The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-11-15
UNCLE GEOFFEY'S TALL COPY OF
TERENCE.
From the London Society,

UNCLE GEOFFEY'S TALL COPY OF
TERENCE.
From the London Society,
My uncle Geofrey was as eccentic
an old gentleman as you could desire
to see. But, as he used to say, he was
wealthy, and he could afford to be &C.
centic. And he was right, for people
put up with his eccentricities who
would have denounced him as bear
IL it had not been for his money. At
any rate, with all his eccentricities, he
was generous and liberal; though at
times he did kindness in very odd
way. Once ON time, for instance, he
was opplied to for a contribution to a
certain charity. He always preferred
being his own almoner, for he said, if
you wanted to give five pounds fQRany
specific purpose, the only way to1N6ure
its reaching its object through any
charitable organization was to add two
more fives to it to ''oil the machinery" {"
as he called it, meaning the cost of dis.
tribution. 1 don't think, 10y the way
that he was very wrong. Well, in
this case, local magnate was poster.
ing him to subscribe as they We're
walking up High street. My uncle
knew that his friend was more famous
for getting others to subscribe than for
his donations; and accordingly, just
as the philanthropist was urging that
sit is every mans duty 20 assist the
struggling" my uncle's eyes chanced
to light upon a small boy striving to
push heavy truck up the hill "Look
here" said he, "if you practice what
you preach, and help that boy ycnder
along with his load, I'll give you
twenty pounds for your charity" The
philanthropist went off in buff, and
my uncle quietly stepped into the road
and helped the boy to push the truck to
the top of the ascent.
That is but one instance of his eccen-
tricity, but will serve to throw a light
upon his character-especially when l
add that the subscription list of the
charity when published contained the
following item;
From one who earned 1t pushing truck up
dlgn .......AZJ
Mr.. Uncle Geoffrey was a bachelor.
People did say something about love
disappointed in early life, but with
what truth / know not, He had two
sisters, both Of whom married profess
sional men-in other words, did not
make very good matches. My father
was an officer in the navy, who died of
fever while off the African coast, cruis-
ing after s.avers. My mother did not
long survive him, and left me her only
child, to the care of her brother. Her
sister had married clergyman, curate
in a neighboring town. One night a
terrible fire broke out in factory close
to their lodgings, and spread so rapid
ly that when assistance arrived all in
the house had perished except my cou.
sin-a lad of about ten-who at the first
alarm had rushed ont into the street,
leaving his little brother and sisters,
who slept In the next room to him, to
their fate.
My Uncle Geoffrey adopted both his
nephews. We were brought up under
his own eye by tutor, who had been
a school-fellow of his, and exceedingly
clever scholar, who wOuld have taken
high honors at the university but for q
serious illness, which had Frustrated
him at time when he should have
gone in for his examination.
My cousin George was my senior by
some three years, and was, therefore
always held by my uncle to be his
heir; though he always added, when
he mentioned the fact, that Dick
meaning me-should not want.
After time we were sent to college
our em-tutOr, who taken orders anC
acted as curate in the village a few
years before we matriculated, being ap
pointed to q living in my uncle's gift
AS We were now young men, and Oul
tutor was gone, our uncle became Oul
Mentor, and, as might be expected
laid down very extraordinary rule:
for our conduct. One Of the chic
of these was that we were not to fall il
love or 60 a counting; but that, suppOs
ing such a misfortune as falling in low,
did overtake us, he was to be lmmedi
ately informed.
He made each of us handsome al
lowance, and did not insist greatly OF
our distinguishing ourselves in college
AS might be expected, we took thing
easily and lived well, though we wer'
careful to pass our examinations, fO
Uncle Geoffrey had always set his fac
against "fellow's being plucked," a
it used to be called in his time.
In the long vacation he allowed us
after a months stay at the Mano
House, to wander wherever we chose
and he placed his yacth at our dispOsa
entirely. He used it himself in tn
spring and summer, and declared tina
we younsters didn't want to be bother
ed by an old man like him, aDd 81
we should have the craft to ourselves
In our yachting excursions Geore
used always take command. He wa
headstrong, selfish fellow by nature
and the indulgence shown to both Q
us by our uncle was, in his case atleast
unfortunate, for it encouraged tn
growth of bis failings. In my case
fear my uncle's kindness humored
tendency In money matters, for knew
thispurse was always open.
After a time / found George alway
took the yatch to small but prett,
seaport on the south coast called Gul
stone. Nor was / long in discoverin
the reason of this choice of an anchor
age, though ut first it seemed hradly
probable one., The fact was tina
George was paying his attentions to
Miss Powsby, whose father, retire
soap boiler, had purchased villa nea
Guistone. Now Miss Powsby was nc
very pretty; on the contrary she wa
abnormally plain. She was not ugly
for ugliness has kind of piquanc
which absolute plainness entirely lacks
But she bad her attractions. Sh
; was an only child, and Powsby per
had not boiled soap half his life to n
purpose. Mrs. Powsby had been di'
, tant connection of q real live Lord, an
| she had instilled into her husband th
necessity for giving Penelope's hand t
J genteel aud well-bred suitor. Con
sequently old Powsby turned up hi
, nose at all the young men in his owI
! sphere of life, and looked about for