The Red Cloud chief., 1877-02-01

BARBARA'S UNCLE.
BY ANNA LINWOOD.

DdIDdld odt III BcI liltic IOOI1, DuS'
with her sewing-machine. Around he
were great piles Of vests, which she hat
just finished. Though the room was s,
small. the sunlight came in and tinget
everything with its golden light. In
deed, the sun is no respector of persons
and steps as freely into the dwellings OF
the poor as into the mansions Of the
itch.
The young girl paused In her work
to listen to the song Of arObin under her
window; then she began to sing to her.
self in a care-free, happy way. Just
then she heard an Old body hobbling up
the stairs, and afterward came q knock
at the door. Barbara went to open it.
An aged man stood before her-ninety
he might have been, to judge by his
wiZened face.
as this Barbara Henrich?" he asked,
in piping voice.
"Yes," said Barbara, smiling. "Come
in"
The old man put his hand to his ear,
as if quite unable to catch a word.
"COme in" she shouted; and he fol-
lowed her into the room.
"I'm your Uncle Jacob" he screamed.
as if she were rs deaf as himself-"yOur
mothers only brother; and / have come
to find you"
cay. ay," said Barbara, with whom
the love of kindred was very strong.
The longer she gazed into his face.
the more she saw the look of her moth
or. There was the same kind smile,
the same merry glance in the twinkling,
gray eyes. So she fell to Misunderstanding
in her hearty German fashion; then
came the tears, and it all ended by
throwing her arms around his neck and
kissing him.
A short time afterward. Barbara
began to set the table. for to talk with
her old uncle was impossible. Just as
she had finished, by placing a huge
platter as a center dish, up the stairs
came her brothers, Conrad and Joe.
They were much the worse for lager,
as they usually were at night. and VIII, IN
they saw a decrepit old man sitting at
their table, they were anything but
pleasant.
"It's u Uncle jacob" said Barbara,
softly, come to see us from Germany
our dear mothers only brother. l wish
he wasn't SO deaf, l 80 want to talk with
him."
A moment afterward, as Conrad and
Joe began to swear, she was glad that
he could not hear them. Barbara gave
the old man her bed: then she sat down
to do a little extra work, that she might
buy comforts for him. At length she
lay down upon a hard couch, but sleep
soon came. FOR she was young and
healthy. Next morning, Uncle Jacob
was too i'll to rise.
"Send the old body to the poor-house,"
said the brothers in a breath Its too
much to expect rs to support all our
pauper relations
Indeed he shall not 60" sad Bar
barA ~lth spirit; our mother loved
him too we'll for that. Don't you re-
member how she used to talk about
him? He was her only brother, and
has neither chick nor child to care for
HIM. Just see how like mother he
looks-as she did in her very last sick
ness"
The young men answered her rough
", and. putting on their boots, stalked
out of the room. Barbara bath d the
old mans head. and with a few soft
touches about the pillow that love
alone can give, she went back to her
work.
That night the brothers came home
more drunk than usual-top pick up their
things and start for the West, they said:
YOU'D better 60 with us, Barbara.
We're going to make money like dirt;
and as to staying here and supporting
an old pauper, we will not do it."
mo. indeed, 1 will not leave him."
said Barbara But when she saw them
going down stairs with their satchels on
their arms. the love of kindred which
was so strong in her heart, made her
follow them. "Let us shake hands"
she said, softly. I'VE may never meet
again" and. rough as they were, they
returned her warm kiss. and said, God
bless you" ere they departed.
When they were gone. Barbara went
back to her room and cried as if her
heart would break. In the midst of her |
weeping, there was a well-known foot |
fall on the stairs. and in a minute more.
her friend, Fred Heiberger, was beside
her.
Don't fret" said the young man.
taking her hand in his; you'll
ret along better without Conrad and
foe"
II couldn't turn away my mothers
said Barbara, sobbing.
mo, Indeed; ~you're a brave girl, and
,ou've done right"
Then he began to tell her about a
title bakers shop that was that DAY
acant and could be had for two hun
red dollars a year. There were two