Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIV, May 1852, Vol. IVVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIV, May 1852, Vol. IV
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Little deemed Leah that morning, as she handed Mary her quart of meal
and the change for her hard-earned shilling, that she had spoiled her
own fortunes, and that she would, ere night, be called upon to abdicate
her stool behind the counter in favor of that humble customer; and yet
so it was. Mr. Benjamin could not forgive her dereliction from honesty;
and the more he had trusted her, the greater was the shock to his
confidence. Moreover, his short-sighted views of human nature, and his
incapacity for comprehending its infinite shades and varieties, caused
him to extend his ill opinion further than the delinquent merited. In
spite of her protestations, he could not believe that this was her first
misdemeanor; but concluded that, like many other people in the world,
she had only been reputed honest because she had not been found out.
Leah soon found herself in the very dilemma she had deprecated, and the
apprehension of which had kept her so long practically honest--without a
situation, and with a damaged character.
As Mary understood book-keeping, the duties of her new office were soon
learned; and the only evil attending it was, that she could not take
care of her father. But determined not to lose her, Mr. Benjamin found
means to reconcile the difficulty by giving them a room behind the shop,
where they lived very comfortably, till Glegg, recovering some portion
of health, was able to work a little at his trade.
In process of time, however, as infirmity began to disable Mr. Benjamin
for the daily walk from his residence to his shop, he left the whole
management of the business to the father and daughter, receiving every
shilling of the profits, except the moderate salaries he gave them,
which were sufficient to furnish them with all the necessaries of life,
though nothing beyond. But when the old gentleman died, and his will was
opened, it was found that he had left every thing he possessed to Mary
Glegg; except one guinea, which, without alleging any reason, he
bequeathed to Leah Leet.
A FORGOTTEN CELEBRITY.
"Time and chance," as King Solomon says, "happen to all;" and this is
peculiarly the case in the matter of fame and reputation. Many who have
done much, and have enjoyed a fine prospect of a name that should
survive them, have scarcely earned an epitaph; while others, by a mere
accident, have rolled luxuriously down to posterity, like a fly on the
chariot-wheels of another's reputation. "The historic muse" is a very
careless jade, and many names with which she has undertaken to march
down to latest times, have been lost by the way, like the stones in the
legend that fell through the devil's apron when he was carrying them to
build one of his bridges. The chiffonniers of literature pick up these
histories from time to time; sometimes they are valuable, sometimes only
curious. Mademoiselle de Gournay's story is a curiosity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account