Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-08-18
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST IS. 1876.

my hands, during all this family discus
sion, but now 1 rose up and came creeping
to Uncle Barnabas' side.
"WelI, little SUSIE" said the old gentle
man, kindly, laying his hand on my wrist
'what is it?"
eff you please, Uncle Barnabas," said I
with a rapidly throbbing heart, II would
Ii Ike to take the situation"
! ''Bravo ~ he cried.
"My dear child !" exclaimed my mother
Susanna ~ uttered Eleanor, in accents
by no means laudatory.
eyes," said L.. ''twenty-five dollars a
month is a great deal OF money, and
never was afraid Of work. think 1 will
/ go to the old lady, Uncle Barnabas. Pm
sure could send home at least twenty
dollars month to mother and Eleanor,
4 and then the two weeks, spring and fall !,
would be so nice. Please, Uncle Barna-
bias, I'll go back with you when you 60.
What is the old lady's name?"
ssHer nanne?" said Uncle Barnabas.
ssDidn't tell you? Prudence-Mrs. Pru-
dence.'
"What nice name,' said I; 81 know I
shall like her,"
"Well, I think you WILL" said Uncle,
looking kindly at me. ''And think she
will like you. Is it a bargain for the nine
O'Clock train Tomorrow"
"Yes,' answered, stoutly. taking care
not to look in the direction of mother or
Eleanor.
s'You' re the most sensible of the lot, :"
said Uncle.
But after he had gone to bed in the best
chamber, where the ruff1ed pillow cases
We're, and the cushioned easy chair, the
full length of the family tongue broke on
my devoted head.
''I can't help it," quoth I, holding val
iantly to my colors. eve can't starve.
Some of us must do something. And you
can live very nicely, mother darling, on
twenty dollars MONTH"
''That is true,'' sighed my mother, from
behind her -bordered pocket-handker-
chief, "but I never thought to see daugh-
ter OF mine go out toto SERVICE"
ssAnd Uncle Barnabas isn't going to do
anything for us, after ALL cried out Flea
nor, Indignantly. 'Stingy old fellow! I
should think he might at least adopt one
of us. He's as rich as Cresus, and never
had chick nor child"
s'He may do as he likes about that,'' I
answered Independently. 81 prefer to
earn my own money"
So next morniog I set out for the I'M
known bourne of New York.
'.Uncle Barnabas, said I, as the train
reached the city, "how shall find where
Mrs. Prudence liyes?"
''Oh, I'll 90 there with you"
''Are you well acquainted with her?"
1 ventured to ask.
''Oh, very well, indeed" answered Uncle
Barnabas.
We took hack at the. depot, and drove
through so many streets that my head
spnn round and round like teetotum, be-
fore we stopped at pretty brown-stone
mansion-lt looked like palace to my
unaccustomed eyes-and uncle Barnabas
helped me out.
'sHere is where Mrs. Prudence lives"
he said, with a chuckle.
A neat little maid, with frilled white
apron, and rose col0red ribbons in her
hair, opened the door with a courtesy,
and was conducted into an elegant satin
damask, where a plump old lady, dressed
in black silk, with the lovliest Valenci-
ennes lace at her throat and wrists, came
rd lilo oivfu-uoor old
sunbeam.
$50 you've come back, Barnabas, have
you brought one of the dear girls with
you. Come and kiss me, dear.'
"Y es Susy, kiss your aunt, said Uncle
Barnabas, fiinging his hat one way and
his gloves another, as he sat complacently
down on the sofa.
s'My Aunt?" [ echoed.
sWhy, of course" said the plump old
lady. Don't you know that Pm. your
Aunt Prudence?"
"But thought" gasped L, SHAT I was
coming to a situation.'s
"Well, so you are," retorted Uncle Bar
nabas. 1.-THE situation of adopted daugh-
ter in my family. twenty-five dollars
month pocket money, the care Of your
Aunt Prudence's cat and canary, and to
make yourself generally useful.
''Oh, Uncle" cried I, Eleanor would
have been glad to come if she had only
known it,"
"Fiddlestrings and little fshes!" illogi-
cally responded my uncle. I've no patience
with girl that's too fine for work, Flea
nor had the situation offered to her, and
she chose to decline. You decided to
come, and here you stay.-Ring the bell,
Prue, and order the tea, for am as hun
CRY as hunter, and dare say little Rosy
here would relish a cup of good tea."
| And this is the way drlfted into my
luxurious home. Eleanor, in the country
cottage, envies me bitterly, for she has all
the tastes which wealth and metropolitan
style can crafty. But Uncle Barnabas
will not hear of my exchanging with her.
"No, no!' he says. ''The girl have is
the girl mean to keep. Miss Eleanor is
too fine lady to suit me.''
s'But he let's me send them liberal pres
ents ever month, so I am happy.
| WHERE FAILURE COMES IN.-Bustles
are once more growing in length, breadth
| and thickness. 1t is lamentable to con-
| temDlate the fact that an all wise Creator