The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-05-26
My Aunt Tric kSy.

My Aunt Tricksy was not the prettiest cir
| in shire. In fact there was nothing SUI
perlative about her except that she was the
dearest girl in the whole world.
How we'll remember how delighted was
with the new relations which my grandfath.
ers marriage with her mother bestowed Oh
me, and how disguised my father was with
the whole affair." My father was Mr. Tho.
rold's eldest son. The estate was strictly
entailed; but there was personal property,
and it was this which was in danger. Mrs
Gwyns Establishments, which had already
converted equity man of sixty into de-
voted lover, might persuade him in frenzy
of uxorious imbeciIity to overlook the
claims of his own family and to enrich her
self and her daughter too.
Who Mrs Gwyn was, we none of us knew.
But we knew that her daughter was a great
heiress. heard my uncle Mr.. Thorold the
banker, and my uncle Mr.. Thorold the cler,
gyman express themselves according to
their kind on the subject.
81 wash my hands of the whole affair."
said the first. interpreted this Pilatian fig
ure Of speech into q resolve not to come
again to Thorold House but this proved my
obtuseness. He only meant to exhonorate
himself from all responsibility, should the
marriage be an unhappy one. AS long as
purple and fine linen, a French cook and a
frst-rate cellar, were to be found at The
House, Gas we all called it, the lavatory pro-
cess of cleansing us out of his memory was
to be postponed.
Il will pray for my father-I will pray
for both, said the clergyman.
] supposed people were prayed 1or-as in
church, when very i'll and yet had seen
my grandfather set off on his matrimonial
expedition looking much younger and brisk
Ell than | had ever seen him. 1t must be
Mrs, Gwyn, then.
''Is Mrs. Gwyn i'll % asked my father.
ell Pho indeed wish
"What? z"
''That she had never been born. Ill in
deed"
l wished | could have asked for more
satisfactory explanation; but saw the sub
ject was dangerous one | took an oppor-
tunity, however, and asked my uncle.
"Did you pray for grandpapa because he
was i'll, or because he was wicked, uncle
James p
''What very unbecoming questions how
you spoil that fellow, Tom" turning to
my father
''But you said SO uncle"
My uncle looked carefully around the room;
there was servant absorbed in busting and
rubbing table, but no one else was present
but ourselves.
''Ahem! Wilfrid, prayed for the happi-
ness ofmy father, and of his wife"
Again he cleared his throat; but the ex-
preston with which he had uttered these
words, after he perceived we were not en-
tireIy alone, was utterly different from the
manner in which he had expressed himself
in the morning. | was too young to faith
ON the reasons of this strange discrepancy
but | noticed them. The state Of my mind
as regarded this marriage was chaotic con-
fusion | did not know whether | wished
it or not My two uncles lived in London
and only came down on periodical visits to
Thorold House My father, since the death
of my mother, had lived with me there.
Thorold House was a large, commodious
house. No architect would have raved about
the beauty of its architecture 1t was not
Saxon or Tudor, Greek or Italian, Eliza
bethan or Ionian. 1t was simply a conven-
lent, spacious mansion, with large windows
and lofty rooms. For me these are the three
important requisites; but then 1 am very
literal fellow indeed, and no artist. Since
our bereavement, my father aud l lived at
Thorold. | was very dull. | was only
twelve and had no companions. My grand
father was, in the intervals of govt and mis-
authropy, preserving scholar. My faith
err an inveterate sportsman. | never saw
the former at breakfast, aud it was only al
breakfast and dinner that saw the latter
The curate of the neighboring village came
up every day to give me lessons. My father
had prejudice against schools. | haC
friends among the boys of the village, but i
was friendship under protest. The mono
| syllable low" was often applied to my
tastes and pursuits. But what was | to do
had an immense fund af animal sports t.
work off, and there was no other outlet TO
them. There was John, to be sure.
/ Who was John. ..
| John was ward of my fathers who ais
lived with us. l say ward, but in fact h
was less ward than protege He was th
orphan son of an old friend CT my fathers
a naval officer who had died somewhat sud
denly in the east, and bequeathed his moth
erless boy to his old schoolfellow and frient
Tom Thorold.
But John TyrreIl was two-aud-twenty, ant
to me that seemed an age of advanced man
hood. lie had been well educated by m.
father, and was now waiting till the Thorol
family influence could procure some EN-
ployment for him. 1t was difficult to find ii
John was really clever, but was shy beyon
everything that could be imagined. Ii
was brave as lion, upright, and generous
but this fTightful disease of shyness prevent
ed these good qualities from being appreciat
ed as they deserved. More than tbis,it CAV
an expression of wretchedness to his face an
detection to his manner, which was very OF
pressive. l liked John; but l rarely sougf
him out, for there was no fun in him. n