The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-05-31
UNCLE INeOT.
From Chambers, Journal

V ise you, You shall have FIVE thousand;
and | am a man of my word" So
spoke Mr.. Ingot Beardmore, dry salt.
:. or and common councilman Of the city
ofLondon, to Dorthea Elizabeth, his
, widow sister-in law, who had applied
to him for pecuniary succor about
three months after the death of his
younger brother. Isaac, her husband.
There were harshness and stubborn
determination enough in his reply, but
there was no niggard cruelty. Mrs.
Isaac wanted money, it is true, but
only in the sense in which we all want
1t. She was only poor in comparison
with the great wealth of this relative
by marriage. Her income was large
enough for any ordinary Sir. Ingot
said "legitimate''zpu but not
sufficient for sending her boy to Eton,
aud finishing him offat the universi-
ties, as it was the maternal wish to do.
Mr.. Ingot hated such genteel inten-
tions; Christ's Hospital had been u
fashionable enough school for him, and
he had finished as clerk at forty
pounds year in that very respectable
house of which, he was now senior
partner. With the results Of that edu.
cation, as exemplifed in himself, he
was perfectly satisfied, andif hisneph-
!. ,ews only turned out half as well, their
mother, he thought might think her,
self uncommonly lucky, Her family
had given themselves airs upon the
occasion of her marrying Isaac sal,
lying herself with commerce, some OF
them called it--and Ingot never for.
gave them. He gloried in his own
profession, although government had
never seen.fit to ennoble any member
Of II; and perhaps all tho more upon
that account; for he was one Of those
radicals who are not snobs' at heart,
but rather aristocrats. He honestly be-
leved that noblemen and gentlemen
were the lowest orders, and those who
toiled and strove the upper crust of
the human pie. When he was told
that the former classes toiled and
strove in their way as much as the 9th.
ers, he made gesture of contempt,
and "blew" like an exasperated whale.
It was q vulgar sort of retorl, of course.
but so emineltly expressive, that his
opponent rarely pursued the sub
ject.
He rather liked his sister.in law, in
spite of her good birlh, and would
have, doubtless, largely assisted her
had she consented to bring up her
children according to his own views;
but since she preferred to take her
own way. he withdrew himself more
flom her society, until they saw no.
thing at all of one another, He had
no intention of leaving his money
away from his brothers. children; he
he had much too strong sense of du-
ty for that; and as for marriage, that
was an idea that never entered into
his hard old head. He had not made
fool of himself by falling in love in
middle age, as Isaac had done lin
youth, he had not time for such follies.)
and it was not likely that at sixty-tiye
he should commit any such imprudence.
So his nephews and nieces felt confident
Of being provided for in the future
In the present, however, as time went
on, and the education of both girls and
boys grew more expensive, Mrs. Isaac's 5
income became greatly straitened,-
Her own family very much applauded
the expensive way in which she was
bringing up her children, and espec.
tally her independence Of spirit with
relation TO her tradesman brotherin-
law, but they never assisted her with
penny. Tho young gentleman at
Cambridge was therefore kepton very
short allowances; and the young ladies,
whose beauty was something remark.
able, affected white muslin, and wore
no meretricious jewelry. Their pin
money was very limited, poor things,
and they made their own clothes at
homo by the, help Of a sewing machine.
If Uncle Ingot could have seen them
thus diligently employed, his heart
would perhaps have softencd toward
thom, but as | have said, they now
mover got tho chance. Julia, the Ell.
der, had been but six years old when
ho had last called at their highly
ed but diminutive habitation in May.
fair, and now she was eighteen, and
had never seen him since. Although
she had ofcourse grown out of the old
mans recollection, sne remembered
his fgire.head, as she wickedly called
his rigid features, uncommonly well;
and indeed, nobody who had ever seen
It was likely TO forget it, His countc.
ance was not 80 much human as Iigne.
Gus; and his profile Nephew Jack had
actually seen upon n certain nobby
tree in thelime walk OF Clare Hall at
Cambrid ge-much more like than
any silliouctto over cut out Of black
paper. They had laughed at the old
I'D gentleman in early days, and snapped
their fiugers at his ohurlishness, but il
had become NO laughing mattor now.
That remark of Uncle Ingot's, III
ever you or yours get five pounds oul
fine, madam. before l die, l promise
you. you shall have five thousand; and
] am man Of my word" had become
avery serious sentence, condemninq
oil the family to, If not Poverty, a
least vcry urgent want. What il
meant Of course was, that he was reso
lutely determined to give them no
thing, In vain the young ladies work,
cd for Uncle Ipgpt slippers and book
markers for his birthday, and sent tc