, 1875-03-20

| Joseph" " But it was all right.
! so this was my long-lost uncle.
| tipped him my iiipper" at once.
! took him upstairs and introduced
/ him to my wife That dear creature,
whose impressions of people are always
/ Jery quickly formed, did not seem to be
! greatly delighted with my relation. And
! | must confess that, after the enthusiasm
! of the first greeting had SubSIded-and
| cold indeed must be the heart of him
/ who Is not moved when he grasps the
/ land of new found uncIe-I myself was
/ disposed 10 receive him somewhat dis
! tantlv His language was coarse; and
! the mans manner exhibited a peculiar
/ mixture Of self-assertiOn and dittidence
/ that was not prepossessing.
J But as he warmed into confidence, and
| as he related to Us the simple story Of
his life and his wanderings, our hearts
| turned toward him, and we felt how base
had been the prejudices which had
| caused US to be repealed by rough and
| homelv exterior He had not been in
| England for twenty years. During that
! time he had traversed many strange and
| distant lands He had undergone numer-
Gus privatiOns tie had been a soldier in
| Mexico He had been shipwTecked on
| the bleak, inh0spitable shores OF the
! Auckland Isles, in the far South Seas. He
/ had hunted the wild buffalo on the bound
! less prairies of the West. He had dug
| for gold in the deep and sunless mines
| Of Ballarat He had been a shepherd on
I the lonely plains Of WarnambOoler; and
now, in his old age, lie had returned 10
! the land of his fathers TO lay his bones
with theirs and 10 leave his gold. the
| fruit of long years of toll, 10 his friends
and relations.
1t was at this point of his narrative that
my wife, who is of very tender dispOsi-
! ti0n, was affected TO tears
Ave, ma'am, and it's an old saying
| that blood is thicker than water; and
| though he don't recOllect it many's the
time have handled your husband on
my knee when he was no bigger than lit
/ tie sonny there Come, Tommy, and
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 not
seem inclined 10 accept the invitation
Run and kiss your uncle, you
naughty, wlllful boy, do" sand my wife.
The boy obeyed with very bad grace
and Immediately afterward ran and hid
| his face in his mothers lap.
"a No, thank you, ma'am-I don't seem
TO care for another cup o tea But if
YOU have a drain of anything handy ]
| think could take drop along with my
pipe RUNS my favOrite tipple, ma'am
not to put you to no inconvenience"
He was actually smoking pipe in our
drawing-room, and my wife was looking
on and smiling
! "Oh, certainly" replied my wife, in
IrapIU To tho last demand "It'S no
trouble, | assure you. II think we
have some in the house"
"Of course we have, Emily l said.
"Why, rum is our fayorite tipPle, You
I know"
Nv wife said nothing. but she gave me
one of those peculiar looks with which
she sometimes lavors her devoted slave.
She went down stairs, and shortly
afterward I heard the front door close,
by which ! understood that our domestic
had been dispatched TO the nearest pub
lie house for a bottle of rum.
was not mistaken In a short time
she returned with bottle and two
glasses.
And now, she said, Il will leave
YOU two together while 90 and put the
children 70 bed Say Goodnight 10
, your uncle, Tommy"
Goodnight, little one" said Uncle
Joe. viii he take little of this,
ma 'amS'
"Oh, no, said my wife, hastily, draw
ing the child toward her
But Tommy had seen the rum in the
glass, ana liked the look of it; and he
declared stoutly that he would have
( some.
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 drank off half of if.
1t nearly Chuked him and, efter brief
! interval, during which his COuntcnanCe
! 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. Il nave more money
/ than ever will have any use for, and you
won't regret your kindness 10 your old
/ uncle"
| Still his presence in our household was
productive Of some Inconvenience. He
! had a great fondness for rum, which he
| drank from morning till night and this
! with his continual smoking. made our
parlOr begin to smell like tapToOm
| lie had a great parliality for cards, and
/ be Initiated me into several strange
! games. There was one of them, 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-cTown, and went nve shlll-
| ings better.
! betted on q card. aud saw my Opp0-
nent's halt-crown and IN very snort
/ time found that had lost hve pounds
! to nv relative This sum, OF course, was
! a mere trihe 70 him; but II was more
than could afford, and had 10 decline
/ 10 ante up in future.
/ One thing gave me serious annoyance:
! Uncle Joe had contracted habit OF
using very powerful expletiVos; ana
| Tommy, who is a very ohserVant child
/ began TO repeat some OF these most IN
necessary words.
/ One day heard dispute between the
! boy and his mother.
"I want some more cake, ma"
You have had enough. Too much
cake is not good for little boys.
Il will have some more cake. II you
don't give it 10 me will say DAM Ike
! Uncle joe"
had a private interview with the
child; ard, after an argument which IN
volved some slight physical e8ertion on
nv part, think l convinced him of the
impropriety Of saying e dam"