The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-03-20

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he had returned to the land of his faith
crs to lay his bones with theirs, and to
leave his gold, the fruit Of long years of
toll, to his friends and relations. ....
| 1t was Mt this point OF his narrative
that my wife, who Is Of ii very tender dis
position, was affected to tears.
| "Ay, ,ma'am, Its an old saying that blood
IS thicker than WATER; and, though he
don't rccOllcct it, many's the time have
handled your husband on my knee when
he was no bigger than little sonny there.
Come, Tommy, and kiss your old uncle"
| This WAS addressed to our eldest hope,
mn urchin of some five years old. The
boy, however, held back, and did not seem
inclined to accept the invitation.
"Run and kiss your uncle, you naughty,
willful boy, do" said my wife.
The boy obcyed with very bad grace,
and Immediately aftcrward ran and hid
his face in his mothers lap.
mo, thank You, ma'am-I don't seem
to care for another cupo' tea. But if you
have drain of anything handy, think
could take drop along with my pipe.
RUNS my fnvortc tipplc, ma'am-not to
put you to no Inconvenience"
lie was actually smoking IL pipe in our
drawing-room, and my wife WAS looking
OIL and smiling.
"Oh, certainly" replied my wife, in re-
ply TO the last demand. ats no trouble,
| assure you. II think we have some
| in the house."
"Of course we have, Emily" I said.
"Why, rum is our favoritc 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 after
! wards heard the front door close, by
| which understood that our domestic had
been dispatched to the nearest public
| house for bottle of rum.
was not mistaken. In short time
she returned with bottle and two
ylnsscs.
"And now" she said, will leave you
two together while 1 90 out and put the
children to bed. Say Goodnight to
your uncle, Tommy"
Goodnight, little one" said Uncle
Joe, twill he take n little of this, ma'am7"
"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 hc de-
clarcd stoutly that he would have come.
"a little drop won't hurt him ma'am,"
said Uncle Joe.
And before my wife could interfere the
child had the glass to his lips, and had
drunk off half Of it.
1t nearly choked him, and, after brief
interval, during which his countcnance
presented an amusing picture of surprise
and CONSERVATION, he was led out of the
room hOwling.
Uncle Joe remained some days with us,
during which he developed some pleasing
traits of character.
81 like you Sammy, my boy" he would
sny to me. vi have more money than |
ever will have any use for, and you won't
regret your Kindness TO your old uncle"
Sill his presence i'll our household was
productive Of some Inconvenience. lie
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 tap-room. lie
had great partinlity for cards and lie
initiated mo into several strange gnmcs.
There was one of them rCCollcct called
Blind Hockey, in which you bet on card
and another, styled poker, in which you
nnted up, and saw your opponents half
crown and went five shillines better.
ncnt's half-crown, and in II very short
time found that had lost five pounds TO
my relative. This sum, of course, was n
mere trillc to him, but It was more than
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 cXplctivcs; and Tommy,
I'm 10 n ola al, 4
repeat some Of these most unnecessary
words.
One day heard dispute between tho
boy and his mother.
III want some murc 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 give 1t TO me I will say 'dam,' like
Uncle Joo."
| had n private interview with the child,
and, after M argument which involved
some slight physical cxcrion on my part,
think | convinced him Of the impropri
city of saying "dam."
Another matter gave me uncaSincss. |
WAS in daily expectation of visit from
my wiIc's aunt. a meeting between her
and my uncle seemed inevitable. How
"thS wv Su1h ClCItltlIlS ~ DU
brought together without collision1 I
feared tho most disastrous results, and I
looked forward 10 the meeting with much
| trcpidn;iOn. But one evening, OH return
ing home from business, found Aunt
Jane, my uncle, and my wife in the par
l0r together, C0nvcrsiug most amicably
Uncle Joe was smoking rs usual. | had
told him Of Aunt James expected arrival,
md had asked him not to smoke in her
presence. looked frowningly at his
pipe. .
"0h, It's all right, Sam, my boy" he
said. "Miss Iillicrap don't object. She
rather likes smoking in q single gentle.
man."
Docs slicl know If had attempted
10 smoke In my own house she would have
gone into Mysteries atthc very least. And
here was Uncle Joe pouring his foul to.
bacco smoke Utmost into her very face,
and she was sitting opposite him, smiling
graciously. learned nftcrwnrd that on
Aunt James first arrival my wife had OK.
pIaincd TO her privately tho presence Of
:. Uncle Joe in the house. She had described
my relative as n man long unused to civ.
ilizcd society, but Of kind and generous
. 1 i,liaunuiI;nn aud --nL M ricj,t All ,i.,.