Sharp County record., 1879-11-13

| TO THINK OF nlIuStl anu liO OOSi ~ ~
of me- ,,
And A few unconscious tears Splashed
down on the linnet's glass water-cup as
Alice thought of the long-treaSured toO'
Just a week subsequently Mr.. Walter
Watkins sat in his back parlor, Il
wrinkled old gentleman with light-blue
ewes like staring marbles and a curious
inward sneer to the curves of his mouth,
While on the table in front Of him lay Il
pile of letters.
"Now we'll see, - said Mr.. Watkins to
himself. "what all the ties Of relation
shin are worth. I've written pitiful let
/ ters TO nv six cousins, and III be willing
to wager the biggest diamond in my
ring that there isn't penny in all these
answers. Well, we'll see, we'll see.'
The first letter, as it transpired, was
from the Rev. Theodore Talkington,
who inclosed tract entitled, " Return,
We sinners recommended course Of
prayer-meetingS, and stated that he, the
Rev. Theodore, was quite unable to
help his cousin Walter except by good
advice.
81 thought 50, said Mr.. Watkins.
The second was from Mrs. Calista
Jones. the wife Of a prosperous mer-
chant. ,,
"My dear cousin it said, in little
spider-webby characters, "your letter
fills me with surprise. Such necessity
can only have its source in dissipation
or speculation. With neither of these
can you expect me, a Christian matron,
to sympathize. Under the circumstances
| must BEG to decline further postal
communication with you. Respectfully,
ETC., etc"
The upward curves around Mr.. Wat
kins's mouth heightened themselves out
into the nearest approach to a smile III
which the caustic old gentleman ever in
dulged as he neatly labeled and docket
ed this letter also and opened still the
third, in which Mr.. Benjamin COurtenay
regretted the straitened case OF his
financial affairs, and bluntly recon-
mended solne public charitable institu-
ton as the best refuge for his cousins
declining years.
"Humph, humph!" mutteredM Wat
kins. $50 he would pack me off to the
poor-house, would he? Very kind and
considerate of him, very.n
Mr.. Peter Dilks was a stage less cere-
mOniOus still.
"Did his cousin Watkins think he was
made of money? Did he think it was
his business to supply every old pauperP
In that case Mr. Watkins would find
himself considerably mistaken, and 50
no more from his to command,
"P. DILKs."
The fifth epistle from Mrs. Million
naire was excessively civil and as hard
as granite.
She begged to call Mr.. Watkins'S at
tention to the fact that she, Mrs. Mil
lionnaire, was but his second cousin af-
ter all, and she really wondered at his
audacity in expecting her to patch up
his ruined fortunes. She inclosed card
to an employment office, and hoped to
be troubled no more with such useless
applications.
Mr.. Watkins silently folded this letter
and placed it with the others before he
opened the one directed in Moses Hay
woods clerkly calligraphy.
To his surprise, when he broke e
seal, out fell post-office order for f5O.
"My dear cousin Watkins" wrote
the schoolmaster, 81 grieve deeply to
hear of your financial distress, and here
by inclOse all | have on hand. 1t is not
much-but | beg Of you to accept it in
the same spirit in which it is given"
Old Walter Watkins brushed his
wrinkled hand across his shaggy brows.
"The poorest, most obscure of them
ALL" said he. "The one of whomI eX
pected least. Well, well, wonders will
never CEASE
And taking up his pen he wrote back
briefly
COUSIN HAYWOOD: thank you.
w. WATKINS.
"Father, are you sure you're well
enough to 90 back to school?"
Alice had drawn her wheeled chair
close to the lounge on which old Moses
had dragged himself into a sitting pos
ture.
"Yes, child, yes" he said, drawing
his hand vaguely across his forehead;
4" must be well enough! The children's
parents are getting impatient. | shall
lose my scholars if l don't go back into
harness to-day"
"Father, father" cried poor Alice,
piteously, If we had but that money
you saved up so long and painfully
that money you gave to old Mr.. Wat
kins-it would have brought you health,
strength, repose now."
"My daughter" said the old man,
mildly, "all that is past now. And, re-
member, he that giveth to the poor lend
eth to the Lord
He was in the school that morning
irving to accustOm his WhirlinC head to