The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-09-07
The Bloomsbury Christening.


high md Ahy years old,-cross, csdaveroua, odd
and ill-natrred. He was never happy but when be
was miserable tpardon the contradictory and
always miserable when be bad the best reason 70
Be happy. The only real comfort Of his existence
wss 70 mako every body about him wretche!-,hen
be might bs truly sad 70 enjoy life. He was
afflicted with situation In the Bank worth eve
hundred year, and he rentel . 'frs' aoor FUR
nished" which be originally took because II COM
manded dismal prospect Of an adjacent church,
yard. He was familiar with the face Of every
tombstone, and the burial service seemed 10 ex-
cite his strongest sympathy. Ills friends said be
was sury--be insisted be WAS nervous they
| thought him lucky dog, but he protested be WAS
| 1.-THE most unfortunate man In the world" Cold
A. he WA and wretched as he declared himself to
be. he not wholly un-usceptible of attachments.
| He revered the memory Of IIoyle, as he was him.
self An admirable and imperturallc whst-playcr.
4 and he chuckici with delight at frct,l aud i'm
| pstcn, adversary. IL alorcd King Herod for his
massacre Il the inn cents; for II be hated thing
more than smother, ii was . child. How
ever, he could hardly be said 10 hate anything in
particular lccause he dslikcd every thing In gem
ersl but perhaps his greatest snupsthies were
steal amateurs and omnibuses. He subscribed
N the Society for the Suppression Of Vice Tor the
pleasure Of putting stop to any harmless amuse-
ments and he contributed largely towards the
support Of two iincrsnt Methodist parsons under
\ the smiable hope that If circumstances rendered
many happy In this world, they might perchanee
be rendered miserable by fears for the next.
/ Mr.. Dumps hsd = nephew who had been mar
l ned about year. and who somewhat Of ia
vorite with his uncle because he admirable
subject TO exercise his misery creating powers
upon. Mr.. Charles Kit,erbell was . small, spare
man, with . very large head. and broad. good.
| humored countenapce. He looked like faded
giant, with the head and face partially restored !
and be had cast In his eve which rendered II quite
impossible for any with whom he converted TO
know where he looking. His eyes appeared
hxoI on the wall, and LIE WAS staring you out Of
countenance in short, there catching
his eye and perhaps 1t is merc,fu dispensa,ion Of
Providence that such eyes not catching. In i'd
l dtion 70 these characteristics II may DO added
that Mr.. Charles Kittcrbell was one Of the mos,
creiulous and maer-of.fact little personagcs tina,
ever took TO himself wife, and for himself a
houiv.
"N., but uncle, 'pon my life YOU mus; --vou mus,
sat in conversation with HIS respected relative one
, , morning.
~ clrnot. indeed l cannot" returned Dumps.
swell but WHY not : JENNA will th'rS II very
, unkind. MS very little trouble"
! "As to the trouble" rejonod the mos, unhappy
| man in eS Silence, az don't mind that but my
nerves are IN that state, cannot so through thC
4 oremonv Won know I don't IKE gong out
For Gods x.ke, Charles DOM Edge, with the stool
| NJ, you'n drive me mad" Mr.. Ktterbcll quit,
reg rtless O, his uncle's nerves had occupied bin
cali ssV In mr.
the floor With es 81 the ofhce-stool which h,
nes,s-l. keeping the other three up In the aii
!, | and 5lGing fast on by the desk.
" II beg your pardon, uncle" said Kittertel. qults
abash.d. suddenly releasing his hold Of the desk,
and prnging the y Tee wan iering legs back To th'
floor with = force sufficient 70 drive them through
Ii.
b 'But come. don't refuse. Il rs boy, you know
we must have two go-listher."
d "LTh's : boy - said Jumps. ''Shv can. go,
Z say at once whether 1t Is boy or noti'
T. II should he very happy to tel you, but It's im
o possible can undertake to say whether MS CIR
or q boy II the child isn't born yet"
"Sot horn yet ~ echoed Dumps with CLEAN o
hope lighting up his lngubrious vlsace Oh well
| Il may be gri, and then you won't want me, OF
II it Is boy, II may die before IA chris,enci."
u hope not" SAID the father that expected to he
looking very grave.
~ hope not" acauies ed Dumps evidently
pleased with the subject. He was hesinning 10 70
happy. ~ hope not, but distre.sius cases ire
auen,ly occur during the iirsi two IL rec DAYS a
q chlld's life TT, sm told arc e,ceedingly con,
mon. and alarming convuIhions are almost matter
of course"
"I.orl. uncle !" CALCULATED little Kit'crben, gasp
| ing for breath
4 "Yes; my landady was conGnel-let me see
8 last Tuesday an uncommonly tue boy. o. tn
4 | Thursday nj yht the nurse sitting with hin
h upon he- knee before the fire, and he was vel
a. pofssif. Suddenly be became black in the fac
~, AVA ala min, spasnodic. The medical mau wa
- instantly sent Tor, and every remedy was tried
- but"
INV frghtful - interrupted the horror. s,rick
en- Kitterbeu.
. "The child died OF course. However your chill
i may not die, ami II 1t should be boy. aud SHOULD
d lice TO be christened, why suppose mus; he ON
"a Of the Sponsors" DInps was evidently good
n, nc natured on the faith of his anticipation.
- "Thsnk you, uucle, said his ugitaied nephew
> graspng bis hand M warmly ne v he had dom
him some essential service. up rhsps had bette
2 not tell Mrs. X. what you have mentioned"
"Why, # she's low spirited, perhaps you hs,
better not mention the melancholy TO her" re
& turned bumps who OF course had invented tn
Z. whole story, 'though perhaps II would be but do
ing Your duty ss husband to prepare her for III
G. r0rst"
l. A day or two afterwards, Dumps was perusn,
amorning paper at the restaurant which he regular
!, ly ircquented the following paragraph me. his eye
10 "Births.-on Saturday. the isih Inst, In -
IL street, the lazy OF Charles k.sierbe, Esq, OF
10 son"
Ill at is hoy !" he exclaimed, dazzling down tn
~ paper to the sstonisl ment Of the walters at is
: boyV' But he speedily regaiued his composurr a
ii his eye rested on paragraph quoting the numbc
IS Of infant deaths from the h's ~ mortality, but tn
right one did not appear, and Dumps was obi ged +
X be present at the christening, which was fixed 70
AZ the next Friday six weeks.
Monday was fine day, Tuesday was delightful
= "Wednesday was equal 10 either. and Thursday wa
inner than ever. Dumps behell all this with ~ e.
= 81 supreme cOntcmpt-his triumph WAS ~ hand
Il He knew that Ii IL had been for Meel,