The southerner., 1866-06-23
Uncle Obed's Visit.

erful stretch of imagination for Mrs.
Amber's guests to have fancied them
selves amid the light and fragrance of
some topic ilse on that festal nighs.-
The stately balustrades were wreathed
with deeply tinted blossoms, of hello
trope and tuberose, and the chandeliers
that hung from the frescoed ceiling,
like coronals Of quiveripg fire, threw
MONDAY bril'iance over the crowd.
At the further end of the superb
drawing room stood Mrs Amber her,
self-a stately matron in sapphire velvet,
illuminated by the pale glimmer of
pears. No one would ever have imag-
ined from the smiling self-possession of
her name: that this night was the crisis
of her life.
Through all the hum and murmur
of the aristocratic assemble ge-through
all the crash of arriving carriages, and
the stormy melody of the band beyond,
Mrs. Amber's quick ear caught one low,
hesitating step on the threshold. It
was her husbands. She beckoned to
him with her jewelled fan, and whis-
pered in scarcely audible accents.
"Well 2"
"Just as expected. We are ruin
ed, can't keep above water a week.
Norris has failed and We shall follow
suit 2"
/" "A week." murmured Mrs. Amber
thoughtfully, ga week p One can ao-
complish good deal in week. Have
you noticed how attentive Yound Gold
is to Cecilia ?" she added musingly.
&c He wont be after"
=" Hush p Mrs. Amber exclaimed,
with quick glance around, as if ap-
prehensive that the very walls would
hear their whispered colloquy. elf
she wins rich husband before the
world learns of your distress, we shall
be tolerably safe. For your own sake
keep cheerful face mingle with our
guests-throw off that perturbed frown.
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 to the best of his ability,
while Mrs. Amber, her smooth lips all
wrcathed in dulcet smiles, resumed the
task of receiving her gay friends.
| Suddenly there was sort of thrill
and litter through the apartment-the
crowd opened as if to make way for
somebody, and Mrs. Amber came for.
ward expecting to greet some distin'
guished arrival.
| "Good evening, Tidy. I kalkilat
ed you'd all be gone to bed, at time
o'night. but I see you don't keep New
Hamshire habits. Han't forgotten me
have you? Why, I'm your Uncle Obed
Jenkens
| Mrs. Amber turned pale through all
her artificial bloom at the unexpected
addition 10 her company that stood be
fore her, his honest features beaminf
with delight. 1t was ruddy-faced ole
, man, in a suit of butternut coloree
cloth, carrying in one hand neatly
l tied handkerchief, containing his ward
robe, and in the other crooked walk
ing stick, full of knots and gnarls-
such stick as grows only in dens'
swamps, where the young saplings hav'
to twist their little arms in every direc
tion to get bit of sunshine, and grow
up in the most unheard of shapes.
81 DECLARE" pursued Uncle Obed
"you're fine as fiddle, Tildy-an'
where's them little gals you sent u
summer before last, to get red cheeks a
; their uncle's? Grown up TO young Ia
dies-well, if I amt BEATEN
And Uncle Obed extended bon
hand to Miss Cecilia, who had DIRE,
back and put up a gold-mounted ey
glass with an air of well bred astonisl
ment.
81 never heard that anything ale
Cecilia's eye-sight, Tidy" said Uncl
IObed, in extreme perplexity. I" An
that young feller in the yellar waistco'
lis her beau, suppose? Wall, youn
I, folks will be young folks, and we o]
ones hadn't ought to interfere. That
what l always said when you and Ji
lAmber used to walk in the old side-hi
orchard, after you'd done the milking.
= This unlucky allusion brimned tt
already overfowing veins of Mrs. Ar
ber's wrath-she drew her gloved har
from the old mans cordial grasp, vii
an energy which puzzled him, and spoil
With compressed lips:
"I am really sorry, sir, that we we
: not previously made aware that u
proposed honoring US with visit.
that case we could have prepared ou
n- selves for the pleasure; now, [ regr
80 COW e. will he inconyenient to r