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that besides a good clear estate, his father had personal funds to a great amount. The halls and cottages of Glenellich were filled with feasting, joy, and gladness.
It was not so at my father’s house. Misfortunes seldom come singly. Scarcely had our feelings overcome the shock which they received by the loss of our beloved Duncan, when a more terrible misfortune overtook us. My father, by the monstrous ingrattude of a friend whom he trusted, lost at once the greater part of his hard-earned fortune. The b(illegible text)came unexpectedly, and distracted his personal aff(illegible text) to such a degree, that an arrangement seemed (illegible text) most totally impracticable. He struggled on (illegible text) securities for several months; but perceiving that it was drawing his real friends into danger, by the signing of bonds which he might never be able to redeem, he lost heart entirely, and yielded to the (illegible text) rent. Mary’s mind seemed to gain fresh energy every day. The activity and diligence which she evin(illegible text) managing the affairs of the farm, and even in g(illegible text)ing advice with regard to other matters, is quite credible;—often have I thought what a treasure the inestimable girl would have been to an industrious man whom she loved. All our efforts availed; (illegible text) thing; my father received letters of horning on bill(illegible text) a large amount, and we expected every day that would be taken from us and dragged to a prison.
We were all sitting in our little room one day, consulting what was best to be done—we could de(illegible text) upon nothing, for our case was desperate—we were fallen into a kind of stupor, but the window being (illegible text) a sight appeared that quickly thrilled every he(illegible text) with the keenest sensations of anguish. Two men came riding sharply up by the back of the old schoolhouse. “Yonder are the officers of justice no (illegible text)” said my mother, “what shall we do?” We hurried to the window, and all of us soon discerned that they were no other than some attorney, accompanied
