The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-06

! RlNllR UlC OOlu DCAioOtud III bllO pttI
Tor, and made couch with three chairs
and bolster for Miranda Jane in cor
ner cupboard. Then Charlie improvised
bed over the bath and after draping
the machinery with curtains, and making
up valance for the side of the bath, 1
really felt quite proud of our handiwork.
And we had fairly began to enjoy our
selves among our friends, when, late one
warm afternoon, some one raped at the
door, and L was greeted with, "H'm |
and how do yOu do? ?"
1t was Uncle Buncle, and he had
come to stay.
"Delighted," gasped.
Charmed to see you, sir, !" said Char
lie.
Then we exchanged glances, and each
mutely asked the other, "Where shall
we put him :"
Echo answered, "Where 2"
And Uncle Buncle answered,
"Thanks. He had seized upon this
one fashionable variation with avidity,
because it seemed to do away with the
personal politeness involved in the words
"Thank YOU"
Thanks. Like to go to my room at
once-wash my hands"
His room-he must be taken some
where not to the spare bedroom, for
there Mrs. Jones and daughter were
dressing for dinner nor to ours, for
there the Misses Brown were crimping
their tresses. So perforce 1 led him to
the bathroom, and there left him to
sacrifice to the graces.
I" Remarkable bedstead that of yours"
he said when he returned to us. "Some
new patent, suppose. Very ricketty,
generally, those new patents. Old
fashioned things much the best-much.
However, curtains all very well-like
old times. All. every thing dreadfully
changed-dreadfullyl"
To which we, the guilty parties, an
swered only by bushes.
That night Uncle Buncle slept upon
our couch, and we sat up i'll the kitchen.
We bore it very well for a while but
finally, maddened with want of sleep,
Charlie, supporting his aching head, in
quired of me in a plaintive whine,
why didn't you kick the old brute out,
Hetty 2"
"Dont, DEAR" 1 pleaded k71oV it
is very uncomfortable but still, though
llC 10 lOhSll blllhh VI SlA
thousand pounds"
Nonsense - said Charlie. He'll
outlive us look at his constitution. A
crusty old curmudgeon, without civil
word for any one"
"My DEAR" / reconstructed, don't
speak SO loud. OF course we are suffer
ing on these hard chairs, but think of
the beds of down six thousand pounds
will buy Don't be angry. L think L
shall wear the comb while uncle stays"
"The what Z" asked Charlie.
"The comb he gave me" / said.
"You shan't put the hideous thing on
your head" said Charlie.
e" Six thou" began.
"Six thousand racks and thumb
screws You may enjoy sitting up all
night on kitchen chair for an old fellow
who may, or may not, choose to leave
you something when he dies" said Char
lie 81 don't. He asked me not to
smoke this evening, too -
And l never felt so sorry for any one
as l did for that poor fellow, with his
hair all tossed about, his eyelids heavy
with sleep, his feet on one chair, and his
head against the side of the mantel-
piece but, in spite of all, 1 resolved
that Uncle Buncle should stay as long as
he chose-yes, stay, though we slept in
the coal-cellar, or did not sleep at all /;
for think of my Joy when, some time in
our hfe-some time when it was, per-
haps, most wanted-I should fly into
Charles arms and say to him. "My
dear, you are worth six thousand pounds;
and have won it for you by never al
lowing myself to be put out about I'm
Gle Buncle :"
The next morning wore my gigantic
comb. The Misses Jones giggled, and
Miss Brown laughed outright. No mat
ter Uncle Buncle's goodwill was worth
more than anything else. bore their
smiles like q martyr, and only fretted be-
cause, after all, my uncle did not look
perfectly satisfied. On the contrary,
although he had habit of scowling, l
had never seen him scowl so much as he
did that morning. He sneered at the
milk, and scoffed at the butter, pooh
! poohed the rolls, and described to us,
with his mouth full, breakfasts which he
had eaten elsewhere, which were what
breakfasts ought to be and, ever and
anon, he cast toward my unhappy self a
glance of inexphcable disapproval.
However, he stayed with us through
the week, growing more ill-tempered as
time passed on. / shall never forget the
week-the weary nights during which
we tried to take maps on chairs, or re-
posed on the kitchen table-the humilia-
tion and self-contempt 1 offered when /
permitted myself to be scolded, Charlie
to be snubbed, and our guests to be
sneered at 10y Uncle Buncle-the persist
ency with which wore that awful comb
the things / said that / did not mean
the manner in which / abused myself,
shaved myself, and suppressed myself.
/ shut up the house at nine to please
Uncle Buncle. / locked up the piano
for the same reason. did it all, not for
love of him or respect for him, but be-
cause of his six thousand pounds.
Dear Charlie, who worked so hard,
and was so kind to me, and so tender of
me, might some day have reason to re-
joice that he had married poor little
me.
At last, one evening, Uncle Buncle
said, as he took his bedroom candle :
"Shall 90 TO town tomorrow. Air here
! 1o,,,t oc,roo ,,;tb mo ~ opd vanished