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

expense, and he feared the effect Of the
truth on grandfather, who was becoming
childish. We went on this way for two
years; plan after plan of salvation failed !;
but fathers energy and good temper never
left him. One day thought of Uncle Zeb.
."Why won't he," I said to myself "put
some of his thousands to the wheel?"
determined TO tell him the state of affairs /;
/ did expect much from his generosity, but
something from his pride; and thought, too,
that his shrewdness might enable him to
make something eventually out Of any loan
he might offer. So sought him, and found
him lying on the floor in the East Room
asleep. reused him, and did not wait for
him to open his eyes before began my tale.
When had finished, he eyed me for mo-
ment, and said:
$50, you'll have to come down. Your
DEVILS pride will be broken"
| stared mutely at him, but inwardly
| called myself fool.
ON see" he said, "about buying up the
family acres when the crash comes but a.
for piling my money on the ruins of your
fathers speculations-that won't do. Go
home; if your father knew this he would
pull your ears, though he is idiot enough not
| to do it,"
rose from my chair, looking, no doubt,
just as felt, for he laughed, and said,
"Kick me, if you like"
went home thoroughly miserable, and
did not report my interview, while Uncle
Zeb on his part was silent also; but l did
much mischief that day, and Uncle Zeb did
good stroke of business out of the capital
which had furnished him.
About this time grandmother was per-
suaded to take an assistant-one who should
unite in herself the qualities of companion
and housekeeper. As there exists such a
race of females, one was easily found. She
was remote cousin (this race is apt to be
distantly related) and lived forty miles
away, in grandmother's native place. Her
name was Nancy Goring; her age thirty
five. She was poor, intelligent, proud, and
adroit. She had pretty, delicate hands, a
large nose, and wore her hair parted at the
side Of her head. Her wardrobe was neat,
but scanty; and grandmother, who believed
in making people happy as far as good
clothes and food went, bought material for
dresses and petticoats, and the companion 8
fret duty was TO make them up. After the
dresses we're made, she was allowed to knit
and to sweep q little; but grandmother s
pride was still too great to allow herself to
be supplanted in housekeeping.
Uncle Zeb proposed the position Of hair
comber 10 Nancy, as grandmother's eyesight
was failing, as whenever she combed his
hair now she fell asleep, and made an irreg-
ula. thing Of it. Nancy accepted; and from
that time she began to pay him all sorts Of
delicate attentions, from cutting his finger
nails and tying his cravat, to mixing his
grog and looking over his accounts Uncle
Zeb understood Nancy's devotion to him /;
but Nancy was very uncertain as to the ma :
ture Of his feelings Tor her. She was dcs-
perately bent on turning Uncle Zeb from the
errors Of bachelor into the merits of a hus-
band. She watched him and followed him,
and grovelled about him but all in vain.
Uncle Zeb never gave way. One day grand
mothers eyes were opened. She found
Nancy, with red silk handkerchief Of IN
Gle Zeb's in her hand, which she had rolled
into tight ball, imprecating its owner hys-
terically.
The next day Nancy returned to her ma
tive place.
Our evil days drew near. A ship-the
one father depended on as his last hope
made broken voyage, and he was obliged
to succumb. The house Of A. G. & Son
failed. A few days before the public an
nounccment Of the failure, he told it to his
family. Then Uncle Zeb played his part.
He behaved as if he had received an insult
from father; he glowered with rage, and
cursed him for his duplicity and foolish
ness. How dared he disgrace the name with
failure and poverty? Had he given up al
his property to his creditors? lie himself
had taken what measures he could to save
some little from the wreck; and then it came
out that he had obtained from grandfather
every cent Of his private property: deeds
had been signed by grandfather in Uncle
Zeb's favor, merely, as Uncle Zeb had told
him, to make him safe if ever rainy day
came along. He had not made any nice
distinctions between personal property and
that which belonged to the firm, but had
clawed into his possession oil he could, and
left the reputation Of it to rest on father, if
possible, if the creditors should discover it,
and make allowance for it in the settlement.
The failure came out. and our house was
besieged from morning till night by credit
ors. The.y were the more angry for its being
unexpected. They not only wanted their
money, but an explanation. Father had his
office closed, and staid at home to receive
them. The parlor was full Of ledgers, and
councils were held over them, during which
his character and conduct we're discussed Is
if he had not been present. Not being a
creditor, Uncle Feb was denied the pleasure
of being member Of the council; but he
came and went dozen times day, without
speaking to one Of us. He went about the
ship-yards poking the timber with his cane,
as if he would like to hurt it, and saw him
on the wharf studying the spars Of vessels.
lie was taking much more exercise than he
had been accustomed to, and it evidently
did not agree with him.
His ownership in certain properties was
denied by the creditors; but they could not
prove that the large homestead which had
been grandfather's, belonged to the firm; SO
it passed into Uncle Zeb's keeping. But the
creditors increased the per centage Of wha,
father was to pay on his debts, in conse.
quence.
SO We are ruined Father made some ar
rangement by which his parents were moi
disturbed in their way of living; but mo.
Their, and the rest of US, gave up our purple
and fine linen. Although Uncle Zeb lived
in his own house now, the expenses Of liy-
ing were not betrayed by him, but by A. G.
& Son. But if he did not complain, we
should? He felt contempt for father; at
the same time, believe he had some admi-
ration for his dignity and patience. Uncle
Zeb was too clear. minded not to understand
himself. He began to hate himself, and
this sclf-hatrcd made him reckless: from
this time he gave rein to his evil nature,
and his pace was awful.
The next year Grandfather died, and was
buried with his fathers, who slept uuder the
messy slnAe-stones of the Puritan times.
Mean while father had prosnered he had