Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-12-18
My Uncle George.

| suppose you wonder George, VIII,
il is | have never married-wondered
and most probably rejoiced for, at m,
death. you know. the old place viii
come TO you, as ii came to me, free iron
debt or incumbrance. | suppose yol
have attributed my confirmed bachelor
hood to some disappointment in love il
early life, Ell:
All, well; I'll tell you the Who'll,
story. Ii may serve as a warming t,
You, | was going to say, only do no
believe in one mans experience bein.
of any use to another. And as to warn
ings-bah, they never serve. But
am in a retrospective mood to night
50 if You care 10 hear the story. yoI
shall"
My Uncle George and were staying
mp at Barliug, Il small fishing place o
his i'm the Highlands, TO which we re
sorted regularly twice year for abou
Il fortnight, in pursuit of salmon.
had lost my father when l was foHl
years old, and since that time his broth,
er. my Uncle George, had been my ia,
ther in all but the name. Indeed,
think we were fOnder of each other
than fathers and sons usually are il
these days.
Ii has always been wonder 10 me
and TO every one else, that Uncle George
had never married. Some people de-
clared that he had been hopelessly in
love with the beautiful Duchesse de-,
and that it was for her sake he had re-
mained single; others limited at some
ENHANCEMENT; while some maintained
boldly that Sir George Wyville was
married. and that [, his nephew and
heir presumptive in the eyes of the
world, should leok very foolish some
dav on the baronetcy and Wyville Cas-
tie, being claimed by the son Of my un-
cle's old college bed maker.
But to all these stories turned a deaf
ear. knew enough of Uncle George
10 feel sure that there was not snad-
ow of truth in all of them. My uncle
often spoke of the Duchesse de-as
what she was-one of the handsOmest
women and most finished coquettes of
her day. But felt certain that he had
never cared for her; he would not have
talked so much about her if he had.
And as to an ENHANCEMENT or a secret
marriage, why, l knew all my uncle's
affairs as well a. | knew those of Char
h..= rr-1A AZ
brother officer, who had been gazetted
As ensign and lieutenant in the Fifth
Foot Guards the same day as myself,
about two months before. No; what
ever reason my uncle may have had for
remaining single, it was one that he
had carefully guarded from the whole
world. was glad that | was going to
hear ii at last.
lit my pet pipe, about the coloring
of which | was so anxious, ,and drawing
NV chair nearer TO the fire, prepared
10 listen in comfort.
Il was about thirteen, George, when
first saw Nora O'Byrne. L was at
Eaton then, and she was flower girl
in the streets of Windsor. The first
day | ever saw her-I remember ii as
well as if it were yesterday-it was a
bitterly cold March afternoon, and she
was standing outside the then only ho-
te in the. place, selling vloIets. To
this hour | cannot stand seeing glrl
selling yiolets i'm the street. l gave her
all the money | had in my pocket, and
nv heart with it. Ii is mouse attempt
ing to describe her. All descriptions
of real beauty are futile. Shewas SIM
pliest the Ioyliest child, as she was af-
rerwards the lovliest woman, ever be-
held. Day after day | used TO see her.
/ contrived to meet her quietly ana
ALI could for her. and it went TO my
heart TO feel that / could do so little. L
used to give her food; clothing it was
of no use giving, for her mother took II
away again directly, and pawned ito
buy gin.
II need scarcely tell you that Nora
was no common beggar-girl- Her ia
ther hal been a well-to-do workman.
and during his lifetime she had been
10 school, and had learned how to read
and write; but after his death they had
been reduced to beggary, through her
mothers fatal propensity for drink.
For nearly two years of my life L spent
every shilling l could spare upon that
child, and loved her as i have never
loved any other human being. Ana
what is more, kept my boyish love a
secret from every one-Ro easy matter,
as You may imagine.
ssWhen L was fifteen i had bad at
tack of typhus fever was staying at
Wyyille at the time of the summer va
cation with my uncle, Sir Rupert. he
had perfect horror OF sickness, ana Oh
fevers especially; and directly l was
taken i'll he left the house to pay Visit
to some friends near Windsor. he
promised me that when the school met
again he would ride over, and give the
fellows at my house the latest accounts
of me,
81 did not return TO Eaton till after
the Christmas holidays, and Nora was
oone-wbere | could not learn. In vain
/ made Inquiries of different people In
the town who knew the girl by sight'
All could learn was that neither she
nor her mother had been seen since the
beginning of September. was nearly