St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-05-02
Mr.. Bonsall's Matchmaking.

waiting breakfast. uiI event very nm
common with him. for Aunt Nancy was
the soul of punctuality. Nevertheless
she WAS Il little late this morning. Eight
o'clock waS the breakfast hour. and it
WAS now fully ten minutes past.
Aunt Nancy was not my Uncle Nc
Falanc'S wife. He WAS vidower of
some fifteen Years standing. Fifteen
Years before his wife had left him IA
delicate little boy for ii keepsake. and
had gone away. Whispering with her
last breath that She WAS very happy.
Her mother and sister. who had come
to the house to nurse her. remained
after her death. according to Uncle
McFailancS particular request. He
would he 50 glad. he said. if il were not
eNacting too much of Il sacrifice. to
have Mrs. Howard and Nancy stay with
him. keep up his house. and attend to
his little boy. so Mrs. Howard. who
was Il widow with very Straitrncd
income. rented her little house in the
New England village where she had
always lived. and came to preside over
Mr.. McFarlane's spacious mansion aud
liberal housekeeping i'll Greenwich street
New York my Uncle McFarlane lived
III t'rccnwlch street. Il fact which marks
the date of my story with sufficient eX-
actnrSS.
Mrs. Howard had been dead three
months. and still Aunt Nancy presided
over Uncle NcFaIlanc'> household.
Neither of them had ever Thought of IA
change as either necessary or desirable.
Nancy bad been Il fair. prim. and some
Nhuf ri NNh han h.. 70, Hi,r..
i'll Greenwich street. She was still Il
fair. >"mew hat pIim Woman of thirty
five. with pretty, soft brown hair. violet
blue eyes. and pure. soft. somewhat
chHngctul complexion. She was not in
the least like il modern Young lady'>
heroine. She had no particular a>pira-
tiouS beyond the limited and old fash
i"ncd one of doing her duty in that
state of life To which it had pleased Gud
to call her. She did not consider her
self Il martyr Ia IIncomgcnial circum-
stances. hccarI>c She made l'ncle Me
Farlamc> shirts and mcndcd his stock
in->. and even the fact of going down
int" the kitchen. To do mp his immaru-
late rutiic>. hen old Mrs. Browns
hamd> were too lame. and the rhamhrr-
maids too ulSLiIltul to hc trusted with
them. did not awaken in hen mind amy
desire to rush ont into the world in
search ot Il r:ircct. No such fancy had
even entered Nancy Howard, head.
She Wa> absolutely ''runtcntcd with her
present condition.. willing to 90 ON
maxim" Uncle McFmlaur'> shirts. keep
my his house. spelling his child. and
making it pleasant for linn" ~ she
simply said. lIcI great pleasures con
sisted i'll doing muslin embroidery. Wis
itng the poor. going +" church. and
reading the English classics. with nov
and tIcu novel If She had amy trials
-hc kept them Ia herself. ronidiug them
t" no spiritual director. new >paprr
edition. "r female friend such was
Nancy Howard At and-thirti.
My Uncle NcFarlInc WAS il fine gen
tlcman i'll the true >ru>.. of the phrase
He WAS unimpcHchIhlc in iutcgl ity. um-
spotted III morals. in manners absolute
ly perfect Il little set in his way. and
possibly somewhat particular in eating
and drinking. He WIS also given +"
amusing himself i'll u quiet WAY with
the pccUiaIltic> ui those about him.
But he nrlrI willingly huIt ur neglected
ANY one. and he had Il certain genial
graCiuE>nc>> of manner. which made al
his employees. from Nh. Saunders. his
confidential clerk. down To Black sam.
the raImGlu. and pavN. the GRAND hoy .
feel the better " hen hr spoke (" them.
Miss Nancy i> ii little latctai~ morn
iug >" uh-rl,,d I-nrir NlrFarlanc. -
Brown. his man. brought him the pa-
per.
" g.. >iI. She was ont till 1fir1
twelve last night. ut Sans. >ir."
"lndrcd, How Wis that ,"
"WclI. ,nu >rr. ~ir. sans ,rirl WIS
took with Il quick consumption last
spring. and his wife. amt VERY ru~ra
citiir. Miss Nancy. shes been there u
Good deal, and when >u>\ WIS struck
with death last rN cnimg. >hc sends inr
hrI. 50 Miss Nancy. She went and
stayed ill il WAS all over. 1t WAS Il
great comfort tu them. sill You see.
sans iic. >hr'> gni Il little vnunr baby.
too. and altogether il comes hard"
Il should say 81. indeed. We must
seq that everything i done. Brown.
Find out when the funeral i to hr. and
let me know and tell vuur wif,. to send
them something comfortable. when She
GOES tu market. But here comes Miss
Nancy. ~rad up breakfast. Brown,
breakfast was usual, , somewhat
silent meal. save for Alick'S chatter
with his aunt for Mr., NcF,rl,u. ,I-
WAYS read the paper. invariably asking
Miss Nancy : permission.
'NhH do .you look ut me So closely.
.Alirk ,! asked Miss Nancy. a> she
caught her nrphrw'S gaze fixed upon
her.
Il was thinking how pretty YOU are -
answered .Alick. with his usual frank
ness. Il think You are il hundred times
urrttipr than Miss Rcpiuu SrbuyI,r