Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-07-04

| Dear uncle
Hush, sirl drowning my voicel-l'll oblige
you for once. You shall have my consent
the plum, we must not forget the plum-let me see,
when shall it be? To days Sunday-isn't it P
Well, then, you shall be married ecisey-preciSe-
~ now mind, -tchen three Sundays come together in
a peek! Do you hear me, sir what are you ga
ping at /? | say you shall have Kate and her plum
when three Sundays come together in a weck-but
not till then, if | die for it. You know me-I'm a
man of my word-now be Off | rushed from the
room in despair.
very fine old English gentleman was my
grand uncle Rumgudgeon, but unlike him of the
song, he had his weak points. He little pur-
sy, pompous, passionate semicircular somebody,
with red nose thick SKULL long purse, and a
strong sense Of his own importance With the
best heart in the world he contrived through pre-
dominant whim of contradiction to earn for himself
among those who only knew him specifically the
character of a curmudgeon Like many excellent
people, he seemed possessed with spirit of tan
t1tizdtion, which might easily, at casual glance,
have been mistaken for malevoence TO every re-
quest, positive Mo- was his immediate answer
but in the eno-in the long, long end-there were
exceedingly few requests which he refused.
ganst all attacks upon his purse he made the most
sturdy defence; but the amount extorted from him
at last, was generally III direct ratio with the length
of the siege and the stubbornness of the resistance
In charity no one gave more literally OF with a
worse grace.
For the fine arts, and especially for the bellies
letters he entertained profound contempt With
this he had been inspired by Casimir Perler, whose
pert little query, quot un poetic est il bon? ?" he
was IN the habit Of quoting, with very droll pro-
nuhcation, as the ne plus ultra of logical wit
Thus my own inkling for the Muses. had excited
his entire dispeasure. He assured me one day,
when | asked him for new copy of Horace, that
the translation of Poeta rasciitr non it, was a
| for nOfhinn fit'-a ro,narf which
in high dudgeon. His repugnance to { the human
tiles, had, also, much increased of late by &C
cidental bias IN favor of what he supposed to be
natural science. Somebody had accosted him in
the street, installing him for no less parsonage
than Doctor Double l. Dee, the lecturer upon quack
physics. This set him off at a tangent and just
at the epoch of this story--for stoy it is getting
to be after al-my grand uncle Rumgudgeon was
accessible and pacific only upon points which hap
pened TO chime in with the caprioles of the hobby
he was riding For the rest he laughed with his
arms and legs, and his politics were stubborn and
easily understood He thought with Horsely, that
the people have nothing to do with the laws but
10 obey them.
have lived with the old gentleman all my life.
My parents, in dying, had bequeathed me to him as
a rich legacy. believe the old villain loved me
as his own chlld-nearly, if not quite as well he
loved Kate-but it was dogs existence that he
led me, after all. From my first year until my fifth
he obliged me with very regular foggngs. From
five to fifteen, he threatened me, hourly with the
House of Correction. From fifteen to twenty, not
a day passed in which he did not promise to cut
me fflwith shilling. was sad dog, it is true,
but then it was part Of my nature-a point ofmy
faith. In Kate, however, had firm friend, and
knew it. She was good girl, and told me very
sweetly that might have her (pum and ally when
ever could badger my grand uncle Rumgudgeon
into the necessary consent. Poor girl she was
ha rpv fffpep md ,yithnut this har 1iitlo
amount in the funds not come at-able until five
immeasurable summers had dragged their slow
length along What then, to do? At Fifteen or
even at twenty-one (for | had now passed my fifth
olympiad) five years in prospect are very much the
same as five hundred. In vain we besieged the old
gentleman with opportunities. Here was a piece
de resistance, las Messieurs Ude and Careme would
say which suited his perverse fancy to a T. 1t
would have stirred the Indignation Of Job himself,
| to see how much like an old mouser he behaved
to us two poor wretched little mice. In his heart
he wished for nothing more ardently than union.
He had made up his mind to this all along. In fact
he would have given ten thousand pounds from his
own pocket (Kate's plum was her oiCn) if he could
have invented anything like an excuse for comply
ing with our very natural wishes. But then we had
been so imprudent us to breach the subject our
selves Not to oppose it under such circumstances
| sincerely believe was not in his power
! have already said that he had his weak points
but in speaking of these, | must not be understood
as referring TO his obstinacy that was one of his
strong points - dSSurement &c neait pas totble.
When mention his weakness have ausion to
bizarre old womanlsh superstition which beset him
He was great in dreams, pouents, ct ID genus omn
of rigmarole. He was excessively punctllllous
too upon small points of honor and, after his owl
fashion, man of his word beyond doubt
This was, in fact, one of his hobbies. The spin
of his vows he made no scrupe of setting a
ponrht Init ho IeIf n hopd inviolahle Nov
it was this latter popularity in his disposition, o
which Kate's ingenuity enabled us, one fine day
not long after interview III the dining room, Il
take a very unexpected advantage; and, having
thus in the fashion of all modern bards and orator
exhausted, in proe gomena, all the time at my com
mand, and nearly all the room at my disposal, vii
sum up in few words what constitutes the who'll
plth of the story.
; 1t happened then-so the Fates ordered it. tina
among the naval acquaintance of my betrothed
were two gentlemen who had just set foot upo
the shores of England after years absence, eac
4 in foreign travel In company with these gentle
men, my cousin and ], preconcertedly, paid uncl
Rumgudgeon visit on the afternoon of Sunday
October the tenth Just three weeks after the mem
orable decision which had SO cruelty defeated on
}. hopes For about half an hour the conversotio
d ran upon ordinary topics; but at last, we contrive
n quite naturally, to give it the following turn:
J. Capt. Pratt. well have been absent just on
a year. Just one year to day, as live-et Inc sec
yes! this is October the tenth. You remembt
7, MIR. Rumgudgeon I called, this day year, to bi
s, you goodbye. And by the way, it does see
ID something like coincidence, does it not-that Oh
so friend Captain Smtherton, here, has been absel
y exactly year ulso-a year to-day"
re Smitheron. Yes, just one year to fractio
You will remember, Mr.. Rumgudgeon, that cal
ed with Captain Pratt on this very day, last yea
ID to pay my parting respects
l. Uncle. Yes, yes, yes-I remember it very we
e. very queer, indeed! Both Of YOU gone just oil
'y year. A very strange coincidence, indeed! Ju
what Doctor bubble l.. Dee would denoninale O
extraordinary concurrence of events. Doct
s. Dubb-'
sh Kate. Qnterrupting.) TO be sure, papa, it
ur something strange; but then Captain Pratt al
e, Captain Smitherton didn't 60 altogether the san
or route, and that makes difference, you know
n, Uncle. Il don't know any such thing, you hu
zy How should !? l think it only makes Il
L 4 n II