Lovers and Husbands CHAPTER 8.
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There dwelt in a quiet, retired way in New York, a widow, Mrs. Harper by name, her only child a daughter fourteen years of age. Their means of existence was the rent of two houses, which gave them an annual income of one thousand dollars a year. A house adjoining these two was also owned by Mrs. Harper — in this they lived. While Mrs. Elton resided in New York, she had been on terms of close intimacy with this lady. The daughter of the latter and Flora, had likewise been fast friends. During her stay in the city, she visited Anne Harper and her mother very frequently, and often spent with them many days at a time.
On calling in, one morning, about a week after her return to New York, she found Mrs. Harper and Anne in evident trouble of mind. Her intimacy warranted inquiries as to the cause, which were made at once — when she received for answer, that a technical defect in the title by which the little all they possessed in the world, had been discovered, and that a suit had been brought against them in order to test the validity of their claim to the property. This suit Mrs. Harper had all along believed would not be prosecuted; but she had just learned that it would come before the court in a few days, and that, as one of the most subtle young lawyers at the bar had been well feed to press it vigorously, there was great danger of her losing every dollar she had in the world.
This intelligence caused Flora much distress of mind. Deeply and tenderly did she sympathize with her old friends in the danger that threatened them. From all she could learn from Mrs. Harper, it was plainly apparent that a great wrong was intended her. The title deeds which she possessed set forth, that when her husband had paid to the father of the prosecutor certain sums of money, the full value of the property — that he would come into undisputed possession of the same. The receipts for these sums of money Mrs. Harper could exhibit; and yet, in the final release of the property, which had remained under mortgage until the whole of the purchase money was paid, there was a small formality which legally vitiated the title.
The son of the original owner of the property, a man known throughout New York as a heartless oppressor, wherever oppression would bring him the god he worshiped — gold — had, by some accident, discovered the flaw in Mrs. Harper's title to property, which had greatly increased in value since it had passed from his father's hands. The knowledge of this fact was followed by the instant determination to make a resolute effort to gain possession of the widow's three houses. For some time he weighed in his own mind the relative merits of two attorneys, as fitted, both in disposition and ability, to undertake such a cause. There were men at the bar in New York to whom he would no more have thought of offering the case, than of asking them to share in the results of a premeditated robbery; but he had come in contact with others whom he knew better. One of these wasGarnett — and to him he finally determined to apply.
Accordingly, some months before the period to which the reader's attention has been fixed, he called upon the shrewd young lawyer, and laid the matter before him, in the shape of copies of all the legal documents relating thereto. Garnett saw at a glance that the case would be a hard one to manage; that, in fact, Hartzog, the individual who sought his services, had not a shadow of equitable right to the property; but the very difficulties that the case presented stimulated him to undertake it. After he had thoroughly understood its merits, he said,
"I don't think your chance is a very good one, Mr. Hartzog."
"That is the reason of my application to you," was the prompt reply.
This flattered Garnett's professional pride, and abated the small portion of disinclination to undertake the case, which had been felt at the moment of its first presentation to his mind.
"Whoever gains this case, will have to do more than address the claims of justice; for they are, evidently, in favor of the present owner of the property," he said to his client. "To prosecute a suit successfully, when your cause cannot be sustained by arguments founded in equity, is a difficult and delicate matter. The court is never disposed to lend much favor to mere points of law, and defects in legal documents — where no fraud was perpetrated in the original transaction."
"I am well aware," returned Hartzog, "that it will require no ordinary degree of tact, talent, and perseverance to gain this suit. Therefore, as just said, I have chosen you to represent my claim. If successful, one of the houses shall be yours; or, if preferred, the value of it in cash."
"I agree to the terms," Garnett replied; "and will, besides, pledge myself not to ask one dollar if the suit is lost."
To this Hartzog had no objection. All the papers were placed in the young lawyer's hands, and he set himself industriously to work upon the case. In due time a suit against the estate of the deceased Manville Harper was entered upon the docket, to be tried at the ensuing term of the court. Mrs. Harper employed skillful counsel to defend her title to the property left by her husband. Her legal representative had assured her, from the first, that her title was so clearly an equitable one, that there was no danger of its being set aside on account of the mere omission of a word or two in the document; but, as the trial approached, and her lawyer looked more closely into the matter, after having had several interviews with the opposing counsel, his views changed, and he saw that he had much to fear, with real alarm, in the subtlety of his opponent. Nay, more, that the defects in the title were of such a nature as to be easily made to prove fraud on the part of Harper, although he had not the remotest idea that any such fraud had been committed. These fears he had honestly expressed to his client. The consequence was, great consternation in the minds of Mrs. Harper and her daughter, whose only means of support was the income derived from the property in question.
On the evening following the day of her call upon Mrs. Harper, Flora met Mr. Garnett again. The facts mentioned had greatly troubled her mind, and caused her to think more than usual of Garnett, to whom she wished to mention the subject, under the vague hope that he could throw some light upon the dark picture. But, although it was on her tongue half a dozen times during the evening to allude to it — some new topic, introduced just at the moment, most inopportunely, would always prevent her from speaking of the thing nearest to her heart. Much disappointed, Flora saw Garnett depart, without having made to him the desired communication.
The deep interest felt by Flora in her friend absorbed almost every other thought. She went to them early on the next morning, and stayed throughout the day. The consternationthat had seemed almost to paralyze the mind of Mrs. Harper on the day previous had subsided. She was now calmer, and more thoughtful. To the question of Flora, as to whether she had heard anything encouraging in regard to the suit, she replied,
"No, my child. The case stands, doubtless, as our lawyer has represented it to us. But whether our little all be retained or pass away — we shall still remain in His hands who cares for the sparrows. I have thought a great deal about this matter since you were here yesterday. Then my mind was too much agitated, and I could not think calmly. My conclusion is, as it should have been at first, that, as in the moral government of Him who rules all things well, no mere chance evil is permitted — and that this evil thing which has come to pass, is for good.
What I mean by evil is the effort made to do a great wrong. The suffering we have felt in anticipation of our loss, or what we may really suffer should the loss occur — I do not call by the name of evil — evil is sin, and appertains only to him who commits sin. Sorrows, privations, distress, losses, are not evils — they are only blessings in disguise which are sent for our good. We are not perfect — we are not wholly good; we therefore need something to agitate the stagnant surface of our minds. This trouble, I feel sure, has been permitted for this very end. It is thus that I am endeavoring to look at the whole subject; and it is this view which causes me to feel calm, though serious. If we lose what we have of worldly goods — it will be a painful trial; but should the loss come — I will strive not to murmur. I will see in it, the hand of Him who does all things well."
A state of mind so elevated, did not excite Flora's wonder. Sentiments like those uttered by Mrs. Harper were familiar to her ears. Her mother's character was formed upon a like basis of profound trust in a Divine Providence, which regards even the minutest particulars in the life of every individual.
"What you say," she replied, "I feel to be true. But it must be hard to rest in such a faith, when all is dark around and above."
"Not so hard as it may seem to those with whom all is sunshine," Mrs. Harper said. "Ah, my dear young friend! when the shadow falls upon our path, there is a sweet compensation in the full conviction that the sun is still shining brightly in the heavens. In such an hour, to the heart that will look up — there comes a trust and confidence that all things will work together for good. This is an all-sustaining assurance. This I now feel, and I can say, in truth, that it is more to me than all my fears."
From this state of reliance upon Divine Providence, the mind of Mrs. Harper relapsed in a few hours, when she became anxious and troubled. This continued for some time, until she again struggled to lift her eyes upward, and see the hand filled with blessings — which seemed only to hold the rod of correction. It was, at best, a hard trial; but it proved abeneficial one, as are all the trials we are permitted to endure.
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