Weekly Messenger, Volume 1, Number 28, Vevay, Switzerland County, 27 March 1832 — Page 1
pet.
ti v. - -V TMIB WIEMKJLY BEffl THE PAST THE PRESENT FOR THE FT1.BE. Vol. I. Printer's Retreat, Indiana, Tuesday, March 27, 1832. No. 28
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, r Mr. Clermcfnt, requesting Mr. Wormsly to a,io" of propriety, or even of hun.ai.ily,cnuld
Visit him that evening, as he was easier, and Imrue i v.iemiui.i ..laie ' desired an interview with him on business. wh"11 was lt P"9' tm.t at some ffttiiic day The sick man lav in his bed. with scarcely he must '-.uh i leave it for ever and
PJtLVTED -fJV
TERMS OF THE MESSE.XGER For fifty two numbers, in advance, . . g2 00 do do paid within the year, 2 50 d- do paid at the expiratien, 3 00 (Q The above auois to be paid in produce, deliver rd at this ofh:e or such other place as may be agrttd en Fifteen per cent, deduction made when paid in tish. ffj No psper discontinued unti! arresrajjes are ptaid (J3 Subscribers served by post to pav . 5 cents extra Advertisements inserted at the usual rates. (O Subscripticns paid within two months, will be consider.? in adv.nce. PRODUCE Messrs: Cotton & Mix, merchants. Mountsterlinfr, are authorised to receive produce from our subset, btrs. For t'.- accommodation of our subscribers on the easte rn route, produce may be left with Richard T ti -ckU.d, at his store, in York township, Charles F Krutx, at his store, in New York," Aribc-rt tjszlay, r.-sr Troy,
SamurS Hicks, near tjuercu Grove;
strength to extend his hand, when Wormsly,
in compliance with his request, entered hit-
chamber.
"Be seated, friend Wormsly," he said, "I
hare sent for you to complete my will, and
inform you of its contents not doubting for a moment that your friendship for me will dispose you cheerfully to comply with one wish I have expressed in it." Certainly! my friend, certainly!" answer ed Wormsly, "have jou it all prepared! ready for signature?" "Yo will find it in that drawer, Mr. Wormsi. -but first I would converse with you in relation to the trcst I am about to repose in
you a trust which alone has sprung out of
a conviction of the sincerity of your friend
ki 1ko An intarrnnl m . t fl
.;-.u r-..i:-....t. r- .n.. K.- i-my -'-J -v -. v , .
. . . - tarnr SIT, COII'l iuub kiiAi mi 10 apjiiuiituI i .
me, and therefore in snort, my inend, I
commit to your care and protection, the lit.
tie infanta my dear departed Julia left me
and, with thera, I leave wholly to your man
agement and control, my earthly possessions:
-----when Will ism is of age I wish him and hie sisters to receive into their hands all that
I thus entrust to you butyou will find it
all in that paper rn your hand." The voice f Clermont trembled at every
w-rd and he lay pale and exhausted while Wormsly opened and read over the contents
of his benefactor's will:-they have been al-
read briefly, and doubtless, sumciently ex
plained. Relying on the close friendship that had so long existed, as he supposed, between himself and his intended executor,
Clermont had placed entirely in his hands all
his vast estate, to be held by him in trust for
the heuef.t of his children, who, so soon as
the eldest living should arrive at the years of rr.ufurity , were to receive it and hold it as their own: in the mean time, Warmslv
was to be their sole guardian, and authorised
to defray all expenses incident to their education out cf the ample profits of the estate.
"Mv dear friend, resumed Mr. Cltrmont,
"I am assured my confidence is well placed
call in young Hartley and old John Har-
rowman he will do for the other witness 1 believe the law requires two." ''It does, my friend," said Wormsly, and immediately the two persons referred to were requested lo enter the room.
The document was placed in the hands of
the dying Clermont he acknowledged it as his last will and testament signed it with his feverish, trembling hand, and sunk on his pillow the very picture of rapid decay, as tho' he whs hurrying to the place of the departed. The instrument, fully completed by the signatures of .the witnesses, was accordinglyplaced in charge of the newly appointed ex
ecutor, who returned home with a feeling of
self-satisfaction, and seli-con6quence, mere easily imagined than described. A few day passed after this transaction, and Clermont was numbered with the dead; the eldest of the little orphans had a consciousness that his earthly parent had left him forever, and he wept bitterly -and Jane soon caught the broken-heartedness of her brother, and her infant tears were mingled with his -while little Sue sat wondering at
them both that they cried so. when "rfear
be loft p i -lionics. ; sec h was the common received report, and lie, therefore, gave the deprivation not a thought. l.n I if rr:; nt Srrtis urlfli rminn f l.rrr.n
lie could not(He riu!( m)t llmicls,ii:il ny the whole o'i
Ms father s vast estate should pas into the nands cf anoihoi great indeed must have rn the pecuniary obligations under which ss father labored, to have compelled him to "rant so (extensive a bequest to the utter e&-
aye, in the nanus ol others? support the idea.
"1 ray, sir, said William Clt rmont , nov n his twelfth year, as he was walking wit!
his guardian one tine summer's day, "pr . , sir, do let mo see father's will when wc rca .. home I have such a desire to see it, sir"
'Why will you so often ask me that, W .
liam; better mind your lesson, my lad, it i
will is safe enough, I assure you. '
"Yes, but dear sir, I should so like to
it jost to have it in my hands" (such is child
hood) ''for a little while : I never read a will ;
. i l l a i
i worker wai lamer nas saia in u anoui me llllt r memfe. r ihp laU t rn rtf in TnwE.
tt l " " - -.--
ana aooui sisters. ?, - .,-,:- -r i-;-
vi mi attiuii) Vli fciib j I & vi tn;iici ,
o.ion of his own offspring; and then he had
recollection, though but an indistinct one, l ial the deportment and bearing of Mr. 'A i.rmsly toward his departed parent was
4-iiHl of one who had received favors, certainly
loot one who had granted them. How could
in oei ne pongerea, ana ponaerea,-ana coma
i-i.t remember the lea
From the .aturdav F.T nir.g Post. IYTY FEITCZZ.. V- i Ikt- s sketch " THE SPIDER CA UQHT IX HIS O WN WEB. -ii.s i'd i t lie ri-t if.mself had twin d' i.olry. Japer Wormsly was one of the most covetcus creatures that ever existed scarcely an hour of his long life passed that he did not violate the tenth commandment, in some wav
or othwr, for even in his sleep he dreamt of;
the possessions of others and would frequently far. v he had managed matters so as to get them to t imself, and he might be heard by a fell w-loder in the next room to chuckle at tha thought of his dexterity in ousting the eavied possessor from hil own. By dint of Industry and frugality, (or, more properly speaking, parsimony,) he became the proprietor of a comfortable and moder ately profitable farm In the western countrv, adjoining that of his friend and benefactor, Mr. William Clermont, under whose hospitn. bl. 'roof he remained for some time after hi arrival in this countrv, sad from whom he obtained every assistance necessary towards establishing himself in the business of a trading land bolder. The farm of Mr. Clermont was more ex
tensive, though perhaps not much more pro
ductive than his own; but many a sigh did it cost him, as he looked with a longing eye
apon the fertile fields of the Clermont estate,
to think they were not hit vmi; neither was there the most distant probability that such would ever be the case.
Mr. CIrmont was of a very amiable fami
ly, and inherited all the good qualities of hi ancftrs; he generally, however, observed thenar side of human nature, and studiou.ly avoids the averse; believing, in the excellency of fcis ht-art, that it was not necessary to notice the bad, but rather to search ou
and admire the good traits of character in
other..
Now this, to a certain extent may answer
the pursuits of life , and make one feel doubt
legi contented and happy; bul, bless me! il will very often produce disquietude, vexa
tions and losses, when we least expect either.
I have, however, been frequently at a loss to
isto.er.7ir good traits of character Mr.
Oermor.t found in Jasper Wormsly; it is tru, he could make himself very agreeable
sometimes, and would entertain his frie'nd for
boars on the subject of th "old country,"1' 'paa had gone to sre" as she lisped itbe termed it; but without that his character,!"'..);!', ky, bo tver, Token dear papa seeps."1' as regarded goodness, was a blank he nev- Ere a twelvemonth expired Wormsly had ei thought of doing a good action in his life, abandoned his own domicil altogether, and and as to disinterestedness, he never took il jquai tcrcd himself and family in Clermont into his head to inquire its meaning. jiious?. now, if hi. txi.lence had depended Nevertheless, Clermont and Wormsly weir nnon giiing more than one reason for this
liifp. rahle; and I do verily believe, that if! movement, he could not have done it. His
own ic.ideuce was comfortable, commodious,
and contiguous to the estate left to J, is charge whilu Clermont house was some distance
from the confines, of his own: no, gentle
leader, he had but one, one only reason, oi rather impulse, nnd that was, that as Cler
mont house belonged to sotnebody dse, he, as
usual, longed for it, and if he cuold not make il hi own property, he culd go as far to-
i ward that desideratum as circumstances
th' lalter had seriouslv at one timrt solicited
the former for half his extensive property, it vroti'd have been ghen; but this Wormsly coueluded would rather b venturing to. much upon the liberality of his patron, who had already so hrgely contributed to hi earl want and comforts. It wa in he month of October, '93, when the little Clermonts were sent U the hoise nf Jasper Wormsly, till, us they were told,
their lithc-r should get bettor. lie
had beeif would admit he would occupy it use it
confitted, for some time, with a fever, which, 'just as if it -.as his own.
f - i . - '
.1 ;
from it obsdiuacy, reo-iin d ronstant watch
fulness and care, and undisturbed quiet, which the innocent prattling of little Sue. and the forgetful playfulness of William and
Jane, would not, but with
T
now
great difhVltv.
permit. lJ.or things! tiiy were soon to he left in vhe wide woild fa'h.-ih ss ns thoy ha.
for so ne time beh.re been mothei less, and to! justice her threatening sword of retribution
Oe given over, at their young and tender age. to th" control of other hands and hearts thai
it was natural lhar such a disposition
-houhl, occasionally, set itself to work as lo
iiow its cravings might le satisfied and then
regardless ol llie numuilions ol conscience, if indeed such people have an),) stratagems
aie planned and designs made, at which no Mu-i..indednes poiits the linger of scorn and
those of kind ami affectionate p arent A mcEige cnrr.c tyi'.'j th cUM:
Iron.
.tears rolled Uy, nnd with l!i--in rolled thtJ
li.cieasu: avarice ol Ja-ner Wo? m-l till
it len siitilil
W ormsly paused he had never once tin "t !
before of the circumstance that the little orphans were wholly unacquaif ted with tl.e
contents of their father s will; nor indeed'
was any one else but himself, for he had kept it under lock and key ever since its execution, without ever having made a refer
ence to it a second time. "Well, yon shall see it some of these days, Vtilliam." Young Clermont was determined to keep him to his word so he waited a full fortnight with a great deal of patience, and was on the point cf renewing his request when his guardian came to him, as he was sitting with his sisters one morning, and handed him a paper, the appearance of which was that of no re
cent date, observed, "William, you asked me some time ago, to show you your father's
will he was a one man, William here it is: don't tear it bless me! it is so old! let me see the fifteenth day of October, seventeen hundred, ninety six!"
"Very old," said William, as he eagerly
looked at the but faintly remembeied writing of his father, and he earefully held it before
him to perese it.
He conn d it over again and again, and at
length observed, "yes sir, how kind father
was to give you all this bne farm; that is,
when we grow up: I believe it it so, is it not,
sir?"
Aye, eye, William; that is for the trouble
and expense I am at in educating you, nnd supporting you all, you know. Ah! my lad, you little know how dreadfully expensive it
is to bring up little children. I am glad I have none of my own, William, that 1 am."
in e unconscious boy perused once more
the instrument handed to him as the will of
his father and'thoughtless of the consequences
to himself and sisters of being left pennyless
as soon as they arrived at full age, for such
was (he import of the writing before him, he handed it complacently to his guardian,
thanked bim, with child-like sincerity, for the
perusal of it, and returned to his boyish a-
musenaents.
The will of his father! no! my reader, the document he read was a production of a
villain's pen, dipped in the blackest gall cf
human depravity; a forgery, so artfully nnd tanningly designed to defraud the friendless
orphans of their own, as to render it next to
impossible that human scrutiny should d:imask the deception. With the worm of envy revelling in his
heart, and avarice, utrsatiable avarice, spur
son.
that could lead him for u moment to stipposc that the disposition made of the estate was ever to take place. Reflection on the subject made him wore nd more desirous of unravelling the mystery, and at length he resolved to call on his late guardian, and ask him for such an explanation of the relations which existed between him and his father, as would satisfy him cf the justice and propriety of his father's will. He accordingly repaired from hisre.idence in the adjoining county, where he had located himself, still perusing the studies of a respectabls profession, to the house of his birth and the scenes of his infancy, now occupied by , to him at least, the forbidding, the myste-
nous Jasper Wormsly. He was received with marked reserve and coldness, nnd it was, therefore, not long before Clermont entered upon the object of hu visit, and respectfully, but earnestly, solicited the required information. "Why, really, Mr. Clermont," said Wormsly, "if you wish it, certainly, eertainly, by all means, Mr. Clermont, I conceal nothing, Mr.
Clermont, nothing at all, 6ir." "Then, sir, if yoo will be eo obliging" Well! since you are so anxions to know all 'about it, and about it,' as the song says, ehS. Mr. Clermont, you know the old song? - very warm day this." ''Very sir." "And pray, where deee year sister Janc. and her good man live?" "A few miles west of this, sir." "You have a fine nag there, Mr. Clermont pray where did y ou meet with him ; bl . ss me, 'tis a fine nag, where did you meet with him? "I purchased him from a friend, sir; bat, sir, as my time is not altogether my own, wiJ! you favor me with " "Oh! aye, nye; well, as I was saying; ahi your father died; he was a very good man; he died, let me see, ah! the will, will show; yes, the wilt will 6hnw; I shall get it, Mr. Clermont; wait an instant." Wormsly retired for a few minutes, and again entered with the will. "Here it is, sir, here it is; bless me! it is an old paper, is il not? let me see: ah! the fifteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six; that was the time, Mr. Clermont, except that he signed the will 6rsi, jou know;
there, there is his signature, Mr. f lermont,
line man, Mr. C ler-
is he
was a
there it
mont." "He must have been, sir; but what I wish
ivou to have the poodness to inform me is as
ring him on to the unholy deed, he fabrica-,K..Vi an(j on wnat account my dear father ted another will in place of the genuine oie,!()et.rime so largely indebted to )ou." which bequeathed to himself, hen the chil "Ave, aye; but you see here are the witdien should become of age, all the Clemc'i!) ne.W nour old Harrow man. he is dead, too
estate, in consideration, as the forgery stated, j:iri(j where is tour fathei'e inah Hartley, Mr.
of various uni epaid obligations of inagr.itud.x;Plrn)r!( j-'
in addition to all which, Woimsly was to rear, maintain and educate (he orphans cenv miited to his charge. The same witnesses were affixed to it, arid the signature, to every appearance, was that of the testator. In fine, the treacherous ex
ecutor had so manufactured the der.enttv
know r.rt. mi
will you be so obliging
lis to pn tci i V
Why, really, Mr. Clermont, 'tis a long story; your father owed me many thousands when he died: money which I letit him; ma-
Iny thousands, Mr. Cltimonl." i "And have voii no evidence in your pc s-
document that it bore the most uiuquiior,rijSCi,;(1 . . u ca ,.),. Inc n,Cry, s'ir, for mv
ippearanceoi nemg w.e rcawy, wn.ii u was . mi. fa-iioi. ,lhat r-iuh was the iHctr'
fib, cc:-
iu fact but a foul imposture.
hce! bless me! evidence!
-romlhis time foiwnid, t . ormsiy woahiliai,,!,, .eitainiv, Mi. Clermont; a plenty, a frequently talk to the Clermonts of i'-. i.j j;.nf v good, kind father, and of the will, :.d how j -Voa have mi .WctUoiis to laying it before be used to lend their father sums of i"t,y.;,lu, which his death, no doubt, prevented his re j ..4rt:,inv not, teitainlv not, sir." turning, anJ but the heart loathes the reti-j k;,;,. t8 t5.JXV 6";t ."
tal of his many contrivances to " mae assetranee doubly sure," and of the success that
attended all his iniquitous schemes.
"Ah
no, vtr.i
;i!i H gathered il.elf into such an ine
: bM; of covetc ::.zi3 Hint na consider
And the little ones grow lo the etate of)
of manhood and of womanhood and Jane, first admired, then ardently beloved, became, the wife cf an honorable and moderately wealth citizen of the county; he took her for her own suke, for although il seemed stianpe.' raseir.t: .trance, that vvitli all her fuhei's
weaP.ii. the ctud her bfoilitr and sister ihguU
come, Mr. Otitrv
now the next time yoti :nt, the next tiintr i u shall
have il nil. Or, f.r that mailer, I will sent! it to )ou, sny lo -morrow, or tho day after' "Thank you, sir; I should like mud. to look into it, .imply for my sati.faclici), 1 t!o n.su:e you, sir." "Certiitlv, cermii.lv, to morrow cr sirs
dr
