The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-02-07

with brandy, or gin and SIENNA, or pounded
Brandreth's pills in Jamaica rum. He had
theory that if physic was taken with
dram it could have no deleterious effect
Night and day he drank his compounds
He set his bed on FIRE; he fell on the dining
table and crashed the dishes; he rolled off
his horse with his feet in the stirrup; he
laid in the street. But Sally Packer was
his providence; she kept harm away from
him. She dragged him to bed; she washed
him; che dressed him, and she fed him
and he cursed her.
The consequence Of his theories was, that
one morning he woke up with paralysis,
and father was obliged to take charge of
him. Tenderly and mercifully he cared for
him. for he was speeches. and helpless.
Sally Packer hustled him about as if he
were a baby. How he wanted to rail at her,
His eyes glared and burned with rage when
ever he saw father come into his room One
night his watcher was startled from a nap
by the sight Of Uncle Zeb in the middle Of
the floor.
"My cursed tongue is loose" he said,
"and can walk. Get out of the way y"
He wrapped the counterpane round his
gaunt form, and tottered downstairs into the
street. He leaned against the fence and
looked up to the sky and chafed his feeble
hands, and then crept back to bed; but
from that night he was better, and soon be-
came we'll.
Grandmother soon followed Grandfather,
and slept near him in the same narrow bed.
Sally Packer asked leave to remain long
enough after the funeral to put the house in
order. 1t was granted, and it took her
years to do tin fact, the house was never
in order afterward; and so she staid. She
convinced Uncle Zeb that no one could take
care of him better than she could. She
told him that the selfish world might say
she expected to be remembered in his will !;
but it was not so. She had good home Of
her own in Swampscot; q house, which, al
though it was not plastered, did not leak q
drop, and there was as good o well Of water
close to it as ever was. She was willing to
stay just to keep him from being imposed
on, although she didn't know but that his
relations were as honest as anybody's rela-
tons.
No one imposed upon either Uncle Zeb or
Sally. The Lares and Penates of the anci-
ent household were broken; its former
friends deserted it. It did not agree with
Sally Packers principles to have company
her moral constitution was averse to any
thing like hospitality. Uncle Zeb was in
different whether anybody came or went.
So Sally kept her ground, and had her own
way Uncle Zeb cursed and ridiculed her
every day Of her life. She cajoied, and
wrangled, and worried, and petted him.
Now she complained Of being worn ont with
hard work, and now, that il was place her
betters would be glad to be in.
Both were to be found, usually, in the
kitchen Of the old mansion, lowceiled,
dingy room, with q great brick hearth. on
which Sally had ranged for convenience
row of pots and kettles. A fire burned,
Summer and Winter, on the great iron dogs.
Sally's chair was in one corner Of the hearth,
where she could poke the fire, or stir the
contents of the pots and kettles her snuff
box, and comb, and an almanac, were on
the shelf above the fire. Her hair was thick
and gray, and she was fond Of combing it
when she had a leisure moment. She wore
short dresses of black bombazine, which
never required washing, and went bare
legged her shoes were made of coarse car
pet on account of her corns. Uncle Zeb
generally reclined on wooden settee under
the window; an old woollen cloak, rolled
up, served him for pillow. At the foot Of
the settee, whenever Uncle Zeb reposed on
it, lay an ugly dog. which was Sa,ly's pro-
perry, by name "Spot." Picked bones,
the remains of Spots feasts, were strewed
under the table, and under the settee. Spot
had a habit of bowling in his sleep, and
Uncle Zeb had habit of kicking him for it,
As he declined the trouble of taking off his
hat when he laid down, it suffered in looks,
and resembled pair Of MINDLESS bellows.
He took snuff lying down; the resuk to his
nails, and beard, and clothes, was deplor-
able After Grandmothers death he re-
sumed the habit of dram-drinking, minus
the drugs, in the full expectation of killing
himself. He began then to fling his money
into wild schemes; he would amuse himself
with using up as much rs he could Of his
property, he said, before he was summoned
to move off for good. lie had some trouble,
for he would not give it away; SO he built
and rebuilt inconvenient houses. and drain
ed barren fields, and planted in the sand,
and blasted rocks, and made roads that led
to nowhere.
Everybody now knew Uncle Zeb's char
acter, and he and Sally were the curiosity
and aversion of the neghborhood. The
old house grew darker and more dismal
every day. He was continually cutting
doors and passages through the walls: he
SeeIucu 10 nave All lutu tudt tucy WOUlu eu-
able HIM to elude some enemy that might
come upon him. Sally had oil the carpet
taken up and put away, and all the beds
stripped. She slept on stuffed bench out
side Uncle Zebs door. All the furniture
was piled away: the looking-glasses were
covered, and the shutters of every room
were fastened. All she wanted for daily
use was congrcgated in the kitchen, and
abo tn.l sf ckn 60,
some event to happen.
Once in a while lifted the latch Of the
porch door. Sometimes the inmates noticed
me, and sometimes not Now aud then
Uncle Zeb would sit up on his crumpled ha',
and revive with me his recollectious Of his
voyages. and tell me many piquant and
picturesque anecdote. Sally would also
forget herself moment. and listen with ad-
miring Laws, Capen Zeb." But ottener
was the silent witness Of angry disputes,
when she stunned me with her foolishness,
and he rained me with his profanity. His
common salutation to her was, "You lying
jade whereat she whimpercd or scolded,
according to the mood Of the moment.
Father reconstructed with him once, but
Uncle Zeb drove him away. lie made his
will soon afterward, and ordered the monu-
ment Of which have spoken; but his con-
stitution was an iron one, and it bore much
before he had second stroke of paralysis.
When he did, his cause was at once hope
less, and father again took the post Of IN
only friend. Silly was at her wits end.
She threw the medicine out of the window,
and whispered about poison. She talked
and cried over him. till father was obliged
to turn her from the room.