Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-19
00lortester 4aiIp SPY.
UNCLE ABEL AND LITTLE EDWARD.
BY HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE.


the good old catechising, schools going, orderly
tlmesf 1T you were, you must remember my
uncle Abel, the most perpendicular upright,
downright, good man, that ever labored six
days and rested on the seventh You remem-
Der his hard, weather-beaten countenance.
where every line seemed to be drawn with a
pen OF iron and the point of diamond his
considerate gray eyes that moved over the OBJ
Jects as if it were not best to be in a hurry
about seeing; the circumspect opening and
shutting of his mouth his down-sitting and
uprising all OF which appeared to be per-
formed with conviction alorethought in
short, the whole ordering of his life and con
versation, which was, according to the tenor of
the military order, "to the right about face
forward-march %
Now, it you have supposed from all this tr-
angularism ofexterior that this good man had
nothing kindly within, you are much mista-
ken. You often find the greenest grass under
snow DRIFT; and though my uncles mind was
not exactly of a flower garden kind, still there
was an abundance Of wholesome and kindly
vegetation there. 1t is true he seldom laugh
ed, and never JOked himself; but no man had
more serious and weighty conviction of what
good was IN another; and when some excel
lent witticism was dispensed in his presence
you might see Uncle Abels face slowly relax
into an expression of solemn satisfaction, and
he would look at the author with certain
quiet wonder, as if it was astonishing how
such thing could ever come into a mans
head. Uncle Abel also had some relish for
the fine arts, in proof whereof l might adduce
the pleasure with which he gazed at the plates
IN his family Bible; the likeness whereof
presume you never any Of you saw and he
was also such an eminent musician that he
could go through the singing book at a sitting,
without the least fatigue, beating time like
windmill all the way, He had, too, a liberal
hand-though his liberality was by the rule of
three and practice. He did to his neighbors
exactly as he would be done by-he loved
some things in this world sincerely-he loved
his God much but he honored and feared him
more he was exact with others, he was more
exact with himselt-and expected his God to
be more exact still. Everything in Uncle
Abefs house was in the same time, place,
manner, and FORM from years end to years
end There was old Master Rose, a dog after
his own heart, who always walked as if he was
learning the multiplication table. There was
the old clock forever ticking away in the
kitchen corner. There was the never-failing
supply of red peppers and onions hanging over
the chimney. There were the yearly holly
hooks and morning glories, blooming around
the windows. There was the chest room"
with Its sanded floor, and evergreen asparagus
bushes, Its cupboard with glass door in one
corner, and the stand with the Bible and al
manac on it in the other There was Aunt
Betsey, who never looked any older, because
she always looked as old as she could who
always dried her catnip and wormwood last of
September, and began to clean house the first
of May. In short this was the land of contin
uance.
Old lime never seemed to take it into his
head to practice either addition, subtraction or
multiplication on the sum total This Aunt
Betsey, aforenamed, was the nearest and most
efficient piece of human machinery that ever
operated III forty places at once. She was al
ways everywhere, predominating over and
seeing everything; and though my Uncle was
twice married, Aunt Betsey's rule and author
ity had never been broken. She regned over
his wives when living, and reigned after them
when dead; and SO seemed likely to reign to
the end of the chapter But my Uncle's last
wife left Aunt Betsey much less tractable
subject to manage than had ever fallen to her
lot before. Little Edward was the child of my
uncle's old age, and brighter, merrier little
blossom never grew on the edge of an avail
anche. He had been committed to the nursing
of his grandmother until he arrived at the age
OF lndlscretlon, AMI then my old uncie's heart
yearned towards him, and he was sent for at
home. His Introduction into the family excited
terrible sensation. Never was there such a
contemner of dignities, such a violator of such
high places and sanctities, as this very Master
Edward. 1t was all in vain to try to teach him
decorum He was the most outrageously
merry little elf that ever shook head of curls,
and it was all the same to him whether it was
Sabbath day or any other day. He laughed
and frolicked with everybody and everything
that came in his way, not even excepting his
solemn old father; and when you saw him
with his arms round the old mans neck, and
his bright, blue eyes and blooming cheek pres
sing out by the black face Of Uncle Abel, you
almost tancied you saw spring caressing win
ter. Uncle Abel's metaphysics were sorey
puzzled how TO bring this sparkling, dancing
compound Of spirit and matter into any reason
able shape for he did mischief with an energy
and perseverance that were truly astonishing
Once he secured the floor with Aunt Betsey's
Scotch snuff, and once he spent half an hour
i'll trying to make Rose wear her spectacles.
In short, there was no use but the right one
to which he did not put everything that came
in his way. But Uncle Abel was most of all
puzzled to know what to do with him on the
Sabbath for on that day Master Edward SEEM
ed to exert himself particularly to be enter
timing Edward must not play on Sunday"
his father would say and then Edward would
shake his curls over his eyes and walk out of
the room as grave as the catechism, but the
next moment you might see pussy scampering
in dismay through the chest room" with Ed
ward at his heels, to the manifest discomfort
of Aunt Betsey and all others in authority.
At lastmy uncle came to the conclusion that
cit wasn't in natur' TO teach him better, and
that he would no more keep Sunday than the
brook in the lot" My poor uncle, he did not
know what was the matter with his heart;
but certain it was he had lost all faculty of
scoding when little Edward was in the case,
though he would stand rubbing his spectacles
a quarter of an hour longer than common,
when Aunt Betsey was detailing his witticisms
and clever doings, But in progress of time
our hero compassed his third year and arrived
at the dignity of going to school. He went
illustriously through the spelling book, at
tackled the catechism, went from "mans chief
end" to the commandment" in a fortnight,
came home Unfortunately merry to tell his faith
err he had got to "Amen." After this he made
regular business of saying over the whole
every Sunday evening, standing with his
hands folded in front, and his checked apron
smoothed down, occasionally giving glance
over his shoulder TO see if papa was attending
Being Of very benevolent turn OF mind, he
made several attempts to teach Rose the cate.
ehsm, III which he succeeded as well as could
be expected. In short, without further detail,
Master Edward bid fair to become literary
wonder. But alas for poor little Edward,
his merry dance was soon over. A day came
when he sickened Aunt Betsey tried her
whole herbarium, but in vain he grew rapd
~ worse and worse. His father sickened in
heart, but said nothing he staid by his bed.
side day and night, trying all means to save
him wlthaliecting pertinacity. "Cantyou think
OF anything more, doctor :" said he to the