gories by the magnitude of their fortunes, preventing
anything from becoming absolutely settled, as respects _them_. In Turkey,
and in America, the possession of great wealth is very apt to ruin their
possessors; proscription, in some form or other, being pretty certain to
be the consequences. In Turkey, such has long and openly been the fact,
the bow-string usually lying at the side of the strong box; but, in this
country, the system is in its infancy, though advancing towards maturity
with giant strides. Twenty years more, resembling the twenty that are just
past, in which the seed recently sown broadcast shall have time to reach
maturity, and, in our poor opinion, the great work of demoralization, in
this important particular, will be achieved. We are much afraid that the
boasted progress, of which we hear so much, will resemble the act of the
man who fancied he could teach his horse to live without food--just as he
believed the poor beast was perfect, it died of inanition!

Roswell read Baiting Joe's 'insterment' twice, and then he placed it, with
manly tenderness; in the hands of Mary. The girl read the document, too,
tears starting to her eyes; but, a bright blush suffused her face, as she
returned the will to her lover.

"Ah! do not read it now, Roswell," she said, in an under tone; but the
stillness and expectation were so profound, that every syllable she
uttered was heard by all in the room.

"And why not read it now, Miss Mary!" cried the Widow Martin. "Methinks
_now_ is the proper time to read it. If I'm to be codicilled out of that
will, I want to know it."

"It is better, in every respect, that the company present should know all
that is to be known, at once," observed Mr. Job Pratt. "Before the will is
read, if that be the will, Captain Gar'ner--"

"It is the will of the late Deacon Pratt, duly signed, sealed, and
witnessed, I believe, sir."

"One word more, then, before it is read. I think you said, Josy, that the
deceased was _frightened_ when he signed that will? I do not express any
opinion until I hear the will; perhaps a'ter it is read, I shall think or
say nothin' about this fright; though the instrument that a man signs
because he is frightened, if the fright be what I call a legal fright, is
no instrument at all."

"But such was not the deacon's case, Squire Job," put in Baiting Joe, at
once. "He did not sign the insterment because he was frightened, but was
frightened because he signed th