The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-03-25
Paper Hanger.
THE TROUBLESOME NIECE;
~" OR.
q OPENING 4 HARDENED HEART

q OPENING 4 HARDENED HEART.
And SO Kate Owen is coming here!'
said Absalom Burr TO himself, as be pac-
ed to aud fro in his small dingy apart
ment. Why don't she get married and
90 about her own business! y plague on
her, say. Ju,t because my sister chose
to marry Jim Owen, aud then die and
leave this girl behind, | must take the
thing and provide for il. What fool
was ever to tell ny sister that | would
see to her child. Why, here will be my
house turned topsy-turvy aud everything
like peace fy out of the windows. And
then l suppose the first thing | IL find her
spending money. Not peuny-no. not
one. She says she can sew, and she
shall. BY the host, she don't touch
penny of mine. Aud if she stays here,
che will do my sewing to pay for house
room, aud do my cooking and washing to
pay for her yictuals. a plague on the
poor neices..'
Thus spoke Absalom and then he sat
down and stuck his feet close up to the
FIRE. Absalom Burr was perfect miser.
His face was deeply furrOwed by the
hand of passing time, and Its lines were
hard and coli. His clothes We're old aud
patched, and bis shoes, even, were sadly
in want of needing.
The cold breath of winter was close at
hand, and yet the only fuel be had was
such as be had been able to pick up by
the road side, and the edge of the pond.
The house in which he lived was but
poor hoyel with only two rooms, and with
furniture more fit for frewood than for
anything else. There were four windows
40 the house, and every spare rag of clo-
thing that be owned was in use for the
replacing of broken window paues. And
Yet Absalom Burr was worth fifty thou
Sand dollars. though he contrived to be
taxed for only about ten thousand, which
was Invested in houses in the town. lie
was never known to invest a penny In
charity, though many poor and suffer
ing fellow creature had begged for assist
ance at bis hands. Alone had he lived
for many long year, and bis heart was
all harieDed aDd closed up against every
kindly feeling. He spent his time in at
tending to his rents, picking up wood and
rags By the waysidc, and counting his
money at home.
One Monday evening, near the last of
November, the stage stopped in front of
Absalou's hut, and young female was
helped out by the driver, and trunk and
bandbox put down after her. The old
man bad not seen her for ten years, but
he remem bered how bis sister had looked
when she was girl, aud here was her
exact image. Kates mother, was the
only sister he ever had, and thus Kate
was the only near relative be bad living.
The girl helped carry her own trunk in,
and as soon as she removed her bonnet,
she threw her arm about his neck and
4. kissed him. He started back at this, and
a severe look passed over bis face.
Kate Owen was pretty girl, and she
had left behind her not one acquaintance
who did not love her. She was short,
plump, laughter loving being, with brown
hair, and hazel eyes, and when she laugh
ed the dimples deepened in her cheeks
and chin, and the dark curls shook about
her fair temples. In fact, one look at
her face was as good as medicine for the
blues, aud the ring of her merry laugh
was contagious.
My dear uncle she said, after she
had seated herself at the FIRE, are you
not glad I've come!
'Well--yes; shoulap't want you to be
without home. But miad--you ale TO
help me. You won't be an expense to
me-
'Of course I won't. Why I'll lsturn
you tenfold. How snug and happy NE
will be this winter. You won't be all a.
lone to hear the wind blow. and the hail
slump and rattle against the windows
And shall feel better, too, than / should
If was away among strangers.
But you've got to go among strangers
some time. You can't expect that you
src going to 6nd home here always