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Show 18 HICIIARD II UIWIS. go elsewhere- I mu.:;t fix my eyes on otl1Cl' ohjccts. Yea f~l·get, too, tbat [ kwc been rf'pulscd, tejcctcd- though you wid me I should not be-where 1 had set my h<:'nrt; and thatfl1c boon has been given to another, for which I had struggled !ong, and for a long season had hoped to attain. Cnn you w(lndcr thai 1 should seck to go abroad, even were I not ~ovcd Ly a lHltural desire at my time of life to sec some lJttlo of tlJC world1" 'l'hcrc were some portions of my reply which were conclusive, and to wllich my mother did not venture any anSI\'~r; but my last remark suggested the tenor of a response wluch she did not pause to make. "But what can you sec of tho world, my son, among the wild places to wiL ich you thiuk to go? \Vhat can you ~ee at the llluffs, or down by the Yazoo Out woods :md lndmns? Besides, Uiclwrd, the Choctaws arc said to be troublesome now in the nation. Old Mooshoolatubbe and La Fleur arc going to fight, and it will be dangerous travc11ing." "'l'hc very thing, mother," was my hnsty reply . "I will take side with La l!'lcur, and when we ha.vc to fight MooshoolatubbC, get enough lnud for my reward, to commence bu~i nc~s for myself. That l:tst speech of yours, mother, is ~oncl usl:c Ill my favor. I will be n rich man yet; and thcn"-m the Litterness of a disn.ppointecl spirit I spoke-" and then, rnothcr, we will sec "··ltrthcr John liurdis is a better m:m with thi1'ty ne-groes th:m Richard Hurd is with but tlu·ec. . " \Vhy, who says he is, my son?" demanded my mother w1lh a tenderness of :1cccnt which increased while sltc spoke, and with eyes tlw.t filled with tears in the same in ~tant. My heart told me 1 was wrong, but I could not forbear tho reply tlwt rose to my lips. "Mary Eastcrby," were the two words wl1iclt made my only n.nswcr. "Itichard, Ilichnrd !" exclaimed tlte old lady, "you envy your brother." "Envy him! No ! I envy him notlting, not even Lis better fortune. Let ]tim wear what he has won, whether he be worthy of it or not. lf, knowing me, she prefers him, Le it so. She is not the woman for me. I envy not llis possessions ; ncilhCJ A 'J'IW1\N'I' DTSPOSITION. 19 ltis wif(.·, rwt· his scrntnt, I tis ox, nor his ass. It vexes me tit at I ktvc Lccn mhi.takcn, mother, Loth in ltcr, and in }1im; but, i lwnk llcavcn! I envy neither. I am not humble enough for thai." " .My cleat· Richar~l, you know that I Lave always songht to make you happy. It g rieves me that you are not so. \Vhat would you have me do for you 1" "Let ~l'tC go fOrth in }lCacc. S:ty nothing to my fatbcr to })re:ent tt. Seem to be satisfied with my departure yourself. I wtll try to please you better wltcn I return." ."You nsk too much, my son ; but I will try. I will do anythmg for you, if you will only think and speak less scornfully of your elder brother." "And what arc my thoughts and words to him, motl1cl'1 He feels them.not - thcy do not touch llirn. Is he not my elder brot1tcr.1 llns he not :.11l ? 'l'hc fnvor of our grandmotltcr gave lnm wealth, nnd with llis wealth, and from his wealth, comes the favor of l\lnry Eastcrby." "You do IJcr wrong !" said my mother. " Do I, indeed?" I answered bittcdy. u 'Vhat! she takes h~m.thcn for his better person, his nobler thoughts, his boldness, ~us mdustry, mal the thousnnd other manly qualities, so winning Ill a wom:m's eyes, which I have not, but which he possesses in ~uch }JI~t~ty? I s it til is thnt you would say, my mother ? Say Jt then ll you can; but well I know you must be s ilent. You can not speak, mother, aud speak tlms. :E'or wl1at then ltas Mury EasterLy p referred Joltn Hmtlis? God forgive me if I do Iter wrong, nnd llcaven's mercy to her if she wrongs herself and me. At one time I thought site loved me, and I showed llCI' some like follies. 1 will not say that she has not made me suflCr; bt~t 1 ~·cjoicc that I can snnCr like a man. Let me go fro1~1 you 1n qmct, dcm mother; urge my departure, and believe as 1 th ink, that it will be for the benefit of all." ' :1\Iy father's entrance interrupted a conversation, which neit11er of us was dislJOsed readily to resume. |
