The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-10-12
"GREAT EXPECTATIONS,
BY GEORGE DUDLEY LAWSON.

"IIeigho y said Sammy Millet "tbi
is the straw that fits both proverbs
1T shows how tho wind blows an,
breaks the camel's back > betoken.
a cold blast and a complete fracture.
"What's the matter now % asket
Mrs. Sammy, as she rested her brush
armed hands on the stove she wa
backing. "You haven't lost youl
place, have you, or been warned ou
again because the tormenting rent il
two whole months behindhand %
"Worse than that. Uncle Polydo1
ls coming. He writes to say that w
may confidently look for him on Thurs
day. Here it is Monday, and not ;
cent in the house how in the worlc
will we manage his soups and chick
ems and jellies-not much of either, but
a little of all, he is such an invalid
| wish Uncle POlydor was in Labrador
frozen several miles deep in an ice
berg.''
"For shame, Samuel Millet - cried
Mrs: Sammy, rising to her feet, and
tracing in black lead the course of he1
finger in following and replacing a
stray lock of reddish hair which swept
her face. ''Think of little Sammy and
Jennie and Willie and Minnie, and
"There, there, my love, enumera.
ton is both useless and sug festive,
and have heard it twice q year ever
since we have been married. The old
story, my dear--a rich relation and
poor expectants. His money keeps
him alive our poverty is killing H.
by inches you and and all Of us will
be under the daisies long before Uncle
Polydor Millet thinks Of dying, and
then where is all our sacrifice, our
plnching, or scraping, that he may
have luxurious ease for Il fortnight,
and we comf0rtless toll the other fifty
weeks of the year -
"Let us make the best Of it.. and
hope for even better RETURN" replied
Mrs. Sammy, who was bright little
body, ever prone to look on the sunny
side Of everything.
''Very fine, my dear, but hope is a
poor diet; you can't fry it,or butter it;
or pledge it at the pawn shop.''
''But you can enjoy it, and dream
about it, and be just as grand as the
princes and princesses in the fairy
tales; and when the castles tumble
down they don't make any dust or
noise or hurt anybody. Uncle Poly.
dor has never given us anything but
his company as yet, but he is, o, so
rich and we'll get the more by biding
our time.''
Samuel hadn't the heart to dampen
her spirits by telling her how miser-
able he felt over the prospect. Only
by the closest economy was he able to
keep bread in the mouths of his fam
lily now; but when at least two dollars
day more expenses were to be in.
CURED, even his trustful reliance on
good luck was powerless to cheer him.
Uncle Poly(or has sold out a prosper.
Gus business in the ship.chandlerying
line some twenty years ago, and sim
ply because (ho did not scruple to
avow it) the seven or eight boys of his
three brothers in the country would or
might be thrown on his hands in the
capacity Of clerks, to be taken care of
and instructed in the mysteries of
trade and commerce. But when the
hoys grew up and married, the re.
tired ship chandler divided his days
among them, visiting them all twice
OF thrice year, and gracing their re.
spective households from week to a
month at time. lie was rich, and by
interest and parsimony, was adding to
his wealth year by year. but never I,
penny fell among the generation of the
Millets he patronized.
Even his travel was wrung from
them in the guise of drives in the
country OF little company trips on the
railroad, when he was ready to leave
town. He was an invalid by profes.
sion, and could only snbsist on the
daintiest and choicest food, and con.
trived to keep each nephew and wife
disposed to cater to him by equivocal
hints which the hearer always inter.
preted into promises of sole legatee.
ships, with attendant conveniences.
AS q consequence, no poverty was dis.
cernable in the houses where he so.
journed tables were always furnished
with his favorite viands, and shabby
apparel was replaced by weekday use
of Sunday suits; plenty seemed to
reign where he appeared, and with the
children he was 4 prime favOrite, fo1
his advent meant meat at every meal,
and pie after dinner. Uncle Polydol
had a distaste for stale food, and 50
took the children's part that few
scraps were left for return dishes.
hashes, or stews. But the heads OF
the families groaned jim secret, and
only smothered their resentment when
the thought of II will and bequeath'
came into their minds.
Sammy Mil]et, underpaid clerk in an
attorneys Office, was about to be made
periodical victim once more, and the
notification by letter-stamp kindly
supplied by his brother Bob in Marsh