The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-26
A LUCKY TUMBLE.


When Mrs. Snatcham asked me
"knowing my usual Kindness" whether
1 would watch the baby in her cradle
"just for half an hour" felt that 6
crisis had come. / must leave Mrs
Snatcham's.
I say Mrs. Snatcham's, for Mr.
Snatcham was not unduly prominent in
his own house. He was a meek man,
with fearful eyes. Mrs. Snatcham was
well, a woman with will, and she
had eyes which made you feel uncom-
Portable. l had been private tutor In
this abode for twelve months My charge
consisted of four young gentlemen OF
strong bodies and perverse dispositions.
They quarreled necessarily on all points
save one. Against their lawless tutor
they combined heartily. Their cry was
ever "War to the knife I" had borne
it all; might have continued to bear it
all, but no, could not take charge of
the baby, even for half an hour. must
bid the Snatchams adieu.
L was gloomily cogitating my next
movement when letter arrived for me
from the only near relative L possessed
an old uncle, to whom 1 had written
detailing my troubles.
"Look here, Harry, it ran, "if you've
mind to live in peace and die worth
money, you forget all about your Latin
and Greek and such things. Fine things
they are, I dare say, but 1 never saw
that they turned into much beef or NUT
ton. You put your books in the fire and
your pride in your pocket, and never
take it out again. You know what
was in early life, nephew. kept shop
"a general shop-ln a country town,
and L didn't do 80 badly. Well, I've
just heard the good will and stock in
trade of shop of this kind in little
town fifty miles from London is for sale,
and, say the word, and I'll buy it for
you. And, as your education has been
so neglected that you'd know nothing of
such business, I'll come and steer you
Alright for tune, until fortune is before
you. There now!
Humph L gave gasp or two at this
grand proposition of my worthy rela-
tive. Private tutorship at the Snatch
AIMS was poor enough, but the keeping
OF ga shop of all sorts" in a country
town, under the guidance of my good
uncle Well, it was the old story, ave
never know what we may come to-
And so I left the Snatchams and the
EGO year they gave me (by-the by, I
believe my successor received only Is
guineas, and did not object to mind the
baby, and wrote to my uncle that was
ready to accompany him to the-the
shop. Alas, for the vanity of human
designs News came back that my rel
alive had died suddenly, and had left
the whole of his property to the "Sau-
'sage-makers' Benevolent Institution, " of
which he had been Vice President, in
company Ito his great delight) with half
a dozen mobiles of the land.
However, all the money needful on
,Ty account had been paid, and rather
than return to the horrors of private tu-
torship secured the services OF an ex-
perienced shor man, and determined to |
try my fortune in the new direction so
lauded by my deceased relative.
do not want to lengthen nv story. |
and therefore 1 will comprise great deal |
in one short SENTENCE tried and |
I failed.
1 soon began to perceive, not so very |
far off, not the fortune my uncle had |
foretold, but bankruptcy and the work
house. And when these pleasant pros
poets came very distinctly to my mental
vision, then it was engaged to marry
Thus it happened. Ibecame attached
to the only daughter of widow, living
some ten miles from my abode. It was
speedy acquaintance and a quick &C
ceptance by the young lady, but some
how the mother, without actually OBJ
jectinR, would not agree, and / pressed
Miss Lucy for the reason.
I" I have told you, you are going to
/ said. my place is a
failure, and in month we shall be in
the workhouse; the prospects are clear
and charming, and You are quite salts
fed. What is it then that troubles your
"Well," answered Lucy, "It is very
foolish of mamma TO conceal from you
'eomething which you evidently don't
NOW, though wonder at your ignor-
ance. 1t is your-your establishment"
Shop, we generally call it, Lucy;
bd@ how do"
INT you know it's haunted ?"
"Cannot say do, and don't care If
Bud. il am to live with you there,
care ve<y much. They say that, for
several nights after his death, old jerks,
the former owner, was seen in his shop
in great nightcap and with large
carving knife.
"a most formidable and disagreeable |