Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-09-05
EVENING STAR.
A RICH OLD UNCLE.
AND A BILIOUS fEyKR.

But more than this Linda had mind and !
heart Of goodness, as we'll as personal beauty
She was the brightest scholar of Mrs. -
seminary, was the joy Of her father, the pride
Of her mother, the go-between and confdan'
Of score of little Rays-her noisy young brood
Of brothers-and the friend and consoler of al
the poor and distressed who came within hel
knowledge.
Linda was engaged" to young SIocum, ar
embryo lawyer of fashion and of some talent
who had only the slender income of his pro.
fession to depend upon, but which, added
to the modest little fortune of Linda, would
enable the young couple to live "quite com.
1t was now in the ftful month of April. The
following June was TO witness the bridal Of
| Linda and her lawyer lover, upon which even
4 Springs. I"
Linda looked magnifcentIy on horseback.
and on this April morning, ipdrlging in her
favorite exercise, she was sitting like the
queen OF beauty, glowing with freshness and
radiant with JOY upon the back Of her match
less bsy-the most knowing and graceful piece
OF horse-hesh to be lighted On by q fond and
indulgent parent.
Young .Slocum was by her side, and was
descanting upon the beauty Of the morning
and the beauty Of the morning queen, I"
when suddenly the latter sped from his sight
! IKE the mornings breeze. LiLda's ebay"
| had taken fright, and was flying with its mis-
tress through the air, scarce touching the
paving stones, at a fearful speed. "She will
certainly bo thrown and killed." and Sio-
GUMS heart as he exclaimed thus-cr the
place where his heart should have been-beat
with feeling akin to despair
When, however, Slocum arrived some three
| or four miles farther, toward the edge of the
city, scene met his view that called UP other
thon Of Al e.
of his beloved.
Linda was seated upon the turf, reclining
against the trunk Of a tree. A tall, handsome
stranger was bending over her, layipg her
prov with water and pouring the magnetism
OF his warm life into her fainting energies
The look-the strange mysterious look
that OF soul recognising soul, which passed
between them when Linda opened her eyes
full upon him, haunted young Slocum like a
diSagreeable nightmare for months after
The next day, the tall, handsome stranger
called upon the lovely girl he had rescued
from certain death, to inq uire after her health.
Some how or other it was full three hours
before the "call'' was concluded. Time had
passed so pleasantly in that easy fow of
taought and sentiment, where soul met its
kindred, that both were surprised at its rapid
fight.
AGAIN and again they met, always talking
as though they had been friends forever; so
unconstrained and easy was the interchange
OF thought between them. 1t generally hap
pened, too. by some strange chance, that Slo-
cum was either out on some fishing excursion.
or something Of the sort, whenever the tall.
handsome stranger called upon the bride-clect.
The middle OF May arrived. The wedding
day was drawing more and more near In a
maze OF bewilderment the young betrothed
awaked as from a sudden dream. ..
do love him well enough to become his
wife ;'' asked she of her own heart
Alas a deeper depth had been sounded in.
that young heart. A deeper depth than the
shallow line of the groom-elect could hope to
sound.
But the spirit that had taught ber-her own
heart-that had taught her the meaning of
the word LoyE-the tall and handsome stran-
ger-he had gone as suddenly as he came
business had called him to distant country
and cline.
True, he had never spoken of love, but
when he was gone, Linda had found to her
dismay that he had taken her heart with him.
and that Slocum seemed to her now nothing
more than sort of sutomaton, brainless and
heartless.
I" But viii be true to honor and NV pro-
mise, said the courageous Linda, resolutely
" Will marry him, and make him a true wife
will bury my own heart and it. love, and
perform my duty faithfully"
Alas alas; There is many slip betwixt
the cup and the lip
rich old uncle Of the portionless Slocum
suddenly arrived from the golden East"
sought his nephew made his will, and Slo-
cum, the almost penniless, the almost brief
less lawyer, awoke in the morning q rich
man.
His uncle secuted at the idea of his we'd
ding the fair Linda, with her very moderate
fortune, telling him that such a handsome ac-
eomplished, and wealthy fellow as he (Slo-
cum) could pick millionaire heiress of
from almost every bush. His kind uncle,
bid him travel and choose from any of
the arissocratic and wealthy beauties of Eu-
rope.
Elated with his sudden fortune puffed up
with personal vanity, Slocum followed his
uncle's advice, setting sail with a high heart
to Cross the ocean for Europe and success.
de dropped careless note to his beloved,
telling her Of his determination to travel and
to leave her free.
Somehow or other, Slocum's remittances
from his uncle did not arrive as he had rea-
son to expect, and he had not much soon-
er crossed the Atlantic than he had TO re-
Cross il.
What was his dismsy upon arriving home,
when he found his quondam bride elect had
married his rich old uncle that the "will''
had been remade, that he (SIocum) was cut
of without even q shilling-the will being
made in favor Of Linda and her successors.
This discovery was maddening, but worse
than all, the rich old uncle had thrown away
his ugly wig, and the hump on his back, and
his wooden leg, and he stood up as Lindas
youthful bridegroom - the tall, handsome
stranger! He had once rescued her from
death. .
1t was pleasant ruse-to those who enjoy
ed the sport-but it threw poor Slocum into a
bilious fever which nearly terminated his life,
which also put me in possession of the above
little episode, being the physician who car
ried him over the bridge of sickness to the
terra frma Of health.
WRRcK0F THE EATLANTIo.-Green, the diver,
has been down to the wreck of the Atlantic
found himself upon the wheel-house, felt his