Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-08
UNCLE oRED,s VISIT.

It would have required no very powerful
stretch of the Imagination Tor Mrs. Amber
guests TO have fancied themselves amid the
light and fir GRANGE of some tropic isle on
that festal night Tue stately balustrades
were wreathed with deeply tinted blossoms,
the air was freighted with the perfume OF he
iotrope and tube roses, and the chandeliers
that hung from the frescOed ceiling, like cor
Onals of quivering tire, threw MONDAY bril-
lance over the rustlIng crowd.
At the further end of the superb drawing
room stood Mrs. Amber herself stately
matron in sapphire velvet, Illuminated by the
pale glimmer of pearls. No one would ever
have imagined from the smiling self-pOsses-
sion of her manner that this night was the
crisis of her false existence-the turning
point of her life.
Through all the hum and muTmur of the
aristocratic ssemblage-thrOugh all the crash
of arriving carriages, and the stormy melody
of the band beyond, Mrs. Ambers quick ear
caught one low hesitating step on the thresh-
old 1t was her husbands. She beckoned TO
him with her jeweled tan, and whispered in
scarcely audible accents:
"Wen?"
Just as / expected. We are ruined,
can't keep above water a week. Norris has
failed, and we shall follow suit !"
"A week." murmured Mrs. Amber drought
fully. A week One can accomplish a
good deal in a week. Have you observed
how attentive Young Gold is to Cecilia?" she
added musingly.
80 He won't be after"
"Hushm Mrs Amber exclaimed, with a
quick glance around, as if apprehensive that
the very walls would hear the whispered col
lOquy IF she wins a rich husband before
-, IS, 4, aha all 10
tOlerabIy safe. For your own sake, keep a
cheerful face; mingle with our guests throw
off that perturbed trOwn. l tell you all will
yet be right"
Mr. Amber shrugged his shoulders and
whistled half bar of some popular strain,
then turned away TO obey his wife's behests
70 the best OF his ability, while Mrs. Amber,
her smooth lips all wreathed in dulcet smiles,
resumed the task of receiving her gay
friends.
Suddenly there was a sort of thrill and
litter through the apartment-the crowd
opened as if 10 make way for somebody, and
Mrs. Amber came forward, expecting TO greet
some distinguished arrival.
GOOD evening, Tidy. / kiIkilated you'd
all be gone TO bed, at this time o. night, but
see you don't keep New Hampshire habits !!
Hain't forgot me, have you: Why, I'm your
Uncle Obed Jenkins :"
Mrs. Amber turned pale through all her ar
tifcial bloom, at the unexpected addition TO
her company that stood before her, mis- honest
features beaming with delight. 1t was a
rudy faced old man, in a suit of butternut-
colored cloth, carrying in one hand neatly
tied handkerchief, containing his wardrobe,
and in the other a crooked walking stick, full
of knots and knarls-such a stick as grows
only in dense swamps, where the young sap
lings have TO twist their little arms in every
possible direction to get bit of sunshine,
and grow up in the most unheard-Of shapes
81 declare" pursued Uncle 0bed, "you're
fine as a fiddle Tildy-and where's them little
gals you sent up summer before last, to get
red cheeks at their uneles. Growed up to
young ladies-wall, if amt beaten"
And Uncle Obed extended bony hand to
Miss Cecilia, who drew back, and put up
gold mounted eye-glass with an an air of well
bred astonishment
81 never heard that anything allied Cecel-
ly's eyesight, Tidy" said Uncle Obed, in ex-
treme Derplexity. "And that young teller in
the yalIer waistcOat is her beau suppose :
Wall young folks will be young folks, and we
old ones hadn't ought 20 interfere. That's
what always said when you ana Jim Amber
used TO walk in the orchard after you'd done
the milking
This unlucky allusiOn brimmed the already
overlooking walls of Mrs. Amber's wrath-she
drew her gloVed hand from the mans cordial
grasp, with an energy which puzzled him,
and spoke with compressed lips:
81 am really sorry, sir, that we we're not
previously made aware that you proposed
honoring US with a visit. In that case we
could have prepared ourselves for the pleas
ure now, regret to say, it will be incon-
venient to receive you"
What !" calculated the astonished old
man, who was really uncertain whether or
not he had heard Alright the words of his only
niece-the girl whom he had brought up and
cared for, when others rejected the charge of
the penniless orphan.
Mrs. Amber repeated the frigid sentence
with that emphasis which only heartless
woman of the world can give.
"This is big house, Tidy" said the old
man, In slightly tremulOus accent, " and
should ha' thought there was a corner in it
big enough for Uncle Obed wasn't ealcu-
lating to stay long-not Over a week at fur
therest; but I'll 90 hum &c morrow the very
first train that leaves, if I'm in the way"
Mrs. Amber made no answer, but tapped
lightly on her mosaic bracelet with one slen-
der finger, and Uncle 0bed turned away with
of mist around the glaring jetsO flame in the
chandelier.
Uncle 0bed was wishing himself well out
Of the heartless scene, when sudd MY pair
Of plump little arms were thrown -ound his
neck, and a cheek fresher and pink than
damask rose was pressed to his brow face
It was Mrs. Amber's youngest daughser-his
own pet nieee-the incorrigible romp, who |
had climed cherry trees and stolen birdnests |
lnnumerable in the meadows of the old home |
stead, two or three years ago. And here she |
was-a young lady in pink silk and cameo |
bracelets SO Tff EEEa E-gf~
"Dear Uncle 0bed, I have only lust heard
Of your arrival / am glad to see you, if no /
Dne else isin
And another show of kisses succeeded. |
greatly TO the discontinue and envy of the |
young man who had escorted Miss Amber to
he spot, and stood surveying the pretty lit
Go about your business, Harry she ex-
slammed gaily, "Pye got ever so much to say
o Uncle Obed. - - - n
AID Mr.. Harry Latimer obeyed, but rather
"Just the same little Fanny as everln ex-
'laimed the old man, patting her curls with
delighted fondness. Z" You haven't changed.
heugh Tidy has !"
"No; and never viii change for you, Un-
lie Obed, J" said the girl. g haven't forgot
en- how kind yos were to me up at the old
homestead; how you shielded my transgres-
ions, concealed my faults, and always had
mile for naughty little Fanny"