The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 262: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CHIED OF WATERLOO. 259 was younger, he had not now learned to curb his own will, to conform to that of others, Frequent were the calls upon her purse, and she used to lecture every time she was compelled to re- lenish his exhausted finances; his extravagance knew no ounds, and, while money lasted, there was no means of staying his course. Often did his wily mother instill, or endeavor to in- still, into his mind the necessity there existed for a wealthy alli- ance; she could not tell him all, she could not explain to him her fears or her wishes. She was compelled to keep all to herself, and she had no confidant. All this, of course, did not occur in a day. [had withdrawn myself from them for some time. I had re- solved I would see neither, nor would [; and I was, moreover, cer- tain, in my own mind, that something would bappen some day that would put me in possession of my own, forsuch I was sure I was entitled to, for she must have, secreted about her, my father’s property. or have aschedule of what it consisted in, though it could not be found. Moreover, my father had papers which were of im- portance, and without which his heir could not take possession of his property. Well, my mother-in-law was stil! at her work. Incessantly did she endeavor to induce him to marry, but he would not; and his demands for money became more and more » pressing, until there was, I fancy, some terrible disturbance be- tween the mother and son, from which time I have not seen him. But I at length obtained some papers, and I gave them into the hands of a solicitor, who had some dealings with my father, and who knew something about him. I had so much difficulty in convincing them as to where I was; but I succeeded. at length, in doing so; the aver which I possessed somewhat reassured them. They had all heard that my father had a child by his first wife; and his second wife, now his widow, had all along in- sisted that the other was the child—that there was now no other. Thus he had been palmed off upon the friends of the family, and bad taken my place, and my absence had aided the deception; however, there was no help for it now, and my personal efforts were of no avail. Jt was a long affair; but my claim was good, and apparently I was entitled to some heavy sums of money; I was, in fact, heir to a good property, but the litigation was still to be lengthened, and after some conversation, I have allowed me two hundred a year, until this matter is settled.” ‘¢Then,” said Captain Morton, ‘ you are, after all, pretty sure of your cause, since you have so great an allowance.” ‘Yes, I suppose so; and yet I am in continual danger of being unable to prove that I am the eldest son of my father, as well as the will that J feel convinced he left. However, I must now wait until the events turn up, and place me in a yet better position than I now occupy; one great thing to me is, it will pee me beyond any fear of a reverse—that is what I should most dread.” “Tt would be most to be feared, certainly,” said Captain Mor- ton; *‘and contentment with a small certainty, is far preferable to uncertain wealth of any description.” ‘‘But suppose we take a walk through the streets, and s0 change the scene for a time; what do you say, Henry?” comicbooks. com