The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-11-03
Gbe Gtnres, Nerp BLOOMFIELD, lDa.

weeks, alternately hoping and despairing,
and wondering why all the world should
unite to oppress her while she could love
everybody in it.
Keep up good courage Mary the world
is made up of sorrows, and yours have
hardly begun!
1t was soon rumored in the family that
uncle Ben was about to set cut on his
journey beyond the equator.
81 will see him before he goes" thought
Mary, land tell him all my troubles
know such a good heart as his viii pity
me-"
That very afternoon uncle Ben came
bustling into the cottage and surprised
them all by announcing that the ship, on
which he bad engaged passage, would sail
that night, and he had come to bid them
goodbye. The near prospect of good
snuff at the salt water had put him in the
best of spirits, and he was lavish of his good
nature and drollery.
"What have you got here, uncle r' said
Helen, looking suspectingly at a large bun
die that he had laid on the table, aud
about to put her hand upon it.
"Take care :" shouted he, cit may go
OFF, and the frightened girl bounded to
the other side of the room, amid roars of
laughter.
Taking it into his own hands, the cap
tain sat down and began to unroll it, with
a group of interested spectators around
him, among whom was Mary, who had
been attracted from the kitchen by the
uproar.
at is only some farewell duds for the
children" said he, and he began to dis
tribute various toys to Ned and Tommy.
And here was beautiful dress pattern for
Helen, and another for Emily, and then a
gold thimble for mother and box of
gloves for all three.
Is there nothing for me, then ?" thought
Mary.
What right have you to expect anything,
little outcast?
AS the last of the stuff was removed it
revealed something to Emily's sharp eyes,
who snatched up beautiful ebony work
box, richly ornamented with silver, and
went dancing around the room, exclaim-
ing,
"This is for me this is for me isn't it
uncle?"
"Hush you rude girl ~ said her moth
er, "what could you do with work-box,
when am the seamstress of the family P'
This she said with smile, directed to un-
Gle Ben, which she intended for hint as
to the proper appropriation of the beauti-
full gift.
Uncle Ben, who had been heartily laugh
ing all the while to witness the tumult he
had occasioned, spalse as soon as he could
be heard, and said with decided emphasis,
"That box is designed for Mary, as an
encouragement to her domestic tastes and
industrious habits y and taking it gently
out of Mrs Curtis hands, he presented it
to her Mary's eyes filed with tears as she
took it, and Thanked him with choking
voice. The mother and daughters bit their
lips in vexation and silence for a moment,
but the former at length inquired,
"Where did you get that elegant thing,
captain?"
sit was given to me by a Spanish lady
in Valparaiso" he said. "The lady was
always reprimanding me for my obstinacy,
as she called it, in persisting to lead sim
gle life; aud one day, after railing at me
great deal about it, she declared that
though didn't deserve it at all, she would
do what she could to supply the defect I;
and SO she tripped into another room and
Brought this box, which she had purchased
and freghted expressly for the occasion.
Sol have always called il my wife--but
have been q most cruel husband, for have
kept it locked up all the time ! But"
added he, taking little silver key from
his vest pocket, lyon have seen nothing
but the upper deck yet take peep into
the cabin and see how near it comes to the
thing" Taking it from Mary's hands, he
opened it, displaying the interior, inge-
niously filled with the utmost variety of
materials, and little conveniences for
sewing.
After everything had been duly exam
ined and admired, uncle Ben tapped Mary
pleasantly under the chin, saying,
"Come, Mol, let me show you how to
use - and leading the way into another
loom, he shut the door after them, plainly
indicating that he wanted nobody to fol-
low.