The Osceola times., 1878-04-06
THE TWO NEPHEWS.

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THE TWO NEPHEWS.
At the parlor window of a pretty villa,
near Walton-on Thames, sat, one evening
at dusk, an old man and young woman.
The age of the man might be some sew
enty years, while his companion had
certainly not reached nineteen. Her
beautiful, blooming face and active, light
and upright figure were in strong CON
trast with the worn countenance and
bent frame of the old man, but in bis
eye and in the corners Of his mouth were
indications of gay self-conhdence
which age and suffering had dampened
but not extingnished.
"No use looking any more, Mary"
said he 4; "neither John Meade nor Peter
Finch will be here before dark Very
hard that, when a sick uncle asks his
twoi nephews to come and see him, they
can't come at once. The duty is simple
in the extreme only to help to die and
take what / choose to leave them in my
will | Pooh when | was young man
I'd have done it for my uncle with the
utmost celebrity. But the worlds getting
quite heartless!" "
"Oh, STRIP said Mary.
''And what does oh, sir' mean ?"
said be. Dye think / sha'nt dieY /
know better. A little more, and there'll
be an end of Billy Collett. He'll have
left this dirty world for cleaner to the
great sorrow land advantage) of his af-
fectionate relatives! Ugh! Give me
glass of the doctors medicine.
The girl poured some medicine into a
glass, and Collett, alter having coutem-
! plated it for a moment with infinite dis
, gust, managed to get it down.
81 tell you what, Miss Mary sutton"
said he, 81 don't by any means approve
of your 'Oh, sir = and dear SIR and
the rest of it, when I've told you how /
hate to be called sir at all. Why, you
couldn't be more respectful il YOU were
a charity girl and | besdle in gold
laced hat. None of your nonsense
Mary Sutton, il you please. I've been
your lawful guardian now for more than
six months, and you ought to kaow my
likings and dislikings."
MY poor father often told me how
you disliked ceremony" said Mary.
"Your poor father told you quite
right" said Mr. Collett. Erred Sutton
was a man of talents capital fellow.
His only fault was natural inability to
keep farthing in his pocket. Poor
Fred he loved me-Pm sure he did.
He bequeathed me his only child, and it
isn't every friend that would do that"
"a kind and generous protector you
have ever been J"
"Well, | don't know I've tried not to
be brute, but | dare say have been.
Don't speak roughly to you sometimes
Haven't l given you good, prudent,
worldly advice about John Meade, and
made myself quite disagreesble and un-
like guardian Come, confess you love
this penniess nephew of mine"
"Penniless, indeed"
"Ah, there it is" said Mr. Collett.
"What business has poor devil of an
artist to fall in love with my ward And
what business has my ward to fall in love
with poor devil of an artist But that's
Fred Sutton's slaughter all over. Haven't
/ two nephews? Why couldn't you fall
In love with the discreet one-the
thriving? Peter Finch considering
he's an attorney-is a worthy young
mani He is industrious in the extreme,
and attends to other peoples business
only when he is paid for it He despises
sentiment, and always looks to the main
chance. But John Meade, my dear
Mary, may spoil canvas forever and not
grow rich. He's all for art, and truth,
and social reform, and spiritual elevation,
and the Lord knows what. Peter Finch
will ride in his carriage and splash John
Meade as he trudges on loot"
The harangue was here interrupted by
a ring at the gate, and Mr.. Peter Finch
was announced. He had scarcely taken
his seat when another pull at the bell
was heard, and Mr.. John Meade was an.
nounced.
Mr.. Collett eyed his two nephews with
a queer sort of smile, while they made
speeches expressive Of sorrow at the ma
ture of their visit. At last, stopping
them, he said:
Enough, boys, enough !" said he.
"Let us find some better subject TO dis
Cuss ttldu tut sldtcO VI MI oiu Hihu Btdlbu.
| want to know little more about you
both. | haven't seen much of you up
to the present time, and tor anything
know you may be rogues or FOOLS"
John Meade seemed rather to vince
under this address, but Peter Finch sat
calm and confident.
"To put a case, now," said Mr.. Col.
let, "ths morning poor wretch of a
gardener came beging here. He could
get no work, and said he was starving.
Well, | knew something about the fel-
low, and | believe he only told the
truth so gave him chilling to get rid
oi him. Now I'm afraid did wrong.
What reason had / for giving him a
shilling? What claim had he on me !
What claim had he on anybody? The
value of his labor on the market is all
that a workingman has right to; and,
when his labor is OF no value, why, then
he must 60 to the devil, or Whatever else
he csn-eh, Peter? That's ny philoso.
ply; what do ycu Think"