THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
344 
“ Where did you find tuts, Miss Alnslelgh ?” 
“In u chest of old manuscripts, In the room 
where my great-uncle died,” said Barbara. “ He 
wan a collector ot curious books and manuscripts, 
like papa, you know ; indeed, it was lrom Lira 
papa learnt the taste tor these things. It was 
only this evening I lound that dreadtul paper. 
Mr. Lostenwloh dined with papa, and alter din¬ 
ner they began to talk aboutcurlous manuscripts; 
and papa said he hud a muniment chest tilled 
with very rare papers that he hod not even 
looked at, and amongst them he believed there 
was a iuainiserlpt treatise by Huger Bacon. Mr. 
Lostenwloh said he would like, of all things, to 
See such a manuscript. Papa was anxious to 
show it to hint; but he had not born very well 
lately, and, as 1 knew the search would Involve 
some fatigue. I begged him to let me hunt for the 
treatise. He consented, after some little discus¬ 
sion, and then gave me a mtnuto description of 
the m vntmnlpl and the chest, It was to be found 
In. I took Phillis Trotter, my dear good little 
mild, to the room with me, and between us we 
dragged the muniment chest from the cupboard 
where It had been kept for ages, as we could tell 
by the thickness ortho dust upon the ltd. t found 
the key upon a bunch papa had given mo; and 
after some little trouble succeeded in opening the 
chest., and began my search. Phillis held the 
c indie forme while I knelt down to examine the 
manuscripts " 
“ D ies Phillis ktrowof this ?" T asked, pointing 
to the will, which lay open before me, and from 
which ) could not entirely withdraw my consid¬ 
eration even while listening to Miss Alnslelgh. 
“ Yea, l’hlllls knows. In my llrst surprise aud 
horror J betrayed everything. But she 18 the 
best or good creatures, and will not breathe a 
word of this business without my permission. J 
looked < v r a great many papers, and threw them 
hack Into the cheat, but 1 could see no vest go of 
Roger Bacon's treatise, with Its long Latin name. 
I was J ist about abandoning my search In defy 
pair, when 1 saw the Indorsement—I think you 
legal people call It indorsement—of that paper. 
My uncle’s name, and the words * last will and 
testament’ excited tny curiosity. I opened the 
p iper, and I was In the act of reading It, when 
the door was opened, and an exclamation from 
Phillis told me or my father’s coming. He had 
been alarmed by tny long absence, and had left 
his friend to come in search of me. I threw the 
will h ick Into the chest, ahd answered papa's 
questions as calmly as 1 could. I assured him 
that there was no manuscript of Hoger Bacon’s to 
be found In UtO chest, and persuaded him tore- 
turn to his irlcud and to apologize for my non- 
appearance. I had recourse to the favorite reml- 
nlne excuse, a headache, and after sending pupa 
back to the dining-room, I despatched Phillis to 
order Hie brougham, for my first impulse was to 
corn* 1 to you with this dreadful paper. And on, 
Mr. Wltmot, does this will really mean anything, 
und will It reduce pupa to poverty, tor 1 fear he 
has squandered a great deal ot money on his 
books, and has squandered the estate ; and lie 
will hive to give all back, will ho not, If that 
paper is binding?” 
Mow could 1 answer her when she looked at me 
with such a terror-stricken face, alarmed not for 
herself—I doubt If she was even conscious that 
her own Interests were at stoke —but for the 
father she loved so fondly ! 
I was obliged to tell her that to the best ot my 
belief the will was a good one. 
“ Then 1 must glVB it to papa,” sfce answered 
sadly. "It would bo wicked to keep it hidden for 
a single day, now that I know the duty It Imposes 
upou us. And papa must give np the Hall, and 
begin life afresh—I am sure he will make the 
sacrifice bravely, but I (ear It will cost him a 
biokon heart. Ho loves the old Hall so dearly." 
And then she began to think of the people In¬ 
terested in the newly-discovered will. 
“ 1 wonder where iny poor cousin Is to be 
found,”she said; "It Is nearly twenty years since 
my uncle died, and It was years before his death 
that she married Mr. Dashwood and went to 
America. She never was known to write to any 
ot her relations after leaving England. 1 have 
heard papa say Hut he tried to find her out, in 
order to teip her after the property became his"; 
buthe never succeeded In obtaining any tidings 
or her. And now all belongs to Uer, and she will 
come back to turn iny poor father out ot his 
home, and will never know how kindly he 
thought of lier." 
I asked Miss Alnslelgh If she would Intrust the 
will to ray keeping until the following morning. 
Stic gave me the sweetest and most confidential 
ot smiles as she put the document Into my hands. 
** Do exactly what seems best to yourself,"she 
said ; “ I am sure you will only do what Is right 
and honorable. If yon find that the will is really 
valid, please come to the Hall to-morrow morn¬ 
ing, and we wUl tell papa all about It—between 
ns." 
And thus wo parted ; I conducted her to her lit¬ 
tle carriage, aud held her dear hand In mine Just 
a little longer than usual as I bode her good¬ 
night. 
“ it you should ever come to be poor, Barbara," 
1 said, “you will at least know’how dearly you 
are beloved.” 
This I could not resist saying. For the first 
time. In my life I had called her Barbara. I tell 
myseir blushing In the darkness ; but she did not 
reprove nn. 
I lit i he reading-lamp on my father’s office- 
table, and lay In watt for his return. He earnest 
half-past ten, elated by a final “ double, treble, 
and the rub.” I sent ray mother up to the draw¬ 
ing-room, where the girls were too full of Bar. 
bara’s troubles to care about hearing the menu of 
the friendly dinner, and I marched ray father 
Into the office, where we sat down side by tide, 
und examined the lost will and testament of Lu¬ 
cas Alnslelgh. 
My father thought as T did. He remembered 
the names of the two witnesses—both bad been 
old servants of the testator's, and both were 
dead. 
“ If they had not been exceptionally stupid 
they would have taken some meahs to further the 
earn logout of their old master's wishes.” said 
ray father. " But It Is Just possible, by the way, 
that Lucas Alnslelgh did not toll them the nature 
of the document, they attested. Some men are so 
fatally cautious.” 
The result of our conversation was my appear¬ 
ance at the Hall early next morning, with the 
dreadful document in m.v pocket. Barbara caine 
out of her pretty morning-room as the servant ad¬ 
mitted me. We stopped on t.he t hreshold of Mr. 
AtnsU-lgU'K study, whispering together for a few 
minutes before we went In, arid It happened 
somehow that Barbara’s hand.remained In mine 
while we whispered. I loved her so dearly, 1 was 
so sorry for her sorrow, I was so glad to think 
that her poverty would bring her nearer to me; 
there was, in short, such a conlllCt ot emotion 
raging In my breast, that I may surely be forgiv¬ 
en If, In this tremendous crisis, 1 forgot, to release 
Miss Alnslelgb's hand. 
We went into the study, where the perfume of 
Russia leather was almost oppressive, and told 
our story between us, B trbara kneeling by her 
father's chair, aud carresslng the lliln white 
hand that hung listless hy hie side while wo broke 
the Intelligence to him. I never saw anyone 
more weak and helpless llhan Mr. Alnslelgh 
proved himself on this occasion, ne seemed 
almost, stunned by the blow. 
“ I am afraid I have impoverished the estate. 
Frederick,” he raid. ‘ You see the fancies of a 
bookworm are expensive; and thinking myself a 
rich man 1 have tnen so me what reckless, I 
should scarcely like to toll you the money I gave 
for my Decameron. And It was I who bought 
the Shakespeare -you may remember, perhaps— 
that was sold at Willis and SOUtheron’s three 
years ago. It Is true that at the worst 1 could 
sell my hooks, but it would be hard to part with 
them. Marcus Aurelius sold all Jils possessions 
for the benefit of the State, during that period 
in which the Germanic war and the pestilence at 
Rome combined t o impoverish the treasury ; but 
he got a good deal of the property back again, 
nor do wc hear of rare manuscripts among the 
treasures lie resigned. And l do not pretend to 
that, nobility of mind displayed by that generous 
Antonlno." 
The bibliomaniac looked rouud at the grand 
old folios with a dismal sigh. 
“ We need not talk about selling your library 
yet, sir,” i said cheerily. " My father and I are 
agreed that, the will la a good one, but we have 
yet to discover whether there Is any one alive to 
claim under It.” 
This was a cow view to the subject, but It did 
not Inspire much hope In the minds of Barbara 
and her father. 
“My coustn was my Junior by some years,” 
said Mr. Alnslelgh ; “ she married early, and Is 
likely to have left a large family,—even suppos¬ 
ing her to be no longer living.” 
The law has only to deal with facts, you sec, 
sir,” 1 answered, with unabated cheerfulness, 
it was, indeed, very easy for me to assume this 
lively and consoling tone; for my heart was 
dancing with Joy. 1 knew that. Barbara loved 
me. A very few hours of family trouble seemed 
to make us more intimate than a year and a half 
of croquet, parties and •* gentle gales.” 
After some little discussion, It, was agreed that 
an advertisement should be drawn up by my 
father, requesting Margaret Dashwood, or her 
heirs, executors, and assigns, to communicate 
with him immediately, personally or by letter; 
and Hither ottering to reward any person who 
should produce evidence of the lady’s decease. 
“ I don’t think that will be much use,” Mr. 
Alnslelgh said. " If Mrs. Dashwood had come 
back to England, she would surely have come 
to this place, where she was born und brought 
up. 
“ We cannot be quite sure of that,” 1 replied. 
44 The lady may have returned under circumstan¬ 
ces of extreme poverty, and may have been too 
proud to exhibit her altered status In tills 
place." 
“ True, true,” sighed Mr. Alnslelgh. 
••If there should be no response to that adver¬ 
tisement after It has been Inserted a dozen times, 
on alternate days, we may fairly conclude that 
neither Mrs. Dashwood nor her heirs are to be 
found In ihlscouutry ; and I will, with your per¬ 
mission, start Immediately lor America, with a 
view to finding them, or sufficient evidence ot 
their decease.” 
" You will go to America ? ” cried Barbara and 
her father simultaneously. 
They both looked at me as the friends ot The¬ 
seus may have looked at him when he announced 
his Intention of tacking the Mlnetaur; but 1 an¬ 
swered their looks of wonder with a smile. 
“ Crossing the Atlantic Is a very small business 
nowadays," 1 said, *• thanks to Cunard. I shall 
start before the end ot January; and in the 
meantime all you have to do Is to make yourselves 
comfortable and wait the issue of events. Things 
may not. bo so bad as you think, sir.” 
1 fell a courage that was almost desperation aB 
I watched Barbara kneeling by her father’s side, 
and comforting him with tender looks and sweet 
little half-whispered words, and the light carress- 
lng touch of her ralr hands. Ah, what could not 
a man achieve lor such a woman as that 1 I lelt 
tny self equal to support not only a wife but a 
father-1 n-Iaw. Yes, and to find money for Willis 
and Sotlieron into the bargain. 
Before I lert the Hall that day Barbara and I 
were solemnly pledged to each other. A detest¬ 
able man-servant came in with a coal-scuttle just 
as my sweet girl was melted Into lears by the 
fervor of my devotion. And Oh. In what a leisure¬ 
ly manner the wretch renewed the fire, and how 
we stood, self-conscious as uneonvlcted felons, 
while he trifled with the poker, and showed him¬ 
self neat to punctiliousness In the arrangement 
of theBhovel and tongs ! 
And do you really mean to say that you arc 
not afraid of my poverty ? ” asked Barbara, when 
the execrable creature had gone. 
“ 1 mean to say that 1 wus very much afraid of 
your wealth,” I replied, “ I should never have 
dared to ask the heiress of Alnslelgh Ilall to be 
my wife. It Is only the prospect of a change In 
your circumstances that gives me courage.” 
1 doubt If my life can giro me a happier Christ¬ 
mas than that which followed my Interview with 
Barbara. My lather’s advertisement appeared 
three times a week In the seoord column of the 
Times supplement; but there was no response 
worthy even of Investigation. Mr. Alnslelgh 
waited the result with suppressed anxiety; while 
Barbara and I did our best to support his spirits, 
and to restralH our own. Ho received my offer 
for his daughter’s hand with resignation—as If It 
had been the last stroke Inflicted by the Nemesis 
Of his house. 
“ I will not deny that I had hoped a more bril¬ 
liant destiny for her,” he murmured. “ She is 
now but a pauper's daughter, atid cannot be too 
grateiul for your disinterested affection.” 
I left Liverpool on the lfth ot January, and my 
business ubon the other side occupied the greater 
part of a year. With infinite labor, I hunted out 
the history of Margaret Dashwood and her hus¬ 
band, together with the history of the two cM'- 
dren who had been born to them, both of whom 
had died unmarried—one an Infant, the other a 
soldier In the Civil War. Death had settled all 
claims tbut might have been asserted under the 
win found lathe muniment-chest., i went back 
to England late In the autumn, carrrylng with me 
ample evidence of tho decease of Mrs. Dashwood 
and her heirs. She died without a will, and on 
her death the property would have lapsed natu¬ 
rally to her father's eldest nephew. 
Barbara and I arc to be married early in the 
spring. I nobly offered to release her from her 
engagement; she, in a spirit as noble, refused to 
be released, ncr father Is resigned and even 
happy. There is another Decameron to be sold 
at Willis and Sotheron'sJ In tho coming spring, of 
an older and rarer edition than the large paper 
copy he has cherished so, fondly hitherto; and 
whether he looks forward with most anxiety to 
the loss of his daughter or the acquisition of the 
Decameron, is an enigma I shall not attempt to 
solve. 
We are to live at the old Hal), whence I am to 
trudge to my desk at the office dally. The little 
preliminary discussions ot affairs between my 
rather and Mr. Alnslelgh, have revealed the. fact 
that the latter gentleman has contrived to mud¬ 
dle away a great deal of money, and Is by no 
means a rich man. If Mrs. Dashwood or her 
heirs had been alive to claim the estate, his posi¬ 
tion would have been a very miserable one. 
Tho good people cl Orplngdean, However, be¬ 
lieve that I am going lo marry a rich heiress, and 
no doubt have a great deal to say among them- 
Bolveson tho subject of my good fortune. 
|W)irh)S. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Forbidden Frutt. From the Oerman of F. W. 
Hacklaudur. By Kosalib Kaufman. (Cloth; 
price fl.SU..i Boston ; Eaten A Lnurlut- 
Thosb who open this book with the expectation 
of finding a spice ot naughtiness in it, will be 
grievously disappointed; for the tone of it Is as 
moral and Innocent as though It was designed for 
a Sunday-school library. We were reminded by 
It of East Lynne. In this, as in Mrs. Wood’s fa¬ 
mous work, a husband befriends a young and 
charming girl, and leaves his wire In the dark as 
to the reasons for his absorbing Interest In the 
fortunes of his attractive protegee. Asa natural 
result, tho w ife. Madam Dklbkuck, la made miser¬ 
ably unhappy by the supposed unfaithfulness of 
her husband, And there was good cause for her 
uneasiness, tor does she not witness some pretty 
tableaux, wherein Dklbkcck and Klise exchange 
looks, hand pressure and kisses ? How could the 
Madam know these were only Platonics ? There 
seems to bo no reason why Delbruck shouldn’t 
have explalued matters to his wife. We notice 
he was very quick to resent the slightest frivolity 
on her part. The most peculiar phase of the story 
to us is the extreme promptness, not to say un¬ 
seemly haste, with which the several parties ot 
young people become enamored of each other. 
The girls seem only waiting lor an opportunity to 
say "yes;" and utter an acquaintance of some 
two or three hours, one of them, a pretty girl 
with a handsome fortune, engages herself to a 
military man of whom she knows nothing, and 
who Is in reality merely a fortune hunter. If this 
book represents German society as It is, all we 
have to say Is that a discussion as to the advisa¬ 
bility of saddling a chaperone on the girls of Ger¬ 
many would be timely. 
Arizona ns It Is.— By HIRAM C. HODGE. Cam¬ 
bridge. Hurd and Houghton. 
The writer tells us that three years ago he went 
to Arizona an Invalid from pulmonary and bron¬ 
chial diseases, and In a few months the equable 
and Invigorating climate had worked the most 
promising change in Ills health. To this preface 
is appended a testimonial of the thoroughness of 
the author's researches, and accuracy of his state¬ 
ments signed hy a number el prominent citizens, 
army officers, Ac. 
Arter giving an Interesting sketch of the his¬ 
tory of Arizona from the earliest settlement In 
H»en, (near where Tucson now stands) hy the 
Spanish Explorers and Jesuit, Fathers, the author 
graphically describes llie grand scenery, dim ate 
and wonderful resources of the Territory. The 
numerous t heories deduced from tho Aztec tra¬ 
ditions upon the derivation of tho name, are at 
once significant and poetical. One ts that Ari¬ 
zona Is a conjunction of the two Mouavo words 
“Arl" the sun, good, holy or beautiful, and 
" L rnla ” a to litlcu. TUero are many evidences, 
Cited In the descriptions of the wonderful ruins 
andhleroglyphlc.il Inscriptions which abound,that 
at, some age, hitherto undetermined, the inhabi¬ 
tants wtre sun worshippers with some of tho 
Characteristics of the early Persians. 
Much that, is in the book will be received as In¬ 
formation by those interested in the earlier his¬ 
tory, and the development of Tacts relative to the 
prehistoric condition of our western country 
while there Is much that will excite the Interest 
and wonder of the general reader. 
The author addresses blmseir earnestly In clos¬ 
ing to those contemplating Immigration giving 
the names and addresses of many prominent citi¬ 
zens from whom to obtain corroborative lnforma- 
tlonnnd also some Interesting statistics of the 
progress and development of the mineral, agricul¬ 
tural and other resources of the Territory since Its 
purchase by the 17.8. Government. 
Baby Bell-By T. B. Aldrich. Kxeelsior-By 
ii. vv. i/O ngfellow. i’ne R«»e — By Jas. 
UusbkllLowell. Tho River Path—By Jno. 
t». WHITTIEE. Cljriulitla* i idc conLtlnmg four 
famous poems by Livonia- A.meri«an poeta. Bob- 
tOn. Jii*. R. Osgood & Ct). 
The first four poems are separately bound and 
are sold nt (he very reasonable price of $1 50 each, 
and In Christ mas tide wo have the same poems 
Incorporated into one volume which sells for $ 5 . 
Alter this bit of commercial intelligence it 13 
only necessary to add that the volumes are gems, 
and being tho first, “gut-books” of the season 
are regarded with unusual favor. 
The poems are too well known to call for men¬ 
tion, but the illustrations accompanying the text 
are very beautiful, and are executed by artists 
whose names alone are an Index of t he workman¬ 
ship. We find the signatures of Moran, Hart, • 
Colman, Anthony, McKntrb, WACD, Jes-ie Cur¬ 
tis, Gifford, Reinhart and Mary IJallock 
Foote on many of the drawings, and to add to 
the luxury ot the thing the blocks were engraved 
by Mr. Anthony, himself an artist. 
It will be an evidence Of bud Judgment on tho 
part of our readers who desire nice gil l-books at 
an unusually small price, If they emulate the 
example of the dainty lady, who crossed a field 
of lilies, rejecting fair ones in the hope of some¬ 
thing fairer, until reaching the bounds, she dis¬ 
covered to her dismay that all the really good 
lilies had been reiused. 
The t’nltur® of Hennty. With niDts as to Char¬ 
acter. By T. 8. SoziNSKZ, Jl. V. Philadelphia : 
Allen. Lane & Scott. 
This Is not, as might be supposed from tho title, 
a collceUon or recipes for the Improvement of tho 
complexion, formulas for the manufacture of hair 
dyes, &c. The author has treated the subject of 
beauty in a much more dignified manner. He 
discourses on what constitutes beauty, and how, 
with proper attention to health (on tilts point he 
lays great emphasis), hy the judicious arrange¬ 
ment of the coiffure, and by exercise of taste in 
the selection of colors and material, natural ad¬ 
vantages muy be set off, or plainness In form and 
feature toned down so as to be almost attractive. 
Ladles who use face powder, and who are accus¬ 
tomed to being liomlllzed at for so doing, will te 
comforted by the following: 
“ Now it cannot be said that any of these sub¬ 
stances arc poisonous or Injurious In their Influ¬ 
ence; the only possible harm that they can do 
would arise from filling the pores or tho skin, but 
the space Is so limited that it can have no effect 
of any consequence on tUe system. The argument 
that they cause diseases of the skin Is without 
foundation." 
miss Misanthrope. ByJ ustin McCarthy. New 
York ; Sbelaou & Co. 
Tms story Is very pleasant reading. In It are 
presented many attractive scenes In the life of 
the middle classes ol England. The description 
of the way they “ run politics” abroad, we espe¬ 
cially commend to those Americans who are so 
ready to laud all things European. The most de¬ 
lightful character In tho book Is Sr. JoaN, the 
younger son or a noble bouse, who cornea to Amer¬ 
ica, Interests himself In lire stock, and who car¬ 
ries buck to England the breezy manners of the 
Western hunters and trappers. The love episode, 
tn which he figures as a principal. Is quite out ot 
the common run, Sr. Joun's “ WUt thou V” being 
totally unlike that of the average hero. 
The Rise tied Full ot the Mnimlnctae, and 
ntlior JXawlt-eyctMiiiB. By KouEktJ. Burdette. 
Hartford; Anurucun FublHJjlug company. 
“The Rise aud Fallot the Moustache, and other 
Hawk-eyctems” may not be known as thB compi¬ 
lation or things funny and otherwise, from the 
pen of Robert J. Burdette, whoso name appears 
somewhat ostentatiously on tbe tltle>-page as 
"The Humorist of the Burlington Hawkeye." 
The essay, which gives the book Its title, pleads 
with serio-comic pathos for boys aud their weak¬ 
ness In all stages of the moustache—from Its 
I 
