The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-06
UNCLE BEN AND AUNT MARJoRY

after getting that supper for Tom, but,
as he seemed penitent, didn't mind it
so much. 1 felt like 1 could endure
more if Tom could be brought to see the
error of his ways. The house was in a
topsy-turvy condition all the time, and,
before 1 could go about, everything in
it seemed to have given out, for nobody
could find anything when it was wanted.
Tom thought he emulated the example
of "the man in the land of Uz whose
name was Job," and that he even
eclipsed that patriarch in the exercise
of his favorite virtue, because, in all
that time, he didn't say anything worse
than "Confound it W with all his
might. 1 am afraid his constitution
would have been injured by this suffer-
ing in silence if, just when I began to
convaIesce, Uncle Ben had not con-
cluded to go to the Centennial. This
left Aunt Marjory all alone, but she
was not alone more than half day till
she took Tom and me as company
boarders. We locked our doors on the
confusion within our own house, and,
without any ado, took possession of
Aunt Marjory's pleasant rooms. wish
you could know Aunt Marjory. She is
such a good, motherly woman, and
everything about her has such an air of
comfort that / never see her without
feeling as if 1 had been away and was
home at last. Yet, notwithstanding
this, her face is seldom free from an ex-
preston of quiet concern, and it comes
of Uncle Ben's unreasonableness. l
was not surprised to find that, he being
gone, she seemed to breathe easier, and
acted just the least bit as if she had but
just escaped from bondage; for, though
1 often bring railing accusations against
Tom on account of his having some
ways that make me feel like taking to
stump speaking, | am always devOutly
thankful that he is not like Uncle Ben.
When l was a child and visited Aunt
Marjory, [ always went away with the
vague impression that the world was
made for Uncle Ben, or, anyway, that
he thought so. His is a spirit that was
born to rule, and to rule everything;
for, while concerning himself about the
"weightier matters of the law" he does
not think it beneath him to concern
himself about the most minute details
of household economy. He thinks he
knows more than the most of people,
and especially more thau Aunt Mar.
jOry. He is sworn enemy to misman-
! agement, and don't he know that what
is wasted in his kitchen would feed all
| the paupers in town? AS a woman
never knows anything about even the
first principles of economy, he provides
. provisions in the smallest retail quaint.
titles, and, when Aunt MarjOry informs
: him that there is nothing out of which
! to manufacture the next meal, he i:
morally certain that the last supply has
] been wasted. Didn't he see things 90
: ing to waste every day of his life
r When their three children were a
| home, and any one of them did any
= thing displeasing to pater faniiiaS, i
s was Aunt Marjory who received thD
A blame. He would like to know what il
D the world she had that child do tina
/ for? She was always having them d.
r something wrong. When any of then
J, were sick, it was all because she had le
Y them take cold, or had been givin
r them unwholesome food. Then dow
n came ''Gunn's Family Physician" iron
i the shelf, and symptoms discovered c
o every disease described in the volume
y and the conclusion invariably reache
: was that the case in hand was one c
y worms. Didn't he know? And, if Auu
e Marjory differed from him, it wa
e because she never seemed to know wha
she ought to know. 1t was not SUI
prising that the girl married young
: and that the boys went off to the mine!
r 'all of which was against Uncle Ben
e wishes, but, of course, it was Aur
d ! N1arjory's doings.
Q How nice it was at Aunt Marjory'
/ with Uncle Ben away, and how gay sh
u seemed Yet, thought there mus
O have been a time when his sOciet
+ made her happier than everything elst
o only the twenty odd years had playe
{ havoc with the romance and sentiment
!, One day, when 1 was thinking owe
s this state of affairs, and wonderin
:. if there wasn't great deal of good pc
= etry wasted in describing the duratio
l. of tender sentiments, Uncle Ben sue
e denly appeared, valise and travelin
e straps in hand. When the excitemer
= was over and he had tried to tell I
d what he had seen, said:
"Oh, how should love to go if 1 ha
;, the money! How much did it CO.
is you, Uncle Ben ?"
i "About three hundred and fifty do
s lars; but got the worth of my none!
ar % L don't regret spending it for such
sight as that"
"How nice it would have been fC
nv NJ Aunt Marjory! Why didn't you tax
Y. her along ?" 1 ventured.
le 'I couldn't afford it,"
N "Well, then, how could you afford
~ = go yourself ?n l. asked, feeling as if
v. should like to whip Uncle Ben in tt