Roxy Hastings — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 139 She had two tall daughters with her, two sons at board- ing-school, and another at sea; In fact, her oldest boy was a4 man in size, and almost so in years. _ Mrs. Bright—such was her name—was in rather straightened circumstances, and was living, as she freely confessed, quite beyond her means, while she was seek- ing a home in the country. Her husband had been supposed to be a prosperous merchant, and had always supported his family in good style, but when his estate was settled there were only a few thousands for the widow and children, who had been educated to an expensive swyle of living. More than a year had passed since his death, during most of which time the widow had been permitted to oc- cupy her former home, and when this had to be given up she had taken board with her daughters preparatory to their removal to some retired home far away from. the great city. How they were to make their way she had no distinct idea, but that the boys would have to come home from school, and that they would all have to endure privation and toil, she had do doubt. But the widow always looked on the bright gide of things, and she did not give way to forebodings. She was such an amiable person, and so kind to every body, that the old beau had made her his confidant while his marriage was in prospect, and after it was broken off he was often tempted to go to her for sympathy and consolation. It was long before he could make up his mind to such @ step, but one afternoon he came home from Wall street with an added depression, growing out of a loss of eight or ten thousands in a stock operation, and wondering what there was in life to compensate for all its troubles, he sauntered into the ladies’ parlor, where Mrs. Bright chanced to be all alone. “Heigho! Thisis a world of trouble, Mrs. Bright,” said Jedediah, sitting down a little away from her, and drum- ming a sort of dead march on a table. “Hor a poor widow with five children, yes,” said the lady, looking anything but troubled; ‘but not for a rich single man like you, Mr. Burr.” “Rich! I've lost ten thousand dollars since yesterday morning.” “What of that? I dare say you have a hundred thou- sand left.” Jededah smiled. Eomicboo “S (e(@) m ;