Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-11-22
MISCELLANY Y.
ATALE ABouT Love ND GOLD Ut N.
UNCLE BILL.

Z 4 TALL: ABOUT LOVE ND GOLD DL u.
i Uncle Bill Griffin. or Uncle Bill. as h.
was commonly called, with an irreyerent dig
regard Of bis patronymi did.not retire from
the ship chandlery business till he was worth
something more than pluiA Not being
blessed with son to continue his name aud
| inherit his fortune, he layished all his ten
! deEness and care upon his daughter Sweet
Molly Griffin, thou vert as unlike thy Papa
asa canary bird is like bull dog His face
was as hard as Dutch nutcSacker thine
a. soft as rose leaf He was the veriest
miser in all creation thou didst spend thy
pocketmdney as literally as the Prince d
Wales This household management tTn-
Gle .Bill.was eopsummate kinfiat.; trnili-
tien saii that he used 70 soak The back Iogs
lathc cistern aud water ihe lamp oil. and
lIa was aided and allotted all bis nigsarl
/ ii domestic scheme by a Finrgar-faced fol1
house keeper, who was the sworn enemy d
all good cheer and STUFFED from the pure loye
Of meauness Yet pretty Mary had no lea.
SON to com plain Of her father penuriousaess
az, far as she was concerned He sent Her
tothe best schools and gave her carte
I blanche on the most expensive miIliners, aud
when she walked Washington street df /
sunny day, there was no more gaiiy bcdecked
damsel to be seen from CornIill to -E.sex
street
Of course several very nice young mea Ii
vanished leather and white kid gloves fell
over head and ears in love with her. 'aad
there was larger number of WhiSkersr col
lected outside Of the meeting she attended
on Sunday than darkeued the tioorsteps III
any other metropolitan church
Yel cola was tie mai3 aid l5sis ,+5iaas al atesd
Ia triileh QVidian art
Though they 4ansushed ana osied] protested, ID I'LL
Like Nhadew> they came and like shadows ihey
glanced,
From fhe pure polished ice OF her l6ssFt
Besides Uncle Bill was formidable
guardian to his attractive daughter Did he
not fire a. charge Of rock salt into the i1ex-
pressibles of Tom Bilkins. when he came
seranadng with cracked GUITAR Didn't
he threaten to kick Towle for leaving a yalen-
tine at bis door z Wasn't he capable ofiun-
heard of atrocities The suftors Of pretty
Mary wereall frightened off by the course
OF her ogre of father, except steady Young
fellow who rejoiced in the name :of Sampson
Battles and who was addicted I'd book Keep
ing in awholcsale grocerystore on Commerce
street The old gentleman really liked Bit
ties he was SO staid, So quiet, 50 full Of in
formation He was regular price current
arid no man on change was better acquainted
with the price Of stocks Why Mary liked
him, it is difficult 10 conjecture, for he was
so very deficient in the small talk that young
ladies arc SO fond Of was ayerse TO mus
taehcs disliked the opera thought the bal.
III II 4
cate Perhaps his good locks compensated
for other.detitiencies, or perhaps horrdr Of
dying in a state Of single bIessedtcss Induced
her 10 eounteuance the only yoneg mau I'm.
Gle Bill was ever known to tolerate
4. One evening Rittles screwed up his c0nr-
age to the task Of addressing the:old man on
the subject nearest his heart
Mr. Griffin" said he. II have had some
thing here for long time,T and he made up
ahorrible face and placed his band some
where near his heart Nh
"IDyspepsia said the old map
~ Your daughter" gaSped the young one
"Well what about her h asked 4 nele Bill,
sharpishly.
!. I'm in love with her, said tae unhapPy
Humbug Y said Uncle Bill !.
/" Fact rejoined Bittles
.What's your incomeln inquired Griffin
Il" Eight hundred answered the suppliaut.
. 1t won't do, my boy said Griffin, isha-
king his grim locks No man on a salary
shall marry my daughter Why she's the
finest girl in Boston; aud it takes capital 10
marry fine girl Nhen you. have thirty
thousand dollars to begin with, You may COM
and talk to me i
Bittles disappeared Six moaths aftcr
that. Miss Mary Griffin received a letter
with an endorsement of Unele Sam, ackuowl.
eiging the receipt Of forty cents It rsa
thus
san FRANcisco, 1S49
Dearest Mary: Enclosed you will find a
specimen of California gold, which please
hand your father and oblige Have 70 adj
wise you of my return to Boston. Please ia.
form your father that have made: fifty thou
sand dollars at the mines, and shall (Wipd
and weather permittingl soon call upon. him
to talk over that matter and arrange terms
Of partnership. Yours to command
Samson BgTrLEs
Mary, as in duty bound, handed the epss
tie to her father, who was overioyed.
Some weeks elapsed and the return Of the
steamer in New York was telegraphsd -
Griffin was on the gai eire to see his future
son in-law
On the day Of his expected arrival be met
. Californian who came home in the same
ship
Where's Bittles r. be inquired.
Oh, ho you'll see him before great
while, replied the Californian
Has he been lucky r.
= Yes, fifty thousand at the lowest 6gurel
But he's going to try game over you He
means to tell you that be has been robbed, OF
al his gold on his way home, to see If ycu
have any generosity and disiuterestedness--
10 see whether you'd give your daughter %
him. gold or no gold re
aSly bsy r chuckled old Griffin I'm
much obliged to You for that hint I'll let
sccordingly Good morning"