The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-01-30

where used to psrtske Of the root 70 my nll,
Fancy fain would revert to my fathers pantstisa;;
And sigh for the 'kidneys" that grew on tae NIL.
80 me mealy potato, the lnsA potato, .tn
Tho thin-siipnsd potato ths, grew on the hill.
+ THE TROUBLESOME NIECE.
sAnd 50 Kate Owen is coming herep = said
Absolom Burr to himself, as he paced TO
and fro in his dingy apartment. sWhy don't
she get married and 60 about her business!
A plague on her say. just because my
sister chose to marry Jim Owen, and then
die. and leave this girl behind, must take
the thing and provide for it. What q fool
/ was ever to tell my sister I'd see to her
child. Why, here will be my house turned
topsy.turvy, and everything like peace fly
out of the windows. And then suppose
the first thing I'll find her spending money.
Not penny no--not one. She says she
can sew, and she shall. By tho host, she
don't touch penny Of mine. And If she
stays here she win do my sewing to pay for
house room, and do my cooking and wash
ing, to pay for her victuals. A plague on
the poor niecesn '.ps ". n : :.
Thus spoke Absolom, and then he sat
down and stuck his feet close up to the fire.
Absolom Burr was perfect miser. His
face was deeply furrowed by the hand Of
passing time, and its lines were hard and
cold. His clothes were old and patched.
and his shoes even, were sadly in want Of
mending. se.@a.gs = I, So 4
The cold breath Of winter was close at
hand, and yet the only fuel he had on hand,
was such as he had been able to pick up BY
the roadside, and edge Of the pond. The
house in which he lived was but poor howell
with only two rooms, and furniture more fit
for frewood than anything else. There we're
four windows in the house, and every spare
rag of clothing he owned was in use for the
replacing Of broken panes. as'.'E2 10 '.1'4
And yet Absolom Burr was worth fifty
thousand dollars, though be contrived to be
taxed for only ten thousand, which was in
vested in houses in the town. He was never
known to bestow penny in charity, though
many poor suffering fellow sufferer had
applied for assistance at his had. Alone
had he lived for mapya long year, and his
heart was all hardened and closedup against
every kindly feeling. He spent his time in
attending to his rents, picking up wood and
rags by the wayside, and counting his money
On Monday evening near the last of No
vember, the stage stopped in front of Abso-
lom's hut, and young female was helped
out by the driver, and u trunk and bandbox
put down after her. The old man had not
seen her for ten years, but he remembered
how his sister looked when she was girl,
and here was her exact image. Kate's mother
was the only s;ster he ever had, and thus
Kate was the only near relative he had lit-
ing. The girl helped carry her own trunk
in, and as soon rs she removed her bonnet
she threw her arms around his neck and
kissed him. He started back at this, and q
severe look passed over his face.
Kate Owen was a pretty girl, and she had
left behind her not one acquaintance that
did not love her. She was a short, plump,
laughter loving being, with brown hair and
hazel eyes, and when she laughed the dim
pies darkened in her cheeks and chin, and
the curls shook about her fair temples. In
fact, one look at her face was as good as
medicine for the blues, and 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
Pve come?' "'
sWell-yes; shouldn't want you to be
without home. But mind-you are to
help me. You'won't be an expense to me?'
sOf course won't. Why, Pll return you
ten fold. How snug aud happy we will be
this winter. You won't be here all alone to
hear the wind whistle, and the hail thump
and rattle against the windows. And shall
feel bottcr, too, than should if l was away
among strangers .sa as.. g ..,s,. Ssa E a=.as
sBut you've got to 60 among strangers
sometime. You can't expect to find home
here always ,.r .nt. s. aese
sOh no, dear uncle; but while do stay |
will try and make you happy
And in like tones did she address the old
miser under all circumstances. q Ere 3 long
she asked her uncle where she could find the
materials for supper; she confessed that she
was hungry. u y - 50 : ~ = -
81 eat some bread and cheese when am
hunpry.' s1sSa sff @assH@' . >"
'But haven't you any tea' or any -four ?
or any butter p s.s.. d - a. - a. ~
'There may be little butter said the old
man reluctantly; sbut don't think there's
any flour, and tea is something don't use.'
But you love it, uncle?' y. = &. ss.as,f :,
'Why, ycs-but it costs so much
Sand sugar-have you any of that?' zst
'No; get along without it,
'Then you wait few minutes, and .Pll
run out and get some. saw a store a. l
came by, only few rods back from here
And as she spoke, she put on her bonnet
and shawl sg5 5gEg8 @s4fg FtET3
sBut don't have any account at the store,'
uttered the old man fearfully. sThey wSh't
trust me.,Sx.ss ag.xag z gsaas-gS ~ 5.sszse
sNeyer mind. I have the money. Just
you see to the fire and mind that tho tcar
kettle boils.' sz - a'---.s's =
And thus speaking, Kate ran out. In
about fifteen minutes she returned, and in
her arms she bore quite heap Of pack
ages. A little bundle of -four, a packagaof
tea, some sugar, small new tin pail full Of
milk, and so on.--ss - .Ss sssa@' - :.
Her next movement was to hunt up the
bread. She found loaf of bakers bread,
and having cut it into slices, she placed it
near the FIRE to toast. Then she moved out
the old table, and after the leaves were
raised she. inquired for the cloth, but the
old man had none.v But she xns prepared
for this and for more too. In her trunk
she not only found the cloth, but also a,
cream pitcher, sugar -bowl, and a few othef
articles of like description, which she kept
as remembrances Of her mother. The white
cloth was spread, the dishes put on, and
then Kate hunted up the stew pan. This
she cleaned out, and having fxede it on the
FIRE, she proceeded to prepared dip for the
toast, which she made of butter, milk and
water, thickened with little -four. She
found Absolom's dishes hidden away in va
rions places 10 though stuck away from the
sight Of taxsgathcrcrs.. Bdttherewere more
Of them than she had imagined, though they
had to undergo q sort OF washing process,
before they were put on the table. Finally
the toast was done, the tea made, and then
tInc!e4 Absolom ~ s;uR Sfs.f a yS,1rsSs