Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-16

for me, though | can't believe it was
ever ike-which will be worth moth
ing to sell, and which | shall beg may
be given to Frank.
l have written my dear boy little
letter with it, in which | have told
him that felt very sorry to part with
him, though bound to confess that |
knew no reason why | should remain
here. | have given him some short
advice, the best in my power, to take
warning of the consequences of oeing
nobodys enemy but his own; and |
have endeavored to comfort him for
what | fear he will consider bereave-
ment, by pointing out to him that |
was only superauous something to
every one but him, and that having
by some means tailed to find a place
in this great assembly, l am better
out of it.
Such (said the poor relation, clear
ing his throat and beginning to speak
a little louder) is the general impress
sion about me. Now it is a remark
able circumstance which forms the
aim and purpose of my story, that
this is all wrong. This is not my
life, and these are not my habits. |
do not even live in the Clapham road.
Comparatively speaking, am very
seldom there. l reside mostly, in
al am ashamed to say the word, it
sounds so full of pretension-in a
Castle. l do not mean that it is an
old baronial habitation, but still it is
a building known to every one by the
name of Castle. In it | preserve
the particulars Of my history, They
run thus:
1t was when | first took John Spat-
ter-who had been my clerk-into
partnership-and when | was still a
young man Of not more than five and
twenty, residing in the house of my
uncle Chill, from whom | had consid-
erable expectations, that | ventured
to propose to Christiana. l had low
ed Christiana a long time. She was
very beautiful and very winning in
all respects; rather mistrusted her
widowed mother, who | feared was of
plotting and mercenary turn of
mind; but | thought as well Of her as
[ could, for Christiana'8 sake. | had
never loved any one but Christiana,
and she had been all the world, and
0, far more than all the world to me,
from our childhood.
Christiana accepted ne, with her
mothers consent, and | was rendered
very happy indeed. Ny life at Uncle
Chills was Of spare, dull kind, and
my garret chamber was as dull, and
bare, and cold, as an upper room in
some stern northern fortress. But,
having Christiana's love, | wanted
nothing upon earth. l would not
have changed my lot with any human
being.
Ayarice was. .unhappily, my Uncle
Chill's master vice. Though he was
rich, he pinched, and scraped, and
lived miserably. As Christiana had
no fortune, | was a little fearful oi
confcssing our engagement to him
but at length wrote him a letter
saying how it all truly was. I put i
into his hand one night on going tc
bed.
As came down stairs next morn
ing shivering in the cold December
air, colder in my uncle's unwarmed
house than in the street, where tht
winter sun did sometimes shine, anC
which was at all events enlivened b.
cheerful faces and voices passing
along; Icarried a heavy heart TOWARD
the long, low breakfast room in whicl
my uncle sat. 1t was a large room
with a small fire, and there was
great bay-window in it which the rail
had marked in the night as if witt
the tears of homeless people. 1t star
ed upon a raw yard, with a crackeC
stone pavement, and some rusted irol
ratings half uprooted, whence an ugl,
outbuilding that had once been a dis
secting room (in the time Of the grea
surgeon who had mortgaged the hous
to my uncIe) stared at 1t.
We rose so early, always, that a
that time of the year we always break
tasted by candle light. When | wen
into the room, my uncle was so cor
tracted by the cold, and SO huddle,
together in his chair behind the on
dim candle, that | did not see him ur
til was close to the table.
ASH held out my hand to him, b
caught up his stick,-being infrm, h
always walked about the house wit
! a stick,-and made a blow at mt
and said:
) "You foolw
Uncle" l returned, II didn't e2
pect you to be SO angry as this"
Nor had I expected it, though
: was hard and angry old man.
"You didn't expect! said he
: "when did you ever expect? Whe
l did you ever calculate, or look 70
ward, you contemplate dogV
y "These are hard words, uncle p
"Hard words! Feathers, to pc
- such an idiot as you WITH" said h
. "Here, Betsy Snapl Look at him !"
4 Betsy Snap was withered, har
4 favored, yellow old woman-our on
Q domestic, always employed, at th
t time Of the morning, in rubbing n
# uncle's legs. As my uncle adjure
It her to look at me, he put his lean gr
IS on the crown of her head, she knee
n ing beside him, and turned her fa
4 toward me. An involuntary thoug
4 connecting them both with the dissec
n ing room, as it must have been in Il
i. surgeons time, passed across n
>. mind in the midst of my anxiety.
d "Look at the sniveIing milksop
IS said my uncle. "Look at the bab
This is the gentleman who people S;
ol is nobody's enemy but his own. Tt
h is the gentleman who can't say no.
1t This is the gentleman who was ma
n ing such large profits in business th
m he must needs take partner, 10th
IL day. This is the gentleman who
ID going to marry without a penny, al
IS who falls into the hands of Jezabe