New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-04
TO LEI.

10 LEoIs
snoui2 Gike 20 describe qny aeFoas q
Young and gallant cavalier of this niEe-
| teenth century, with the beauty of an
| Apollo and the wisdom of sage, but truth
| Compels me to acknowledge that Rupert
| SmithsOn, in epite of his fine Christian ap.
! pellatiOn, was neither one nor the other
| His nephew and namtsake who was called
| In the bosom of his family Rupert the Sec
ond. said that his Uncle Rupert was
scrusty old batohelor," and l hammer my
| brains in vain for a more ttting description
! A crusty old bachelor be undoubtedly was,
3nore slsSn fifty years of age, with grizzled
7 haire heavy gray eyebrows, q thick gray
Oearde and a rough voice and mannero 1t
! :s Sery true that he was always very caree
I iuI 20 keep the crustIest aids Of his nature
| on the surface and had been discovered
! IN she ace of committing secretly deeds OF
Gharjey and kindness ehaS belied utterly his
habitual surly tone and abrupt manner
? Twenty years before, when the gray hair
was nut brown and clustered in rich curls
| over the broad, white forehead, when the
| brown eyes shOne with the fire of ambition,
the clear voice waa true and tender, Ru-
pert Smithson had given his whole loyal
heart to Katie Carroll, neighbor and friend.
! and little sweetheart from childhood.
| Urged by love a. well as ambition, he had
left his home, in a small Western town, and
| gone to New York to win a name and a for
| tune to lay at katie's feet. The fortune
and fame as successful merchant came to
him, but whefs he returned to Katie, he
| found she had lett her home also, to become
the bride OF a wealthy pork dealer in Gin
cinnati. Nobody told Rupert Of treachery
to the pretty Katie, of letters suppressed
of ISLANDERS circulated, and parental author
ity stretched to its utmost in favor of the
| wealthy suitor. He had no record Of the
| slow despair that crept over the loving
| heart when the pleading letters were un-
answered, of the dull apathy yielded at
last aud gave away the hand of the young
| girl, when her heart seemed broken. All
| that the young ardent lover know was the
one bitter fact that the girl he loved faith
! fully and fondiy was false to her promise,
| the wife of another. He spoke no word of
bitterness. but returned to the home he had
| fitted up for his bride. and the business he
| had hoped was his stepping stone to hapC
piness and life of loneliness.
Ten years later, when Rls sister, with her
| son and daughter, came to live in New York
! foS educational advantages Ruperto the
! tirsSo was certainly what his saucy nephew
I sailed Jimo o crusfS ofG bachelor. Yefs
I iusG that sore. disappointed Aease katle's
deeersion had &c wonn,Sed She bachelor
! s,nc?t tooi4 with warm 3oSS and great Indulo
! geace bis 4epheW and aieceo bright hande
! some children OF seH and twelve %hos
! ciidlikee imposed 8lpon das good nature
] Sioted over his quiet orderly home till his
! stad housekeepcr declared Shey were
? worse than pair Of monkeys. caressed hiIs
? stornily one moment and pointed over some
| refusal for a monstrOus indul gence the next,
and treated him geneyally as bachelor un-
cles must expect to be treated by their size
! ter children.
There was some talk Wien Mrs Kimbeie
| ley came to New York OF making one house
! hoIi OF the family. but the idea was aban-
doned. and the wealthy widow selected a
| residence three doors OFT, in the same block.
9Rupert was 80 act ilS his fdgety old
! bachelor ways. she said, that it would be
positive cruelty to disturb hin.S
| Probably young Rupert and Fannie did
! not consider their bright young faces dis
7 t,trbers of their uncle's tranquility but it is
quite certain that QUE of school hours No.
| 46, their uncle's house, saw them quite as
| frequently as No 43. where their mother
/ residedo With ths intuitiye perception of
children. they understood that the abrupt.
often harsh voice. the surly words, and the
| undemonstrative manneS covered q heart
! that would have made any sacrifice for
| their sakes. that loved them with as true a
| love as thei6 dOwn dead satheS Sould have
| given theme
Se shey ouegfew gniVd}.o6Go @Sidsnces So
J affection ceased 90 sake she form of dolls
: ana drumso and cyoppeG ap SD Christmas
! Checks ip ball dresseso and 6oquetss o
/ saddle horse, and @a2sous otheP delightful
ana acceptable shapes 8iS Rupert came of
J age, when he wac taken SrOm college into
: his uncle's counting Soassa and s. closer into
macy chap Gset 5as conented between the
8 young life and tho one SleadfnR the downo
! ward path to old age
( There had been % family gathering &c
| Mrs Nmberley's one evening late i'll the
! mon 1ls of Marcl,s and a conversation had
I arisen upon the traditional customs end
tricks of the first of Aprils
| OScnseless, absurd tricks. Rupers Smith
son had called them, in his abrupt, rough
way, ''tit only 20 amuse children or idiOts!'
| eOho pshaws Uncle Rupert % Fannie said
saucily, you played AprS sooS tsicksO sooe
when you we're young"
| "NeverS .Ne6er could see any wit OF
sense in thome And what's more Miss
Fannie, was never once caught By any
of the shallow deceitss"
e'Never made an April fooTsV
eNever, and never will be 20 sFas the 2e,
plyo ofhere. child, go play me that last
nocturne you lea ned. IL suits meo hate
| sky rocket musico buS shat is o dreamy
lazy air, and like it.e
0'The idea of your liking anything dreamy
| or lazSo" SAID Mrs. Kim berleyo 'oI thoughs
| you ye6e all energy and activity"
) %NheS worao l worko" was the 5ep1Ss
"but when resto want to rest-ss
| SUnce RupertS' broke in Rupert sud
denlyo what sala you bes eanS 5ooS you
| next sFeek !"
oBah3 Yhe ides os getting s@ s.ay sso 90
Be fooled by boy Sike yeeb@ %
@Then you defy me %
"Of course do a
eoI'll do ito Keep SeHs eyee opef.@
oeForewaTned is forea9medi Bq9 GgGsSo
| stop chattingo want ,nS music
Pretty, saucye mirth-loving Fannie sFtn
her dancing black eyes and brilliant smile
prefer of dreamy, lazy music" but once her
hands touched the keys of the grand piano
forte, the girls whole nature seemed to
merge into the sounds che created Merry
music made dancing elves of her fingers as
they flew over the rotee: dreamy music drew
q mask Of hushe,P beauty over her face, and
her great black eyes would dilate and seem
20 see far away as the room filed with tho
sweet, low cadencss. She would lock like
IN inspired Joan OF Arc. when grand chords
"olltd oLb under hee ha1ig in nsies.ic
I-eastlres- and eacred Muse transformed
hes into something sanity e,nce the sf Sc
wC>@ Case was clOssC ST Cecilia brcs se
pretty, win me FAM g kimCa12y agai,a
Tire were few IL .!uenoes that ,,aplA
soften sfo outer crust of manrl.r eSI Roper
sn'thson, but he would h.ie his f.,e away
whom Fannie played, ash smed ..,rnself OF
tears That started, or smiles that fove-. Il
Oh MS lips as the music ,lercec down. down
into that warm, loving heart b., hal tried
to conceal with cynical woros and locks.
, - when he daA oh0eds Of she Sasotu-ne