Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-15
NO. Ga.
THERE'S MANY A MURPHY.

might as we'll look for needle in hay
stack as to try and find any lost creature
in this big blazing bumble-bee of a city.
You may as we'll give 1t up at once"
And she looked over at her brother-in-
laws brother with an impatience that she
tried in vain to suppress. For it was not
polite to succumb to this feeling of exas-
peration which her brother-in-law's BROTH
er had induced by this infatuation Of his
about his youngest sister, who had run
away from home with scoundrel years
and years ago-long enough, as Mrs. Blk
by thought, to have dropped out of any
reasonable family remembrance 1t was
not polite. because this tormenting and
persistent man, who insisted upon hunt
ing where there was no hope of finding,
was a bachelor of mature years and am
pie fortune.
Joshua Flanders farm out on the border
Mrs. Bixby had heard of as a marvel OF
richness and prosperity; the soil was jet
black for fathoms deep, and crop after
crop could be taken therefrom without ad-
mnistering the mildest tonic for this drain
upon its resources. The mowers and
reapers and gatherers and sewers, and all
the other machines, were numberless and
inestimable: thousands and thousands OF
acres. level, infinite and unfenced, dazzled
the imagination and filed the admiring
heart of Mrs. Bixby.
mot chick to inherit it ALL" she said
to herself, "but his brother and the chill
dren."
''Lost creature ~ repeated her brother
in-law's brother. Lost God forbid.
Maria !"
"Well. can you find her'" said Mrs.
Bixby. She was polishing the silver cof-
fee-urn, and almost made dent in its
brilliant side in her irritation. "Can you
find her Joshua Flanders ?"
mo, no." he said. shaking his head
mournfully, II can't find her."
"Can | find her? Can your brother John
find herp Can bis wife. my sister, find
herp Can the multitude of people and
papers you've written to, find herp No.
Then. she's lost. isn't shep If thing
can't be found, it's lost, amt it?"
Eyes. yes" said Joshua, still shaking
his head dolefully; lin one sense she's
lost; but don't like to hear you call her
a lost creature, Maria"
"Shall 1 call her a lost coffee-urn.
Joshua, a lost boot, t,jack. a lost spittoon ?"
Mrs. Bixby's sharp black eyes had fallen
upon these things one after the other.
"Shall call her lost cravatp' she con-
tinued. YOU'D better fix yours before
you 60 out, Joshua, for it's away around
under your left ear. And l suppose we'd
best get ready, for we II have to wait out
side till the doors are opened, so as to get
good seat. James little hard of hear
ing, and Moody's voice in the distance is
thick and indistinct. Sankey's you can
hear to the end of creation; but it's
dreadful strain to catch every word of
Moody's, if you happen to be late, and
can't get down in the body of the build
ing"
Mrs. Bixby's brother-in-law's brother
sighed once more, heavily and despairing-
ly, and then went slowly up stairs to ar
range his toilet for this trip to the Hippo
drome.
This was his last day in the metropolis,
his very last; and the only news he had
gained in all these years of poor little
Kitty had come from this big seething city.
1t must have been fully ten years since he
saw that account OF the brawl in the paper
telling of Murphy's death; and although
he wrote at once, and made every effort
to find his now widowed sister, all was in
vain. She was gone, she was lost, as
Mrs Bixby had said-a little pebble in the
big whirlpool swept away. He looked
out of his window, and as it was up in the
Mansard-roof. it commanded a view of
myriads of chimneys as far as the eye
could reach. He wondered, in a weak,
vacillating way. if the smoke from Kitty's
frugal fire had crept thinly up through
any of these chimneys, and he had actual
y put his arms upon the window-sill, and
looked mournfully forth, when tap upon
the door aroused him from his reverie.
He opened it, and found upon the thresh-
old quantity of lace and silk and velvet
that almost extinguished the slight form
of his neice, Marie Genevieve Flanders.
81 want to bid you once more good-by,
dear Uncle Joshua," she said, in q high
treble, and pouring forth her words quick
ly and pantingly-'.just once more, dear
Uncle joshua"
Uncle Joshua stopped and kissed her af-
ter his melancholy fashion and finding that
she still remained in the doorway, he
kissed her again, this time putting his
horny hand upon her little velvet-clad
shoulder, whereupon she shrank back.
Don't rumble my collar. please" she
said, still remaining there, tossing her long
golden curls, and lifting her big blue eyes
greedily 10 the dim, sad ones of the West
ern farmer.
All at once Joshua thought of some
thing. He put his hand in his vest pocket
and took from thence a bright new bit Of
currency. As the crisp little bill ratified
in his fingers, the eyes of young Miss
Genevieve grew more and more eager.
Her little kid-gloved hand extended itself.
clasped the bit of currency. and then she
depart ed, casting no glance behind.
Joshua Flanders gazed after the dainty
little body, and his countenance grew
more lugubrious than ever.
1t wasn't nice thing for this poor hus-
band-man to think that his brother. bis sis
ter-in-law, and his sister-in-law's sister.
their children, their men-servants and
maid-servants, and every one within their
gates, cared nothing for him, save only
and so far as he could minister to their
greediness for these bits of currency that
made plethoric the pockets Of his capacious
vest.
He wouldn't have cared so much If only
he could have found Kitty. his poor long
lost sister--if he could have relieved her
misery, could have shielded her from pow.
erty and want and wretchedness with these