Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-04-03

"What does this mean, my dear p
| calculated Mr.. Grumbler, in hurried
| whisper; and his wife, whose arm h,
had caught on the way to the kitcher
ior more hot water for Uncle Tompkins
replied in the same tone. "Oh, yol
mustn't mind my uncle, dear he didn'
mean anything, only he is old ant
whimsical"
"But man has no reason to max.
everybody else uncomfortable in thi.
sort of way" muttered Mr.. Grumbler
| Tea was brought in at this moment
little smoky it must be confessed, anG
the toast considerably charred. but, JUS
as Mr.. Grumbler was opening his mouth
| to comment on these facts, Uncle Tomp
kins forestalled him by exclaiming =
What stuff this tea is One would
suppose it was made of cabbage leaves
rhe toast. too, is as black as cinder.-
Isn't there slice of stale bread in this
house? I'm dyspeptic, and have to
be very careful as to what eat"
Mr.. Grumbler silently devoured his
meal, secretly wondering how long Mr.
Tompkins meant to stay. No sooner
was the table cleared than the irascible
old gentleman began again." .Mr.
Grumbler," said he, II wish you'd stop
that creakIng of your chair, my nerves
are so weak; and if you could keer
your children up stairs, that racket
wouldn't disturb me quite so much. ]
really don't know how I am going to
stand that baby's noise.
~ don't think it is very nOisy baby, -
said Mr.. Grumbler, meekly. Its teeth
are very painful just at PRESENT.
Mrs. Grumbler, who was stirring the
fire, in accordance with her uncle's pet
ulent request, said nothing, but smiled
quietly to hear her husband trying to
extenuate the-baby's sins.
"Well," remarked Uncle Tompkins,
all babies are noisy. And, by the way
Grumbler, I wish you would oil the
hinges of that squeaking door, and
don't like the smell of that geranium in
the window. Halo! you haven't any
top button on your shirt front! 1 hope
my niece isn't q careless WIFE,"
Not at all, SIR" said Mr. Grumbler,
nervously; "but the care of her child
and house keeping duties absorb great
deal of her time. The instant she finds
leisure she will look to my Clothes"
II don't see how woman can spend
all her time Keeping house and looking
after pack of children" observed Un-
Gle IOmpKlnS lnCreduiOuSly.
About ten o'clock the old gentleman
was ushered to the spare room accompa-
MED by procession Of medicine viaIs
tubs of hot water, wooden dressing gowns,
and heated blankets for his feet; and his
absence created quite general relief.
"What an insnfferable old egotist that
isv exclaimed Mr. Grumbler, throwing
nimself, with sigh of satisfaction, into
his favorite seat once more. my dear
Bessie, how could you bear this eternal
fault finding.
Il am accustomed to that, Harry; it
is the lesson that most women are obllg-
ed to learn" replied Mrs Grumbler with
little sigh.
Her husband pricked up his ears little
uneasy. Accustomed to Il" What
did she mean! 1t was not possible-i ii
could not be possible-that he was like
that odious old Uncle Tompkins. And
yet he wished Bessie had not spoken that
way. Somehow it made him 4eel up-
easy.
Day after day passed away. Uncle
Tompkins growing more and more in
toierable the whole time, while Mr..
Grumbler improved the occasion by
making sort of mental looking glass of
that worthy old gentleman.
"Upnn-my-wOrd," said he to him
self, II must have been a perfect nui-
Fsance all these years. Why didn't some
body tell me of it?n
At LEM tn Uncle Tompkins went away,
flannel gowns, medicine bottles, and all.
and on the evening of the same day Tom
Carlton arrived from temporary alb
sence, no one knew where.
So Uncle has been visiting YOU ?n he
said gayly, to Mr.. Grumbler.
Yes" said the latter with a slight
grimace.
What sort of looking man is he ?n
Mr.. Grumbler was silent for a moment !:
: Do you know" he exclaimed. break
ing into perplexed laugh, II couldn't
describe single feature in his face. He
was always enveloped like an Egyptian
mu mmy, in SILK handkerchief some
thing like that one you have in your
hand. However, Pm heartily glad he's
gone. With my permission he shall
never set foot in this house again y,
"NoW said Tom, archly.
1.-THE most intolerable fault finder T
ever met with, said Mr.. Grumbler; "ab
solutely the most disagreeable man who
ever numbered the earth. don't see
how it is possible TO take the exceptions
70 everything as ne O1d."
That's not an uncommon falling. I
believe, ,"observed Tom, demurely smil-
ing.
Very likely" said his brother-in-law
emphatically; "but his visit has been at
least productive of-one good effect-it
has completely cured me ofany tendency
| might have bad that way. 1 for one,
mean to leave off grumbling."
-
phew Grumbler, exclaimed cracked
voice.
The victimized man started up in dis
may, scarcely believing the evidence of
his senses, as Tom twisted the silk hand
-kerchief skiIlfully round his head. and
bent himself nearly double with an asth-
matte sound between q groan and a
grunt.
.Why you don't mean to say that YOU
are Uncle Tompkins?, exclaimed Mr..
Grumbler.
Pardon me, Henry" said Tom, smil-
ing 'but saw that you had unconscious
ly become an habitual growler, and /
Judged the best antidote was faithful
representation of your own feelings
Was I right?'
His brother-in-law was half inclined
to be angry, but thought better of it,
Shake hands, Tom,n said he. "You
are an irreverent young scamp, but I
forgive you. At all events, the cure is
complete
And so Bessy found it.
THE ELEMENT OF TRoUBLE.-The
Springfield (Mass.) Republican thinks
that the ugIiest feature in the Southern
problem is Packard of Louisiana He
is a man of pluck, and believes he can
force recognition and support for him
self from Hayes as he did for Kellogg
from Grant. But Packard is not the
real dangerto pacification. The widest
and most formidable opponents of
Southern pacification are the men who
comprise the power behind the throne
at Washington. If the President will
exert the same backbone he showed in
the matter of his cabinet nominations
he will be besustained by the country, and
Packard will cease to aff1ict Louisiana.
For SCARLET FEvER.-An eminent
physician of Chicago says he cures nine
ty-nine out of every hundred cases of
scarlet fever, by giving the patient
warm lcrnonodo with rr,,v,, a ,.o Lso die