiilo. And Is slolhed with thick hanging wmMlsin which no one ever walked except the fugleman.' snd he lor those purHte I have just mentioned always alone and after sun ilowu Now Inn eyes were like unto the eves of s hawk they knew nut distance, they could see quite lar of), little things is well as great tilings and the fugleman saw night after night, thai Malbew Humble was sitting locked up lu bis room engaged In writing or "opvuiK something I believe that if tho fugleman hud known bow to read, he would have read the writing even across the nver Unhappily he had never learned tbnt art Mathew was making a 'pv the fugleman said, of me other iix'iinieut lint what Unit document was he could not tell It was something on largo shocks of paper, and in big hand writing He wrote very slowly compar ing word fur word with the papers which he seemed copying Once when there was noise as of some one at the door, he hud died all the papers together, and bundled them awuy In a comer quickly and with an aflri(,'lileil an He was therefore doing something secret, which means something wicked V but could it be? "Little be thinks, " suid the fugleman, that Master lialph Is sure to come hoirie tnd confound his knavish tricks, and trip up his heels tor liirn Ab. I think I see nun now in luce and ruffles and good broadcloth walking up the street with a fine city madam on his. arm ." 1 I should iisve Iwen very well contented with the lace rulMesamliffHid broadcloth indeed I wauled notliuiK better lint I wauled no Hue eitv madam at the mill iaitei on I learned what this thing was winch lie took ho ioin lo copy and winch gave bun so much suviety Out it was .ikes tire Niiip driven hack by the wind suioiik the vessels ol those who sent It forth One morning when I was busy In the ttehen with hoiiMehold work, ami my not her was engaged Umiii the futeily sew nu Mathew came sud Is-gged to have tune eoiivsrttiilioii wil h her He said Unit, trst nf all tie was fully acquainted with tu circumstances and Hie unhappy out ok before her. when my grandmother -lioiild die and leave in all without any Ik-hub at all. that belli)) of a compas tiouate heart, he was strouly minded to netp them and that the Ih-hi way. as well he ooirld )udgn would im lo make her laughter Hrusilla his wife This done, lie would then see that their later yours voiild lie siieiided with couilort and the Hind of all anxiety At Hi-tt in v mothei did not reply She mil no reamm iu love Muthew whose tin (imliieKn to his ward was well known to ei Akuiii she had still some remains t Ismily prule left you do not destroy a vniiiaii s pride tiv taking swsv her money 'oh thoiiKlil lieiuR the duiighter of a well ' do Uiiulon ril I .en that her child should i'k tnirliei than a man wlio had nothing n the world of his own but tinny acres f laud aUlinncli he lived at the mill and pretended to l lis owner And she very truly ihoughi that the man was not in pur ton likely lo si tract ho ytntllfj s girl an my If Hut she spoke hill) fair She loid linn that I was young as yet. loo young lo know my own mind and that perhaps lie had heller wall He replied that he was not young for his own part and that uw would not wail Then she loid him 'hat she should not. certainly lores the inclination of her daughter but that she would speak to me about him She opened the suhject t me In the veiling No sooner did I understand that Mathew bad sHikcu for me than I threw myself iiihiii my knees lo my moth r, and implored her with many tears slid pruleelations not lo urge me lo ac ept bis suit I derlsred with vehe mence that if there went no other man in the world. I could not accept Malbew Humble I reminded her of Ins behavior toward Ralph I assured her thai I lie ueved him to be one who sal drinking by himself and a plotter of evil, a man wit h a hardened heart and a dead conscience Well, my mothei shed tears with me. and said thai i should not be married against my will tlmr. Mathew was nut a giMsl man. and that she would bid him not uiicoiirteoiisly go look elsewhere This she did. thanking him for the honor he had proponed For some reason, perhaps hccsuite be did not really wish to marry me. ism baps he cause ho hail not thoroughly laid out the scheme of marrying me to revenue hlliiHell upon Ralph Mathew pive me a renpite lor the time. ihoiiKb I went In preal terror lest he might pester my mot liei or myself Per barm which I thiui. more likely, he trusted lo the influence of sverty and privation and was contented lo wall till theae should make me submissive lo his will However that may be. he said nothing more concerning love, and continued hi visits to my father, in whime eon versa' eu- he look so gr at a pleasure Oh villain' Things were in this ssture. I being iu he greatest anxiety and tear thut some ibiug terrible was going before lon to haps-n to us when a most joylul and nn ps'ted event hupN'ued It was lu the mouth of May. seven veers ,;tK'e ttnlph S lllghl lillt the lullowers ot Mohammed I reckoned the years from the tiiglit that this event hnpsriied 1 he event was this that the fugleman uud l letter sent to him the Urst letter lie ever received In his life 1 saw the post boy riding down the 'oiul early in the aflennsin, he passed bj the house of Mr Carnuby. where he some 'itiies stopped, past our cottage, whore he never slopped because there was nolssiv who wrote letters to us. arid over the bridge, his horse s uoofs clattering iindet ' he old gateway I thought he was going lo the vicarage, but he left that on In 1ght and rode straight up the street blowing bis horn as he went I ivondoie.l hut bad no time lo waste in wonder who was going to get a letter In that pari ol the town The letter, in fact, was lot no ilher than the fugleman Half an hour later the fugleman, who had been at work in the garden all the morning came down the town again anc asked me with retqieet to her ladyship mv mother if I would givo bun five mm utes talk With him was Sailor Nan cause the thing was altogether so strauie that he could not avoid telling her about it. and she came with hint, curious as s woman inougn uoiu anu urave as becomes un old salt Tis a strange thing. " said tho fugle muu turning the unopened hitter ovet and over in his hand "'tis a strange thing, here is a letter which tels tne I know not what comes from I know not whore 1 have puid three shillings mid eight pence for it A great sum 1 doubt I was a fool It may menu money, and it muy meun loss ' 'Burn It, and ha' done.' suid Sailor Nun " Tis fr.mi some lund shark. Durn the Idler." I am 00 or mayhap 70 years of Biro Sixty. I must a bo Yes. sure sud certain. (! Vet hover a letter in all mv rlav; before " Now. which Is very singular, not th- leust suspicion in our minds us to the writer of the letter - b It" I asked, "from acouslu or a J llll 'M KtH 'Hm in a-lerttr brother1?" "Cousin?" he refuted with tho shadow of s smile across his still lips " VVhy, I uevet had a father or a mother to say nothing of a brother or a cousin VVheu I lirsi renieuilHir anything I was riiiiuiiiK lu the streets with othei Isiys We stole our breakfast, we stole our dinner and we stole our supHr Where are they all now i hi we little rogues and pickpocket mv couipuiiiiinsf HiiiiL'i-d I doubt not What but buiigtug cnu have come to. themT Hut as for me by the blessing ol the l.ord. I was enlistml lu Hie Fourteen! h l.liie. and after a few hundreds taken mistily by llireu (lo.en doses which now are neither here nor there and art the making of lad. I was Hogged into s good soldier. Slid so roe ss was due to merit A hearty three down, now and then, laid on with a wll iu Ihe cool of ihe morning, works nitrifies Not such s regiment In t he service as the Fourteenth And why? Ilocatlse the colonel knew hi duty and did it without leur or favor, and the men were proierly iron need Ootsl comrades all. and brave boys And where are theyT teed I take It. Is'ggars some, fallen in actum some broke, hoiiic In comfortable berths like me some I' all were living who would there be lo send me a letter, seeing there wasn t a man In all the regiment who could wnteT' Mlrunge that not one of us even then guessed the truth It was a great letter thick and rare fully sealed, addressed to ' Fugleman Fur long, at bis room iu ihe Castle of Wark worth. Norlbuuilsirlaiid F.tiglaud " It came from foreign putts and the pasr was not only slcmed. but hud a curious fragrance I broke the seal and tore open the eov I ering of the letter Wiihin was another packet Oh, heavens It was addressed to "llniKillu lletherington care of the fugleman, tu be forwarded without deluy Haste post haste'" And then I knew without waiting to open the letter that n would Im I nun none other than Ralph ll must Is from Ralph After all these years, we were lo hear one mure fronj Ralph I sIimhI pale and i"mb hug nor could 1 for soma moments even tH-ak At last I said 'Fiiglomon Nan this letter Is ad iressed to ma It is, I verily believe, from llalpb Embleton. Wait a little, while I read it " "Read it read If" cried the old man Could I ah' merciful heaven could I ever forgot the rapture the atidied yearning the blissful content the gruti it ndo with which I read that sweet uud precious letter? They wailed patiently even the rude and ctsirse old woman re framed truui sieeeh while I read puge after puge They nsiiI nothing though they sew the leurs falling down my lace because t bey knew Uml they were leurs of happiness Aftei seven long veurs my I'.alpli was tulking lo me as he umsl lo tulk I knew his voice I recognized Ins old imperious way I kiiw that he had not changed As if he would ever change' When I hud liuishetl and dried my tears they Is-gged me to read Ins hitler to them Mv I'KAIt liKAH li.ltl."-! Uild them thnt I could not indeed read all hut thut I would read them wmt I could and this was the beautiful beginning in order that I should know st the outset, so thought fill he was sud for fear of my being aux lous un the iiiil thut be loved me slill ml hud never forgotten me "My dear dear girl ll is now six years since I bade you furewell at your garden gate and started iism my Journey to London Your father has doubtless told you bow I presented myself and with what kindness he received me I am very sura that you 'jave not forgotten me and I hope tlmi you will rejoice lo hiar of my good for lime " Hope indeed Guild he not be dure? "I Inive no doubt, also that he hiiih Informed yon of the strange good fori line which Moll me after he left me it the I'jist India com puny S house of which I loid linn by toller and Steciul meneiiger. to whom I guve to insure iiH'cdy and sate delivery one shilling " Hut it would appeal that this messenger broke his word, and took the shilling but did nothing tor s it a common thief, who deserved lo he .hanged like many un other un more wicked than himself Oh what punishment loo' great for Llns brouch of trust, small as it wemed Nee. iKiw what s world ut trouble was caused hy that little theft.) '"It was truly by hu:iI prot'id -e thut, while Mr Silvertop talked with uiu. the great captain who won the Ball le ol Plaasy should luive ween Hiuuoing near aim siiouid have over heard whut passed Wheu I was bidden ;fo my ways for a foolish Uiy because I did not wish to he s writer; and waste bis lime no longer, I was much cast down foi now I begun to tear that 1 must, like the to me by providnuce rather than what I hould like . 'And I could nlalnlv see that there romulned only one choice for me. namely, I must return to the bated rule )f my eon hi n who would keep me as a plowbny as long as he could, or I must be take me tu the task ot sweeping out and tei'Vlng a shop And yel. what shop? Out who would employ me? Therefore I hung Biy head and stood Irresolute without the company's house Now presently the jciitlouian whom I had seen within came forth with another orlieer, brave In scar let He saw me standing sadly beside the posts, and Inspired by liist noble gener osity which has always distinguished this irruttt man, be cianisid his baud upon my ihouldur " 'So.' be suid. 'ymi are the lad who loves a sword better than a ism? ' " 'If It please your honor,' I replied. ' 'A sword n mans siril to life and limb,' he said sternly he who gisw a lighting In India must exfsct hard tale, rough sleep ing, rude knock lis must be ever on the watch against treachery fie must meet duplicity with equal cunning He must nliey blindly be must never ask why; If he is sent lo die like a rat In a lioio, be must go without murmur or question What' you think do you? that to carry a sword is to flaunt a scarlet uout before the ludles ot St James?" " 'Nay. sir, with respecl I have read lbs lives of soldiers I would wWingly take the danger for the sake of the honor, Hut alas! I must stay at home and sweep a shop' " What Is thy birth, boyf "I told htm that, and satisfied him on ether points, including ihe reason of my flight. In which I trust that I was no more than truthful Then be said " 'I am Lord Give, and paused as if to know whether I hsd heard of blm. "You may be sura I was astouished, but I quickly doffed my bat and mode blm my best country bred bow " 'My lord.' I said, "we have heard. even In Northumberland, of Plassy.' " 'Good! i went to ludia as a writer a miserable quill driving writer Think of that. What one man baa done another may do Now, boy. 1 sail ibis day for India There will be more 8ghtlng. a great deal more fighting If you please yon shall go as a cadet with me Dut there Is no time to hesitate. I sail this day Choose between the shop sweeping and the musket You will tight In the ranks at first, but If you behave well the sword will come after ('boose peace and money scraping at borne like these smug faced fat citizens, be swept bis baud wltb lordly contempt, or fighting snd poverty, and K'rhups death abroad. Choose.' " "I humbly thunk your lordship,' I said. I will follow you if you will conde scend to take me ' "Then he bade mo go st ralght to Lima- house Pisit, where I should find the ship st anchor I was to tske a note to the punter, who would give me an outfit. "Thus, my dear Hrusilla. did I find my fortune uud sail to foreign parts under as brave and real a cupluin as this country will ever see. "Our voyage lasted eleven months. There were 8(H) raw recruits on board. mostly kidnaped or Inveigled under false ( pretenses by cnni and tho scoundrels of . Wapping When they wore first paraded they were as beggarly looking a lot as you would wish to see ragged, dirty, muti nous s:id foul mouthed Yet in a couple of months, by dully drill, by good food and sea air. by moderate rations of rum, bv loiind Hogging, by the continual dis cipline of the boutswain't roie's end aud the sergeant s rattan, the regimental sup plejack and the ships cut V niuo tails, they became as promising soldiers as on would wish As for mo, t stood with them In the drill and did my best Of course I could not exs.ot bis lordship to notice so bumble s cadet as myself, but one evening when we were near the end of our voyage he sent lor me and gave me a gloss of wine, aud kindly bade me be patient and of good cheer, because, lie suid. young gentlemen of merit uud cour age would be sure lo find opmrluiiities for distinction " Ralph then wont on to describe tho life of a soldier in India, aud to toll mo but this I leave out for fear of Isilng tedious how he received his commission and bow begot promotion It Is sufficient to soy that at the time ho wrote, after sis years of service, be held the commission of a ciiptais Nor was that all Lie had been able to render such signul service to a certain rajah, thut this prince, who was not ungrateful, and hoped, besides, for more such services, took htm one day Into his treasure house and bade him holp him self to all if be plouscd The Water and Electric Light Com pany, recenllv organized at lnilenend- ence, Or., whose capital is f lO.OlM), 1ms elected the following oiliiws : President, A.J, Goodman ; Vice-President, J. Jlorn- Hl'e; Secretary. II. II. Juaiutrsnn ! trenu. urer, II. Iltrscliherg. the lnte Sirs. Reeslv. the u ife nf TVru lessor E. 8, Ueesly, whose (loath was an nounced ly cable a few dnv ago wns an ardent supporter of the frish National ists, und was the author"' a of the ihiiiIi- Hiuig English version if "The Wearing of the Green." The United Htnh s suiiudron of evnlo. tion, Admiral Walker cotnnmiuling, has 4 arrived ut Toulon. The iniltienu on the vesHolH of the fleet litis abided. The new cruisers worked well under steam and sail. As specimens of American ship building and forerunners of tho now navy of the United States they are regarded with curiosity hy naval experts.