AN HONOURABLE "INDEPENDENT" FAMILY.


The Honourable Mister Augustus Headerton, who lived once in yonder villa,
was the youngest of eleven children, and consequently the junior brother
of the noble Lord of Headerton, nephew of the Honourable Justice
Cleaveland, nephew of Admiral Barrymore, K.C.B., &c. &c. &c.; and cousin
first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh remove--to all the
honourables and dishonourables in the country.

When the old earl died, he left four Chancery suits, and a nominal estate
to the heir apparent, to whom he also bequeathed his three younger
brothers and sisters, who had only small annuities from their mother's
fortune, being assured that (to use his own words), "he might _depend_ on
him for the honour of the family, to provide for them handsomely." And so
he did (in his own estimation); his lady sisters had "the run of the
house," and Mr. Augustus Headerton had the run of the stables, the use of
hunters and dogs, and was universally acknowledged to possess "a proper
spirit," because he spent three times more than his income. "He bates the
world and all, for beauty, in a hunting jacket," exclaimed the groom. "He
flies a gate beyant any living sowl I iver seed, and his tallyho, my
jewel--'twould do y'er heart good to hear his tallyho!" said my lord's
huntsman. "He's a generous jontleman as any in the kingdom--I'll say that
for him, any day in the year," echoed the coachman. "He's admired more nor
any jintleman as walks Steven's Green in a month o' Sundays, I'll go bail,"
continued Miss Jenny Roe, the ladies' maid.

"Choose a profession!" Oh! no; impossible. An Irish gentleman choose a
profession! But the Honourable Mr. Augustus Headerton chose a wife, and
threw all his relations, including Lord Headerton, the Honourable Justice