American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-04-12
"Who can that beP" exclaims Dick,

adds his sister; and the prStman IL IS
Two letters are his contribution to the
Roys this morning, both of which Sarah
hands to Miss Janet, who hurriedly
reads the addresses. One is for herself,
the other is for her brother.
"'Here is letter for you, sir, if your
name be Horatio,'" she quotes, reaching
it to him across the table.
"But my name is not Horatio," he
replies, correctingly, as he takes it.
"Are you aware that the paraphrase is
perfectly allowableP 'fyour name be
Richard would be much more appro-
pirate, and would sound far better.
Look, for instance, at the Third Witch
glorious example for all paraphrasers
who, on hearing a trumpet sound
where the lines call for drum, had the
presence of mind to exclaim: "A
trumpet! trumpet! Macbeth doth
stump ar"
Janet scarcely listens to this prattle
of her brother; the letter that has come
for her is edged with black, and she is
nervously tearing open the envelope in
her haste to see what ill news it has
brought, whose death it has come to
announce.
Dick notices her agitation as she
draws out the inclosed sheet, and won
ders, even as she is wondering, what
can be its message.
Uncle Arthur is dead" she says, the
next moment, giving q sigh of relief.
al saw it was in Harry's handwriting,
and so feared it was Cousin Margaret. ="
"Uncle ArthUri'' repeats Dick.
=" Uncle Arthur! He's one of my re-
spected great-uncles, whom have never
had the pleasure of seeing: California
millionaire. 1 wonder did it ever strike
him that little of his wealth would be
acceptable to his great-niece and great
nephew, who are battling with the world
far away over here in the EastP''
"Oh, Dick!" exclaims Miss Roy,
greatly shocked, show can you talk of
the poor mans money when he is just
dead?"
"POor mani" says Dick, laughing.
{" Away thought he was a rich one"
"I suppose he was; but then you
need have no thought of any legacy. 1
expect he has left every thing to his
daughter Margaret and her son Harry"
"Oh, of course" concludes Dick, re-
signedly, as he turns his attention to his
own letter: I" there is no such good luck
for me as getting money that haven't
worked for.''
May INQUIRE asks Miss Roy,
meekly, when her brother has twice
read the epistle he holds in his hand,
and is about to begin again, ''what Nell
nas to say that is SO Uery interestingly"
A slight flush mounts to Dicks face
as he hurriedly crumples the missive
into his pocket.
"Nell!" he repeats. elbow did you
know it was from NellP''
81 know her handwriting"
"But it's just like hundreds of 9TH
ers," continues Dick, buttering a hot
roll in continuance of his breakfast.
"All ladies write in the same style now
adays. The letters are all very tall and
all very thin.''
EaCA l1Oy h1suo has q PCCtAiAiitys
nevertheless.
"'Which nobody can deny" quotes
Richard. "Some hands are pink and
some are white, some are fat and some
are lean, some wear diamonds and some
wear none.''
"How you trip one up!" exclaimed
Janet, smiling. -" You know very well
what 1 mean. Would you have me
stumble over the whole length of Chi
Biography every timer"
"By no means. 1t would only be a
waste of breath, and would seem as
though you were Intentionally airing
your knowledge of Webster's Una
bridged."
Dick is beginning to congratulate
himself on the mastery way in which
he has turned the subject, and escaped
rudely telling his sister that the contents
of Miss Nellie Taylor's letter are not for
her ears, when she again refers to his
remarks.
"By-the-bye," she says, as she draws
from the urn her brothers. second cup
of coffee, "speaking of some hands
with diamonds and some without, Nell
doesn't wear one, does sheP When do
you propose presenting her with one of
the gemsP''
81 was not aware" with mock gray
ity) "that young men are generally ex-
peetsd to provide their lady friends with
dia nond rings"
"Did the fact that there is such
thing as an engagement ring ever pre-
sent itself to your enlightened intel
lectP''
" Engagement! ~ repeats Dick, "did
I understand you to say engagement?
Since when, pray, did you conclude that
your respected brother had given his
heart to anotherP 1 know of no engage
ment."
"Oh, dear!" says Janet, signing
mechanically; "have 1 really been
mistaken And here was already con-
graduating myself on so soon having a
sister-in-law!"
EDO you remember the nursery
asks Dick,
"' Can the love that you're SO rich in
Bald a fire in the kitchen?
Or the little God of love turn the spit, spit,
spitT
1 should hesitate, think, to ask any
one to marry me, for fear of having that
couplet thrown in my face. Now if
that dear old great-uncle of ours had