Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-01-07
CHAPTER III.
THE BLANDFORD FAMILY.

Mr.. Richard Blandford, the brother, or
more correctly speaking, the half:brother of
Mr.. John, inhabited an elegant country resi-
dence, some eighteen or twenty miles distant
from New York city. He was an old bachel-
or, and very wealthy; and like most individ-
uals of this class, had his eccentricites, which,
fortunately, however, were, for the most part,
of an agreeable kind. He maintained large
retinue of servants, though he lived the great
er part of the time alone. His brothers fami-
ly generally spent several weeks of each au-
tumn with him, but his solitude was seldom bro
ken by other company. Everything about his
establishment, both within doors and without,
was in the most costly and recherche style. He
employed gardener at twelve hundred a
year to keep his grounds in order; kept a
close carriage, an open buggy, and SIX or
seven fine horses Jared as sumptuously as
Lucullus, and was noted for possessing the
best winc-cellar in the State. TO look at him,
one would never have suspected him of being
Sybarite in his tastes. He was short fat,
good-natured old gentleman, jovial and off,
hand in his manner, and rather careless about
dress, especially in hot weather, when his at
tire scarcely came up to the conventional STAN
dard of propriety. InJuly and August days
he might be seen extended on a couch, in the
shady end of his back verandah, smoking a
pipe, with very loosely fitting shirt, open at
the neck and turned up at the wristbands, a
pair of enormous white trousers, embroidered
slippers, and nothing more on-collar, neck
tie, coat and vest, and even stockings, being
discarded as inconvenient superhulties. In
this guise he would shuttle about the house
and yard, and even partake Of his meals, at
which, however, his servants were required to
appear in irreproachable costume, and to 60
through their duties with as much ceremony
and decorum as though whole company was
present. No one understood better than he
how to entertain and when he did take a
fancy to give dinner or wine.party, his
guests were sure to be charmed with the ell
tertainment and with him. Although he was
near sixty years old, he was by no means re-
garded as beyond the pale of matrimony, by
sundry elderly damscls and matchmaking
mothers Of his acquaintance, whose intentions
concerning him, had he OWNED them, would
have filled his soul with horror. But tortu-
nately for his peace of mind, he was quite in
nocent Of their aspirations 1t was reported
that hehad been Tilted in his youth, and some
asserted that he had taken VOW OF cellbacy
in consequence; but the truth Of this state
mcnt no one, of course, could absolutely y vouch
for
On the forenoon of the day which had wit
messed the mooring Of the ocean Queen" IN
New York harbor, Mr.. Richard Blandford
sat in huge arm chair i'll the front porch,
smoking his favorite pipe, and playing with
his little niece, Carrie. The latter was a flax
en-headed, roly-poly, dimpled little elf of two
and half years, the youngest and only sur,
viving child of her parents, and, as natural
consequence, considerably spoiled. No one
contributed more lavishly to this process than
her uncle, who declared her to be the most
beautiful, clever, supcrlatively y wonderful
child in existence, and was never happier than
when petting or romping with her. Of her
beauty there could be no doubt. Nopicturcd
chcrub could be lovelier than that rosy-tinted
little face, with its deep, heavy fringed blue
eyes, open white brow, dainty, smiling mouth
and its framework of clustering blonde curls,
Just reaching to the curve Of the soft, snowy
neck. There was charm in both her fea-
lures and expression which by far exceeded
the mere ordinary prettiness and winsomeness
which adorn healthy and happy childhood,
and promised for her in future years no COM
mon order of attractiveness and grace. She
was also sweet-tempercd, mcrry-hcarted, at
fcctionate little creature, warmly yreciprocatmg
the love that was lavished upon her Oh all
sides, and was less subject to fits Of the dis
ease popularly termed naughtness than might
have been expected, considering the unlimited
INDULGENCE of which she was the object. She
was dearly fond of her uncle Richard, and at
this present moment was tumbing and trsk'
ing about over his knees with the playfulncss
and agility of a fat little kitten, and trying to
grasp small China doll, the youngest of the
numerous family Of which her father had spo'
ken, which he kept teasingly just out of her
reach, declaring that it was his child and not
hers, and that it would cry if he gave it up.
"i'll go way and yead my book if you's
naughty, uncle Dick" she threatened at last,
relnquishing her attempts in despair of sue
cess, and quite brcathess with mingled laugh
ter and exertion "and then you'll cry"
"Of course III cry, if you leave me-" said
uncle Dick, in melancholy tone. "Please
stay, Carrie, and I'll be good boy"
"LVell. I'll stay, if YOU give me my baby