The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-02-02
Ths aanfaek Ssffsrsoaian
Uncle 0bed's Visit


themselves amid the light and fra
GRANGE of some tropic isle on that
festal night. The stately balustrades
were wreathed with deeply tinted
blossoms, the air was freighted will
the perfume of hclitrope and tubcrose
and the chandeliers that hung from
the frescocd ceiling, like coronais OF
quivering fire, threw MONDAY bril-.
lance 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 glim.
mer of pearls. No one would evei
have imagined from the smiling self
possession of her manner that this
night was theorists of her life.
Through all the hum and murmur
of the aristocratic assemblage-thro'
all the crash of arriving carriages,
and the stormy melody of the band
beyond, Mrs. Amber's quick ear
caught one low, hesitaung step on
the threshold. Itwas her husband s.
She bechoned to him with her jew
elled fan and whispered in scarcely
audible accents.
"Well?"
"Just as I expected. We are ru.
tned, can't keep above week. Nor.
ris has failed and we shall follow
suit ~
ga week." murmured Mrs. Amber
thoughtiully, ga week." One cal
accomplish a good deal in a week
"Have you noticed how attentiv,
young Gold is TO Cecilia?' she addet
musingly.
ale won't be after"
"IIushr' Mrs. Amber exclaimed
with quick glance around, as if ap
prehensive that the very walls woult
hear their whispered colloquy. 81
she wins a rich husband before th,
world learns OF your distress, W.
shall be tolerably safe. For you
own sake keep cheerful face; min
gle with our guests--throw off that
perturbed frown. ! tell you all will
yet be right"
Mr.. Amber shrugged his shoul.
ders and whistled half bar of some
popular strain, then turned away tC
obey his wife's behests to the best o
his ability, willie Mrs. Amber, hel
smooth lips all wreathed in dulcet
smiles resumed the task of receiving
her gay friends.
Suddenly there was o 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 dis
tinguished arrival.
"Good evening Tidy. kalliilated
you'd all be gone to bed, at this time
of night, but / see you don't keel
New Hampshire habits. Ilan't for
gotten me, have you? Why, Tn
your Uncle Obcd jenkins m
Mrs. Amber turned pale through
all her artificial bloom at the unex
pected addition TO her company tina
stood before her, his honest features
bcaming with delight. 1t was rud
dy faced old man, in suit Of but
ternut. colored cloth. carrying in ont
hand a neatly tied handkerchief con
tanning his wardrobe, and in the othcl
a crooked walking stick, full OF knot
ty gnarls-such stick as grows only
in dense swamps, where the youn,
saplings have TO twist their littl
arms in every direction TO get hi
of sunshine, and grow up in the mos
unheard of shapes.
II declare, pursued Uncle Obed
"you are fine as a fiddle, Tildy--ant
where's them little gals you sent NJ
summer before last to get red checks
at their Uncle'sY Grown up t
i young ladies-well, if amt beaten.
| And Uncle Obed extended bony
hand to Miss Cecilia, who drew bacl
and put up gold-mounted eye glas
with an air of wcll-bred astonish
ment
81 never heard that anything ailct
Cecilly's eyesight, Tidy" said I'm
Gle Obed, in extreme perplcNity.--
Sand that young fellow in the yelle
waistcoat is her beau, l suppose?-
Wall, young folks will be young folk
and we old ones hadn't ought to in
terlere. That's what | always sal,
when you and Jim Amber used {,
walk in the old side.hill orchard, ai
ter you'd done the milking"
This unlucky allusion brimmed tn
already overfowing veins of Mrs
!, Amber's wrath--she drew her glove,
hand from the old mans cordi0
] grasp, with an energy that puzzle,
him, and spoke with compresse
lips:
81 am really sorry, sir, that W
were not previously made aware tina
you proposed honoring us with
visit. In that case we could hav
prepared ourselves for the pleasure
now, l regret to say, it will be incon
vcnient to receive you"
"What?' calculated tie astonishe,
| old man, who was uncertain whethe
or not he had heard Alright the word
of his only niece--the girl whom Ii
had brought up and cared for whel
others rejected the charge oil the pen
nyless orphan.
Mrs. Amber repeated the frigi,
sentence with that emphasis whic
only heartless woman of the worl
could give.
! "This is big house, Tidy" sal
the old man, in slightly tremuousl
accents, "and l should ba' though
o,.o .,.n., n nnrnnt. LIZ L. LIZ. a., ..,..I, e.,