American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-03-06
VOL. XIV.

for gold in the deep and sunless mine
of Ballarat He had been shepherd o
the lonely plains of Warnambooler; an
now, in his old age, he had returned t
the land of his fathers to lay his bone
with theirs and to leave his gold, tn
fruit of long years of toll, to his friend
and relations.
1t was at this point of his narrative tina
my wife, who is of a very tender disposi
ton, was affected TO tears.
lave, ma'am, and it's an old sayin!
that blood is thicker than water, an'
though he don't recollect it many's TIL
time l have handled your husband OF
my knee when he was no bigger than lit
tie sonny there. Come, Tommy, ant
kiss your old uncle"
This was addressed to our eldest hope
an urchin of some five years old. The
boy, however, held back and did no
seem inclined to accept the invitation.
Run and kiss your uncle, yoJ
naughty, willful boy, do" sand my wife.
| The boy obeyed with a very bad grace
and Immediately afterward ran and hid
his face in his mothers lap.
| No, thank you, ma am-I don't seem
| to care for another cup o tea. But il
| you have a drain of anything handy
think could take a drop along with my
pipe RUNS my favorite tipple, ma'an
NOT to put you to no Inconvenience"
He was actually smoking pipe in Oul
| drawing-room and my wife was looking
/ on and smiling.
"Oh, certainly" replied my wife, in
| reply to the last demand. "It's nc
| trouble, assure you. IL think VIC
have some in the house."
"Of course we have, Emily" 1 said
"Why, rum is our favorite tipPle, you
| know"
My wife said nothing. but she gave me
| one of those peculiar looks with which
she sometimes favors her devoted slave.
She went down stairs, and shortly
afterward l heard the front door close,
by which l understood that our domestic
had been dispatched to the nearest pub
lie house for a bottle of rum.
was not mistaken. In short time
she returned with bottle and two
glasses.
"And now" she said, Il will leave
you two together while l go and put the
children to bed. Say Goodnight to
your uncle, Tommy"
Goodnight. little one," said Uncle
Joe. Twill he take little of this,
ma'am?"
"Oh, no." said my wife, hastily, draw
ing the child toward her.
But Tommy had seen the rum in the
glass, and liked the look of it; and he
declared stoutly that he would have
some.
"a little drop won't hurt him, ma'am, u
said Uncle Joe.
And before my wife could interfere
the child had the glass to his lips, and
had drank off half of it.
1t nearly choked him and, after brief
interval, during which his countenarce
presented an amusing picture of surprise
and CONSERVATION, he was led out of the
room, bowling.
Uncle Joe remained some days with
us, during which he developed some pleas
ing traits of character.
Il like you, Sammy, my boy" he
would say to me. 81 have more money
than / ever will have any use for, and you
won't regret your kindness to your old
uncle"
Still his presence in our household was
productive of some inconvenience. He
had great fondness for rum, which he
drank from morning till night; and this,
with his continual smoking, made our
parlor begin to smell like a taproom.
He had a great partiality for cards, and
he initiated me into several strange
games. There was one of them, l recOl-
lect, called Blind Hockey, in which you
bet on a card; and another styled Poker,
in which you anted up, and saw your OPP
ponents half-crown, and went five shill-
ings better.
betted on a card. and saw my oppo-
nent's half-crown, and in a very short
time found that had lost five pounds
to my relative. This sum, of course, was
a mere trifie to him; but it was more
than 1 could afford, and / had to decline
to ante up in future.
One thing gave me serious annoyance.
Uncle Joe had contracted habit of
using very powerful explosives; and
Tommy, who is very observant Child,
began to repeat some of these most un-
necessary words.
One day l heard dispute between the
boy and his mother.
!" want some more cake, ma"
" You have had enough. Too much
cake is not good for little boys"
I" will have some more cake. If you
don't giveit to me 1 will say dam like
Uncle joe"
l had a private interview with the
child; ard, after an argument which in
vOlved some slight physical exertion on
my part, think convinced him of the
improperly of saying dam"
Another matter gave me great uneasi-
ness. was in daily expectation of a
visit from my wife's aunt. A meeting
between her and my uncle seemed inev-
liable. How were two lch contrary
elements to be brought together without
collision? feared the most disastrous
results, and / looked forward TO the
meeting with much trepidation. But one
evening, on returning home from bust
ness. found Aunt Jane, my uncle, and
my wife in the parlor together, convers-
ing most amicably. Uncle Joe was
smoking as usual. l had told him of
Aunt James expected arrival, and l had
asked him not to smoke in her presence.
looked frowningly at his pipe.
"Oh, it's all right, Sam, my boy" he
said, " Miss Lillicrap don't object. She
rather likes smoking in n single man."
Does she? 1 know if l had attempted
to smoke in my own house she would
have gone into Mysteries, at the very
least. And here was Uncle Joe pouring
his foul tobacco smoke almost into her
very face, and she was sitting opposite
him, smiling graciously. Learned after
ward that, on Aunt James first arrival,
my wife had explained to her privately
the presence of Uncle Joe in the house.
She had described my relative a man
long unused to civilized society, but of Il
kind and generous disposition; and-Oh !.
SO rich! And these were the two people
had been afraid to bring together.
Fool. to think that any difference in
mere social usages could discover the
bond of sympathy which unites the pos
SCISSOR of money with-the possessor of
money! Oh, Mammon, Mammon!
l find the reflections here suggested
have run out into the form of an essay
of some length, and of far too valuable a
nature to be inserted in a mere casual
sketch like the present. They are there