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About The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1890)
OVER T11E BORDER- By WALTER BESANT. "Then yon may depend upon tho tmth of my statement, Mathow," I said. "'Ilo is already a credit to your family." "How joyful a thing this Is!" Ilo folded his Lands and raised his eyes hypo critically to heaven. , "'It 'shows that tho many corrections I gave him produced their effect. I was a throwlug of tho bread upon the waters. After many days, as one may say, it hath como hock tome." lie spoke with a sweetness which did not deceive mo. "And this prosperity. Drusllla. Who told you of It?" ' "That I must not say." "Where. In what placo. Is tho boyr "That 1 shall not tell you." "Ilow is he employed, then?" "I must say uotliing, Mathow. Do not ash mo It Is very certain that Ralph U ultve. and that ho is prospering. I shall answer no more questions. "I will ask other peoplo then." "It l.s of no uso." I said hurriedly. "Them is no one knows except nie " This was not true, but at the moment I wac thinking of my mother, who certainly did not know "N9 one knows except your he re peated. "That is strange Indeed." "It Is very strange." "And how long," he went on. "is the mystery to be kept upr "As long," 1 replied, "a your cousin pleases." Then bis sweetness left him, and he fell again into a madness of wrath, lie went away, however, when ha found that I would tell him nothing. All this time I had not written my an war to Ralph's sweat letter. Tbe reason was that I feared my words would prove ao poor and weak compared with his noble language; and 1 waa afraid besides thai what I might aay would offend or disap point him. What maiden but would have bees ashamed? Tat this business witb llathew mad me resolve to lose no time, and I began seriously to consider what I ahould aay in reply to the long letter which 1 carried in my bosom and read daily. In order to be undisturbed, 1 carried paper and pen to the fugleman's room at the castle, and wrote my letter in the after noons, whenever 1 could snatch an hour from my work. What waa I to aay in answer to the many tender protestations ef Ralph? And how was I to speak f Mathew? "Tell him," said the fugleman, "that Hathew Is a villain. Last Tuesday week there waa a run to Coldstream lace and brandy Mathew stood in and found the ponies. Yet be la a villain." "And what about youneUT I asked. ' "At for me," be said, "I always said that ones the boy got hla foot on tbe low at rung, it would not be long before be waa on tbe top of tbe ladder. Half way up and mora be Is. I reckon, by now So that I am not surprised to hear of his good fortune, and only wish I was young enough to be bis fugleman. Tell him that first of all. But Mathew is a villain Jfaxt you may aay that I'm well and kearty, and likely to continue In the way of grace, such being my constitution and my habits. Mathew, his cousin, is a desperate villain. Tell him that You may tell him next that if he still re gardeth eggs I have got such a collection for him as can't be matched. As for Mathew, he Is a rogue and a villain, fish, tell him, are plentiful this year, and otters there be In plenty. Yesterday I trapped a badger, and I know of a marten opposite the hermitage. The birds are wild, but I had good sport witb his worship last winter, and hope to do some thing by myself when the nights draw out. Say next that 1 send him my faith ful respects and humblu good wishes; ami Mathew U a villain. And as for your own pretty self, you sit down and tell him that there Isn't a straighter maid, nor one more beautiful, on the banks of Coquet; while, as for eyes and shape and rosy lips"- "Indeed," I cried, "I shall tell him no such nonsense. No, I will not tell him such nonsense." "Why, he loves thee, sweetheart. Say it, child, to please him. so lonely he is, and so far away from us. I wish be had thy picture just now, with tho pretty blushes on tbe cheeks and all. A girl ought to be proud for such as him to fall in lovo with her." "Is he truly In love with nie?" I said, with tears coming Into my eyes, because now that tho words were spoken I knew very well how much 1 longed for that very thing. "Why. he says ho wishes nie happiness with my husband. As if 1 could take any husband hut Ralph." "There there." he cried, "tell him that. Tell him that, and It will make him happy and bring him home." "You think such a little thing as that would bring hirn home?" "There's one thing," said the old man, "which women can never understand, and that's tho strength and power of love. Thero was a man In Lord Falkland's regi meat but I canuot tell thee all the story Thero was a young gentleman In the Fourteenth, when wo were stationed at Gibraltar, in lovo with a Spanish lady but of that at another time. What did .the soldier care that he got 300 tho next day? And as for the young gentleman, ho would have done tho same and always said so If another dozen of duels was to como after It, and him to be pinked in every one. Cheerfully he would have dono tho same lor such another charmer Ah! he would, and more; but women never understand' "V't'.li laese mysterious words did he en courage mo as to the force and vehemence among men of the passiou culled lovo. If Ralph was ouly home agulu. we should have a protector. I thought ol this and hesitated uo longer. Yet it wax an unmaldeuly thing which I did, and to this day I am uncertain as to whether I was justified by all the circumstances. It was, besides, a dangerous thing to do, be cause I am convinced that uothlng more effectually turns asldo the fancy of a man for a woman which Is a delicate anil ten dor plant, even at Its strongest -than the thought that she la lacking In tho mod esty and reserve which are the choicest virtues of a maiden. Yet I ran that dan per, though I Imperiled tho most precious thing to mo in all the world, the heart ol my Ralph. Hut thero la a time to oak, as well as a timo to keep silence. What I said was this: "Dk.mi Ralph I have now received your letter, and I thank you for it with all my heart. My father hath lost all lu London, and Is now returned to his native place; wo are. therefore poor ludml. auJ have nothing to live upon except the an nuity which ho long ago bought for my grandmother, who falls daily; when she dies we shall havo nothing Also, my father is alllicted with a strange beliel that he is rich. This makes us unhappy Mathew bath spread abroad a report that the mill is his. and not yours at all. by reason of a second will, which nobody ha seen except himself. I fear that you will have trouble with your cousin. The fugle mau is well and hearty, and bids me tell you" Here I set fort h as many of the messages as 1 could remember. "As re gards myself, be bade me say many thing; out of '' M" ' 1 h loves r but I must not write them down. My dear Ralph, do not aay again that you want me to have a husband 1 shall never marry any husband nor love any man, ex cept yourself. If you still continue to love me. Indeed, there is no moment of the day if you will not think me unmaldeuly to confess this thing wheiiyouareoutof my thoughts, and I pray night and morning for your aafety and speedy return Ma thew baa asked me to marry him. and is angered because I refused. He has spread abroad reports that you are now a high way man. Will you come back to us. dear Ralph? I am in great aadness. and I am afraid that Mathew means some mischief. Yet I would not mar your fortune' by call ing you away from the work you have in hand. . Mathew threatens me witb re range, and Barbara, his sister, bids me read passages in the Ooly Scriptures which threaten woe to sinners I am afraid what they may do. though I cannot think that they can do us any evil. It makes me unhappy to think that any can believe here that you have become a highwayman Yet I keep your letter secret, and uo on knows where you are The fugleman says thai a villain must bar rope enough to hang himself. . Ah, Ralph, if you eonld come back to us But the quiet country would be tedious to you after your splen dors and the pleasure of an active life But whether you come home or whetbei you stay, you must always believe that f am your loving Dhosii.la - "P. S. I forgot to beg that you may not take It 111 that 1 have written these words For. indeed, you may be married. or at least in love, with one more worthy than myself. And If that ia ao. I wish both her and you many years of happiness and love, and shall only ask her to let me love you still as my brother. Ilow can Mathew presume to court a girl who ban known Ralph!" CHAPTER VIII. "' IS IT TBCE? " Now was Mathew pulled asunder with i grievous doubt and anxiety For not only might his enemy, as he eousidetvil him. appear at any moment to demand strict account, but he knew very well that if he pushed on his suitor attempieo any deviltry with us. I might send foi Ralph and ask his protection Yet could my story be true? Ilow could I know and I alone, of his welfare and the plaei of his dwelling? Was it possible. In thought, that such a secret, if thero wa any secret: should be Intrusted to tht keeping of a mere girl? If tho boy wu really doing well, why did he not return iiii his twenty first birthday and claim Im i ii heri lance? So that tbe more he thought bout it. the more ho tried to persuade himself that tbe thing was false. Ami yet he was afraid; I could see that ho was continually haunted by the fear of what might happen lie sought me often ami begged for information concerning hi cousin. Next, ho tried my father, but his memory as regards tho lad was quite ono, and my mother, but she took no in terest in the subject, and said she knew nothing about the boy for her part ' "Yet," said Mathow, "your daughtei pretends, to know whew he is and what he is doing " "Then." replied my mother sharply, "Lord help the man! go and ask my daughter." . "But she will not tell mo." "Then how can I? flark ye. Master Mathew; you como here too often My daughter hath given you her answer, She bears no love to you; she will have Mono of you. Go. then, and leave us alono. We aro poor enough, Uod knows, but not no poor as to thrust husbands on our girl against her will. Leave us to onrsolves, (food man, and find another wife." After tliis. Mathow remained quiet again for three or four months. That is to say, ho came oo more to the house. So great, and reasonably great, was my suspicion of him that I was certain he would do something to revenge himself upon mo. or to get mo In his power. Yet I know not 1 could not guess what ho would do, or In what way ho could Injure me, as if tho machinations nf wicked men cau over be suspected and guarded against; as If tho head of him who Is desperately wicked may not conceive, yen, and exe cute things which uu innomit girl would believe Incredible. The first alarm was caused by a visit from Barbara, who came to seo my mother and myself, together or separately She said she was a messenger from her brother, who, whatever I might say or think, was the most forgiving and tho most long suffering of men; that he was perfectly prepared. If I would make submission, ask pardon for the injurious things I hod said, and reveal what I knew of Ralph, viz., where ho was living, what ho was doing, and what were his inten tions: to pass over all, and to tuko mo once tuoro Into favor. "Good Lordl" said my mother. "Does the man think he Is tho Great Bashaw? Favor, Indeed I" "Beggars," said Barbara, "must not bo choosers. " At those words my mother flamed up, and asked Mistress Burbara many ques tions relating to her birth, parentage, wealth, religious professions, personal beauty, and so forth, leaving her uo timo to answer any. This Is, with respect to the memory of a kind parent, a maimer of sjwech common among women even well bred city madams when they are angry Finally, she said that thero had been quite enough said about Mathew's proposals, and that he was to understand again, and ouco for all, that they were distasteful; upon which Barbara coughed, and said that she bad delivered her message, that she bad no desire, for her own part, for the alliance, which would as certainly be as distasteful to herself as It was to Mrs lletheriugtou, and more so, for her brother had a right u look for fortune, which would be of much more uso to him thau a baby face; that she was surprised, being a messenger of peace, and seni by a man of substantial estate, as all the world knew, to be thus treated by folk who were ex pected shortly to come upon the parish, and the daughter to be glad of honest ser vice and a crust. But euough sold. "Holty toltyr cried my mother. "Thla la brave talking. Indeed, from plain millers and aimple farmers, la the world going upside down?" . Barbara went away, but returned a little before Christmas. Mathew, ahe re peated, waa of ao Christian a disposition that he waa still .waiting for submission and to know wherr the boy was to be found. She also held out her skinny finger In warning, and"" when I laughed and re fused either to make snbralaaiou or to tell where Ralph was living, ahe bade me tremble and read the first chapter of the book of the Prophet Joel, applying verses four to twelve to my own case, especially the last clause, which on investigation proved to be a prophecy that joy should wither away from the sons of men. I laughed again, but I confess that I waa disquieted. What consequences? I waa soon to discover that the woman used no Idle threat, though I believe that ahe did not herself know anything of the aboml nable plot which Mathew waa contriving for our destruction. . This, I aay, waa juit before Christmas. We passed the season of festivity in com fort, thanks to a gift from Mr. Carnaby of a noble sirloln'and some bottles of good wine 5 for my father: but on Twelfth Night my grandmother, who had become very feeble of late, suddenly showed signs of Impending change This was a truly dreadful thing for us, not ouly for the loss of a good and affectionate parent, which those who have faith ought not to lament, but because at her death we should lose even tho small Income which we bod. and there would be nothing but the bouse It was with despairing looks that my mother and 1 sat by her bedside all that night In tho morning she died, having been speechless for some hours; but. as happens often with the dying, she rallied just before the end. and recovered for a moment the power of speech. "Child." she whispered to me with her last breath, "thou hast been a good child Tho liord will reward thee Bo of good hope, and never doubt that the boy will return to be thy protector and thy guide " Alter her funeral I asked my mother if the had any money at all She told me that on leaving liudon some of their old friends mudo up between them a purse of a hundred guineas in memory of old times, but after payment of their small debts and the cost of the journey from Loudon, she had the sum of fifty five guineas put by fur unforeseen wants that we must live on this money as long as it lasted, after which she supposed we must starve Fifty five guineas! Why It would last us a year mid a quarter at least with pru ' deuce Fifty-live guineas! It waa a little fortune to us It would keep us until 1 got n letter from Ralph. Where upon 1 told my mother to bo of good cheer and to wait patiently and hope for the best. Shu sighed, being never a woman of sanguine disposition, and Ignor ant of those secret springs of happiness within me which mudo mo think lightly of present poverty. And now you shall hear a plot of ilia bolical wickedness, which for tho timo was successful. We all know that for a season sinners aro sometimes permitted to compass their own designs, but for their surir undoing in the end. Two days after the burial of tho dame, at u timo when we might bo supposed to bo overwhelmed by tbe calamity of being left destitute, Mathew came to the cot tago. He looked ill nt ease, and his eyes met mine shiftily, but he spoke out with boldness, whllo he produced a leather pocket book and turned over certain papers within it. "I have come, madam," ho said address ing my mother, but looking at mo, "to Inform you or your husband It mutters not whichthat I can uo longer wait for the Interest on the principal of my money, and tlwt you must ho prepared to puy, or tai.o the consequences." "What interest? What monoy?" asked my mother "Why." ho affected great surprise, "Is It possible that you aro going to deny tho debt?" "What means the man?" my mother said Impatiently. "Nay.!' said Mathew, smiling, hut look Ing like a hangdog villiun tho while, "this passes patience I meau, madam, my loan to your husband." "What loan?" sho repeated; "and when?" "Why." said Mathew, "If you pretend not to know, I am not obliged to tell you; but since Well, I will tell you: I mean this, madam, tho sum of two hun dred pounds advanced by me to your hun baud, for which, and in security, he hath assigned mo a mortgage on thin house. My mother was quite wise enough to know what was meant by a mortgage. She asked, but with pule face, where was his mortgage Mathew unrolled a paper and laid It on tho table My mother reud it through hurriedly Then sho sank back In her chair and covered her face with her bauds, saying: "It Is true, my child. Here Is thy fa ther'! signature. This Is the last blow." HlTY UrUtVfaUtrtiioHatHr,n Mathew rolled up the paper again and put It In his pocket "Can you, madam,'' he asked, "pay mc my niouey f "Go ask of tbe poor demented creature to whom yon lent It." ahe replied. "Then." said Mathew, "if the money U not forthcoming 1 must aell the house, let there la a way" "What wsyT 1 asked. "You know the way. You have only to tell me where the boy la and to marry me." T shook my bead. "Ami you. air." cried my mother, "yoc who tend money to poor madmen for the ruin of their hons. you a villain if ever there waa one you think that I would give my daughter to auch as you f "Very well, madam, very well, said Mathew, unmoved. "Very likely the cottage will sell for as much as the mort gage. Perhaps, if not, your husband may carry his extravagances to a jail, as provided by a righteous law." Ilore be lied, because, I believe, my father could be called upon for nothing more than the house which was his secu rity My mother pointed to the door, and Muthew went away, leaving us bewildered indeed Two hundred pounds) Now, In deed, we were ruined. But what had ho done with the money? "Mother," I cried, "It Is a block and base conspiracy My father has never, since be came from London, possessed a single sixpence Think of It If he had a penny we should have known It. Try to remember if ever yon saw the least sign of his huviug money." No, there was none Ho wrote uo let ters and received none; be bought not!) ing His clothes, which were now old and worn, were the sumo as those he wore when ho returned home On the other hand, because ho was of a generous heart, he was forever giving away what he called money in large sums by means of drafts upon London bankers, which be would sign mid press upon the recipient with kind words For instance, on my birthday he ulways gave mo uu order for 100 on apiece of paper, signed by his own hand, "Sol. Hetherington," bidding mo, because I was a good girl, go buy myself some finery and fallals At Christmas, the New Year, Easier, Rnodsmass. fair time, and other times of rejoicing, he would fill his pockets with these valuable gifts, mid sally forth first to the vicar, with ml olIeriii(4 for tho poor, saying that It was little merit to give out of abundance; that the Ijord loveth a cheerful giver; that tin poor we have always with us; that, a rich man must remember tho fate of Hives, and t hut. for his part, ho would that the church had all charit ies In bur own hand, so that schismatics, profligates and per sons without religion should starve, with other pithy and seasonable remarks laving received the vicar's thanks mid ft glass of usquebaugh' to keep out the raw air of the morning, he would proceed up the village street, the boye and girl touching their cups and making coiirte sies to him. whjlo tho barber anil black sniitlj would oiler the compliments of the seanon, with tho hope that her ladyship was well. Then ho would pass tho cot tage of Sailor Nan, and would call her out and press into her hand a folded, paper, saying that It was for Christmas cheer; that sho must rejoice, with a dish, of good roast beef andjlumj)orrldge, and; XT 1 J-m - -.J H freat"c6al Tiro, auiTnluirig lier'Goil' speed, would go on his charitable wayj while Rome laughed and sumo looked; gruve, and tears would fall from tho eyes of the women to. think that ono so good and generous should also bo so Hor, I Alas! my father wus one of those who. could nover become rlh, I Even whllo we spoko of this wo heard; outside tho vol of my father ns If to confirm our words; : "It 111 becomes men of substance, Mr j Carnaby, to allow poorer parishioners to; bear the burden of such things. I will myself repair the roof of the church nt my own charges. Nay, sir, permit mo to take no refusal in this matter. If it stand me in 1,000 I will do It. Why. It Is a lend-; lug unto tho Am; It Is a good work." . It happened that in soruo way I had' more Influence over my father than anyj one. That is to say, ho would unfold hist mind such ns It was, poor man! to mej with greater freedom thun to my mother, who could never mako imv show of iu-i terest or belief In his uiagiiillceut designs! and charitable schemes. I therefore tried to learn from him, if I could, the truth ofl this business, After listening to a long story of his Intentions as regards the church and tho endowment of the living at Warkworth, I turned tho conversation upou Muthew Humble, and asked my father If lie had of Into seen and spoken i with him. Ho said that Mathew now avoided rather than sought his company,! for which ho knew no reason, except that when you have obliged a man it fre quently hnpMus that ho keejm out of your way a thing, he said, of common ex-1 perience In the city, where young men, In cautious men and unlucky men often oh-, tain assistance In the prolongation of bills and loans,, (TO BK CONTINUED. TOO MANY LAWYERS. Banary Once Foment I.ltlsation and Clog the WhMls of Jostle. In a recent address delivered at Chi sago Judge Walter Q. Greaham declared that the standard in his profession waa not so high as it was twenty-five years ago, and that tho law drew leu and lea opon the ablest and host men of tbe na tion. David Dudley Field, a lawyer of squal emlnenoe.asserted not long ago in an address before the American Bar As sociation, that one of the chief reasons tor this change waa the undue multipll-' sation of lawyers, lie 6lted the fact that there were 70,000 lawyers in the United States against 7,000 in Germany and 1,000 in Franco, the number tn propor tion to the population being more than even times as great as in Germany and Ive times as large as in Franoe, ae evi lenoe that the courts were clogged, lases strung out Indefinitely and the whole machinery of Justice hampered ind degraded by the scrambles for boat ess for three or four time as man lawyers as are needed. There is much force tn these etatf nents by two of the most eminent law fers of the day. It Is apparent to all observers that there is a vast amount of litigation fomented by hungry lawyers, and that all necessary legal busbeas aould be done as well and much mom rapidly with one-half of the bar growing erops or making cloth and machinery. It is equally clear that the tendency of this scramble for a livelihood is to make Hi law less attractive to men of tbe highest abilities and to lower the stand ing of tho profession. For tho interests of the public and of good lawyers as' well, there should bo a persistent effort on tho part of law-making bodies to sim plify the methods of the courts and in crease tho efficiency. If cases could be finally disposed of in half the timo now required, tho saving to the public would bo enormous, hundreds of pettifoggers would bn driven outof the business and the legal profession would gain greatly In the respect and confldoneo of the pub lic Cleveland Leader. THE CHINAMAN'S HADES. How lit Wiekml llciithen Is Kiiioetl to Fur In I'liitii's Klngilum. Tho sixth court of hell is situated At the bottom or tho groat ocean north of Wuobio Rook. It Is a vnst, noisy go lionna, many leagues in extent, and around it uro sixteen wards or anto hallft. In the first ward tho sinful soul is mado to kneel for long periods on hot Iron shots; In tho second they aro placed up to their necks in filth; In tho third they ore pounded till tho blood runsout; In the fourth their mouths are onuned with red-hot pincers anil tilled with needles; in tho fifth they aro inclosed In a net of thorns and nipped by poison ous locusts; in tho seventh all the flesh and bones are crushed to a lull y, all ex cept the head; In tho eighth tho head is denuded of skin, and tho flesh beaten on the raw; In the ninth tho mouth ia filled with fire; In tho tonth the pounded llesh off of tho body is licked and roasted by sulphurous flames; in tho eleventh tho nostrils are subjected to all loathsome Binolls known to their tormontora; in tho twolfth thoy are to bo butted by tarns, oxen and buf faloes, and ut last .subjoot to crushing pressure by being trampled by horses, in tho thirteenth the heart will bo taken out and skinned, in tho fourteenth tho skull will ho rubbed with sandstone un til it has boon entirely worn from the jolly-Ilk e mass whloh was onoo tho body in tho fifteenth tho body will, ho separated in tho middle and carried with the bare, blooding ends sitting on red hot plates to tho sixteenth ward, whore tho Hkln will be removed, dried and rolled up, after having written upon it all tho sinful doods dono by tho soul whllo an inhabitant of the fleshy body; after that tho body will bo consigned to. the flames. St. Louis Republic.
