Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-04-07


discourse on the duty Of charity aud brotherly
owe Humph a"
Was that you, uncle? beg thousand
pardons But you see the night was so
dark, and YOU were dressed SO differently
from what I've seen you before And so you
heard my lccturc-how did you like it2"
You talked we'll, said the old man, drly.
The remainder Of the breakfast was dis
cuscd in silence, broken only by an occa-
sioual remark from Mr. Vim, in regard to
" the toughness Of the steak, and " the mud
dincss Of the coffee !" and which didn't seem
to have a very euivening effect upon his
Wifes spirits, who evidently lost what little
appetite she had when she came to the table
Mr.. Wnn evidently did not consider it
worth while to keep up even a cordiality for
the uncle, who he was convinced was no long
er the wealthy man he had so often hattercd
and courted so when he arose to 60, he
neither pressed him to remain nor invited him
to come again.
Why, Uncle Lenard, is this really youl
| am delighted 2"
Yes, nephew John. You see I've met
with misiortunes and I'm getting along in
years; SO | thought | would come and see it
you had a corner by your hearth for your old
uncle"
To be sure | have. Come right in. Now
do take this to be kind in you Been uu-
fortunate, eh Don't be down-hearted, sir
you shall never want while have plenty to
spare This is my wife, Polly Polly, this
is Uncle Lenard who was so kind to me when
| was fatherless boy And here are grand
pa and grandma Dean, Poly's father and
mother, nice old people, that you'll be glad
TO know And this is aunt Betsey uncle
Dams widow--you remember uncle Dan.
And these are my children, three boys and
three girls. Those two in the corner are poor
brother Toms boys, and fine lads they are"
" You seem to have large family already
nephew I'm really afraid shall be bur
densome."
" Not bit of it, uncle. My house is ike
an omuibus-there is always room in it for
one more; ha, ha ha Excuse my little
Joke"
Aud the generous, light-hearted fellow rub
bed his hands together gleefully, as if this
additional burden upon his broad, sturdy
ssa',ldars uas the lpnst dehghtfll thing I'M
aginable. The holidays were near at hand,
aud the week before Christmas Mr. Lonard
absented himself so often that John Under
hill and his wife began to fear that he did not
find his new home so pleasant as they were
desirous Of making it.
Christmas morning arose clear and beauti-
ful, and Mr.. Lenard, who had been absent
the night before, drove up to his nephew's
door in a large covered carriage, drawn by a
pair Of praucing bays.
"lt belongs to a friend of mine, he said,
as he encountered his nephew's astonished
look. I've borrowed it, for the purpose of
aking you all out to ride
What, ALL Of us ?"
Yes; every soul Of you Grandpa and
grandma, and Aunt Betsey father, mother,
and all the babies So scramble in"
Large as the carriage was it was filled to
its utmost capacity; three of the boys having
to ride on the outside
Guided by the eolored coachman on the
box the spirited animals drew the carriage
swiftly over the smooth, glittering snow, leay-
ing the city far behind
"What beautiful place :" exclaimed John
admringly, as they stopped in front of fine
country residence such as he had often wished
that he possessed because it would be such
nice place for the children
You will find it as beautiful indoors as
without" said his uncle, as they alighted.
- It's master is the owner of the carriage, and
we are going to dine with him to-day"
Here he cut short all remonstrance by lift
ing the little ones out, who ran up the gray-
el!ed walk to the house, the door of which
was opened by ncat-looking domestic, who
was evidently expecting them.
Hobbling in front Of them, Mr.. Lenard
ushered the older people into large elegant
ly furnished room, through which glowing
coal-fre diflused grateful warmth. Near it
were stuffed arm-chars for the old folks and
disposed around the room sofas and lounges
in abundance, but it was sometime before they
were all seated.
Mr.. Lenard looked around upon them with
moistened eyes, and his voice was slightly
husky, ms he said
MY friends, | bid you welcome to my
home and yours. God grant that you may
live long to enjoy it | call it yours, because
it is legally his whose generous heart has so
long provided for you"
! hlhtf uuVit huiu bunui MS Tuuul lutt
paling with the excess Of emotion.
Yours, my dear boy you will find the
deed of it on yonder table. told you that
| had been unfortunate, and so | have the
breaking of such old bones as mine is no
triaing misfortune. But | am still a rich
man-and richer far in the love that | have
proved to be so warm and unselfsh"
Here folding doors were thrown back, dis
closing a table for whose various and sayory
contents their ride in the sharp, frosty air
gave them keen appettes. And certainly no
party ever sat down to their Christmas dinner
with lighter and happier hearts
When Mr.. Lenard died some years after,
it was found that he had made his nephew
John his sole heir; circumstance which the
poor and needy had no cause to regret, to
whom his generous hand was ever open. His
all-embracng charity even included Howard
Winn, whom he assisted, at various times,
out of the difficulties into which his selfish
oxtravagancies had plunged him.
Perhaps be performs his work as well as
| do mne,n he would say, smiling 4" 1t is
the mission of some to talk, and others to do,
and cousin Howard, certainly, does talk beau
tifully.
The Maine farmers in convention at Au-
gusta decided that the Orono, as il is called,
was the best potato to grow in the State. IL
is also called the Carter, Reed and Foote po-
- l.. Al 4L. L.l1 A. H..