The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-19
A BacReIOr's Teqant

young and gallant cavalier of this nine
teenth century, with the beauty of an
Apollo and the wisdom of sage but truth
Sompels me to acknowledge that Rupert
Smithson, in spite of his fine Christian ap-
pellation, was neither one nor the other.
His nephew and namesake who was called
In the bosom of his family Rupert the
second, said that his uncle Rupert was q
'crusty old bachelor" and l hammer nv
brains in vain for more fitting description
a crusty old bachelor he undoubtedly was
more than fifty years of age, with grizzled
hair, heavy gray eyebrows, thick gray
beard, and rough voice and manner. 1t
Is true that he was always very careful to
keep the crustiest side of his nature on the
surface, and had been discovered in the act
Of committing secretly deeds of charity that
belied utterly his hab:tually surly tone and
and abrupt manner
Twenty years before when the gray hair
was nut-brown, and clustered in rich curls
over the broad white forehead, when the
brown eyes shown with the fire of ambition,
the clear voice was true and tender Rupert
Smithson had given his heart to Katie Car
roll neighbor and friend, and little sweet
heart from childhood Urged by love as
well as ambition, be had left his home in q
small western town and gone to New York,
to win name and fortune to lay at
Aatie's feet. The fortune and fame as
successful merchant came to him, but when
he returned TO Katie he found she had left
her home also to become tho bride of o
wealthy pork in Cincinnati.
Nobody told Rupert of treachery to the
pretty Katie, of letters suppressed, of SIAN
ders circulated, and parental authority
stretched to its utmost in favor of the
wealthy suitor. He had no record of slow
despair that crept over the loving heart
when the pleading letters were unnnsw cred,
Of the dull apathy that yielded at Inst, and
gave away the hand of the young girl when
her heart seemed broken. All that the
young ardent lover knew was the one bitter
fact that the girl he loved faithfully and
fondly was false to her promise-the wife
Of another. He spoke no word of bitter
ness, but returned to the home he had fit
ted up for his bride, and the business he
bad hoped was his stepping stone to hap
piDess, and to life of loneliness.
Ten years later, when his sister, with her
son and daughter, came to live in New York
for educational advantages, Rupert the
First was certainly what his saucy nephew
called him-a crusty old bachelor. Yet,
into that sore, disappointed heart Katies
desertion had SO wounded, the bachelor
gence his nephew and niece, bright hand
some children of ten and twelve, who,
child-ike, imposed upon his good-nature,
rioted over his quiet. orderly loma till his
staid housekeeper declared they were worse
than a pair of monkeys, caressed him
stornaily one moment and pouted over some
refusal for monstrous indulgence the
next, and treated him generally as bachelor
uncles must expect to be treated by their
sisters children
There was some talk, when Mrs Kim
berly came to New York, OF making one
household of the family, but the idea was
abandoned, and the wealthy widow selected
o residence three doors of, in the same
block.
"Rupert was SO set in his fdgety old
bachelor ways" she said, that it would be
positive cruelty to disturb him"
Probably young Rupert and Flora did
Aot consider their bright young faces dis
t,,rbers of their uncle's tranquility; but 1t
ia quite certain thot out Of sphool, No. 46,
their uncle's house, saw them quite as fire.
auently as No. d3, where their mother re.
sided. With the intuitive perception Of
ebildren, they understood that the abrupt,
often harsh voice, the surly words, and the
undemonstratiye manner, covered a heart
that would have made any sacrifice for their
sakes, that loved them with as true love
as their own dead father could have given
them.
As they outgrew childhood evidences Of
affection ceased to take the forms of dolls
sud drums, and cropped out in Christmas
checks, in ball-dresses and bouquets,
saddle-horse, and various other delightful
and acceptable shapes, tili Rupert came OF
see. when he was taken from college into
his uacle's counting house, and closer in
tmasy than ever was cemented between
the young life and the one treading the
downward path to old age.
There Ind been family gathering at
frs Kimberlys ono evening, late in the