The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-02-17


"If you please, Uncle Barnabas," said I.
with rapidly-throbbing heart, 81 would
like to take the situation"
"Bravo |" cried Uncle Barnabas.
"My dear child T. exclaimed my mother
"Susannah y uttered Eleanor, in ac-
cents by no means laudatory
Yes" said 1, twenty-five dollars a
month is great deal of money and l was
never afraid to work I think I will go to
the old lady. Uncle Barnabas. I'm sure
| could send home at least twenty dollars a
month to mother and Eleanor, and then
the two weeks, spring and fall, would be
SO nice. Please, Uncle Barnabas, I'll go
back with you when you 90.
What is the old lady's name ?"
"Her name ?" said Uncle Barnabas
Didn't tell you. It's Prudence-Mrs
Prudence ~
"What nice name" said I. II know
| shall like her"
"Wcll, 1 think you will" said Uncle
Barnabas, looking kindly at me. "And l
think she will like you Is it bargain
for the nine o'clock train tomorrow morn
ing p
"Yes," | answered, stoutly, taking care
not to look in the direction of my mother
and Eleanor.
"YOu're the most sensible of the lot,
said Uncle Barnabas approvingly
But after he had gone to bed in the best
chamber, where the rufled pillow cases
were, and the chintz-cushioned easy-chair,
the full strength Of the family tongue broke
on my devoted head.
Il can't help it," quoth I, holding vail
antly on my colors. ''We 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 black bordered pocket handker-
chief. But | never thought to see
daughter of mine going out to-to SER
vice ?!
"And Uncle Barnabas isn't going to do
anything for us, after ALL " cried out Flea
nor, Indignantly. "Stingy old fellow l
should think he might adopt one of us
He's as rich as Cresus, aud never q chick
nor child"
''He may do as he likes about that" I
answered, independently.-'1 prefer to
earn my own money"
| So the next morning | set out for the
unknown bourne of New York life
'Uncle Barnabas," said /, as the train
reached the city, chow shall l find where
Mrs. Prudence lives ?"
ooh, I'll 90 there with you" said he.
care you we'll acquainted with her ?" l
ventured to ask.
"Oh, very we'll indeed" answered I'm
Gle Barnabas, noddirg his head sagely.
We took hack at the depot and drove
through so many streets that my head spun
around and round like teetUtum, before
we stopped at pretty brown stone man
sion-it looked like palace to my unac-
customed eyes-and Uncle Barnahas helped
me out.
"Here is where Mrs Prudence lives"
said he, with chuckle.
| 4 neat little maid, with frilled white
apron, and rose colored ribbons in her hair,
opened the door with a courtesy, and was
conducted into an elegant apartment all
| gliding, exotics, and blue satin darnask,
when plump old lady, dressed in black
silk, with the lovliest Valenciennes lace at
her throat and wrists, came smilingly for
ward, like a sixty -year-old sunbeam.
| $50 you've come back, Barnabas, have
you p said she, 'and brought one of the
dear girls with you.-Come and kiss me
my dear
eyes, Susy, kiss your aunt" said Uncle
Barnabas, hinging his hat one way and his
gloves another, as he sat complaccntly down
on the sofa.
"My aunt? ?" I echoed.
"Why, of course" said the plump old
lady "don't you know, I'm your aunt Pru-
duence"
"But thought" gasped 1, "that was
coming to a situation.
"Well, so you are" retorted Uncle
Barnabas "The situation of adopted
daughter in my family. twenty-five dol
lars 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 so glad to come if she had known
it."
"Fiddlestrings and little flashes - ilogi-
cally responded my uncle, "lve no patience
with girl that's too fine for work. Flea
nor had the situation offered her, and she
chose to decline You decided to come,
and here you stay. Ring the bell, Prue,
and order tea, for I'm as hungry as hun
ter, and [ dare say little Susy here would
also relish cup of good tea"
And this is the way l drifted' into my
luxurious home. Eleanor, in the country
cottage, envies me bitterly, for she has all
the tastes which wealth and metropolitan
home can crafty. But Uncle Barnabas
will not hear eff my exchanging with her.
"No, no !" says he. "The girl I've got
is the girl | mean to keep. Miss Eleanor
is too fine a lady to suit me"
But he lets me send them liberal pres
ents every month so I am hapnv