St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-11-27
THE TROUBLESOME NIECE


sister chose 10 marry Jim Owen, and
then die, and leave this girl behind, |
must take the thing and provide Ter il.
What Il fool was ever tn tell my sister
that I'd see to her child. Why, here
will be my house turnci top-y-turvy, ami
everything like peace fly ou' OF the win
dow. And then l suppose the IIirr
thinks I'll find her spending money. W,
Il pcnny-mo-not one. She says she
can sew, and she shall. BY the host,
she don't touch Il penny Of mine. And
il she stays here, She >hali do my Scwin4
to pay for house room, and my cookin.
and washing To pay Tor her victu;ti~. \
plaque on poor niccvs '"
Thus spake Absalom, and then he sat
down and stuck his feet close up to the
fire. Ahs;,ium Burr was perfect mi
ser. His face was deeply turrowcd by
the hand of passing time, and IL lines
were hard and cold Ills clothes were
old and patched. and his shoes, even.
were sadly IN want OF mendng.
The cold breath OF winter WAS close a;
hand, and Yet the only lucl ne mad WIZ
such as lie had been able To pick up bt
the road side and at the cd .c OF the poni.
The house iii which he lived was but "a
poor hovci with only two rooms, ana
with furniture more tit iur fircwood :hau
Tor anything else. There were four w,u-
dowS iii the house, and every spare IA
OF clothing he owned was in ne for the
replacing of broken paurs.
And vet Ab~alom Burr WAS worth
fifty thousand dollars, though lie con-
lrived 10 b. taxed for only about Ten
thousand, which was invested i'll house.
IN the town. He was never known 10
b,~tuw Il penny III charity, though man,
u poor and suffering follow creature ,i.,d
Or9gtd for assistance III lis han,.~. Alone
had Inc lived Tor many lung year. and
his heart was al. hardened and closed uf
against every kindly icclina. He >pvnJ
h> lime III attending to lis rents, pi,.>
lng up wood and RAGS 10y the WAY >ii,.
and counting his money at home.
o. Monday evening. near the L., @:
November, the stagc >iapp, in h.n, O.:
Ab-aIom'> hut, and Il your- !cma', va
ac!p,I ouf Ly the dtiy,-. .nd - tgu.L
and bandboN pui down al,rr h," +;
WI Kate Owen. The Old man had rut
-yyn her for ten years, but he rruitmbar-
ci well how his sister had looked at I'll,
Imr whcn sha WAS - siri, an! here Wa
0rr exact imHgc. Il ,jr'> motI2r was l.,y
omiy sister he ever ha,. and ih!.- la.
wa~ the only near relative hr had HNiH-.
The girl helped carry her own trunA rn.
and a. soon a. she bad removed her bon
net, she threw her arms about his neck
and kissed him. lie started back "l
his, and severe look passed over Ills
lace.
kayc owen was Il pretty GIRL. and she
had left behind her not an acquaintance.
who did not love her. She W;i- "a short.
plump, iaughter-ioN inG being, with brown
.lair and hazel eyes, and wucu -ho ltu-u-
cd, the dimp!os dccpentd IN her checks
and chin, and the dark cuIis wi.c"
hook about her face was ~ good a.
medicine for the biuc~, aud thr ring oi
aer rich, merry laa-h was contiguous
My dear uncle" >hr said. after s."
had seated herself al lGc lire, ''arc you
lad Eve come
..Wcil-yes; Shouldn't want lou to
lie without "a Lumr. But mini-you
are TO help me. lou wont be an cX-
pense to me.
..Of course | won't. Why, I'll r.
urn you tentold How snug and happy
we will be this winter You wont bc
here all alone to hear the wini blow,
aud tie hail thump and rattle against
The windows. And shall feel better,
TOO, than | should if was away anon
strangers
But you've got to 20 among strang-
er>, sometime. You can expect that
you are going TO find Il nome here al
ways"
..Oh no, dear uncle bu, while 10
STAY | will try to make You happy"
And in like tones did ,Ir address the
old mi,cr under all circumstances. Ere
long she asked her uncle where she could
find the materials for supper, for She
confessed that she was hungry.
Il eat some bread and cheese, when
am hungry, he told her.
But haven't you amy tea? or any
.our or any butter!
There may be a little butter" Sald
she old man reluctantly bat l don
think there's any flour, and tea l. SOME
ihlng don Use
''but you love II, nh2ic
NV hy, ycs,-but 1t costs too much
"Ard -us;r-have You amy oi ;ha' .
''No; | get along very Wei! without
it.
"lhcn you wait few minutes, an'