New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-25
BROWNS WIFE !;
OR,
THE COST OF THE CENSUS.


Fngland-that's what the las census Dut one cost
me remarked my nend-Brown, we sat slipping
our wine IN his hOspItable mansion after the ladies
had lelt us
When L man makes remark like the foregoing
one IL invariably means that be has some story or
auecdote ready, which will explain has apparently
ambiguous words aud Is hoping he viii be asked
TO repeat il. not 80 unfriendy rs 10 nlsunder-
stand the hint, and inquired, with due surprise ana
interest, how the census OF Is came 10 De such
a costly affair 70 Brown. 800
All replied my friend. that's long story Il had
same. But f0I that blessed census paper, Minnie
and would have stepped INTO snug little fortune
twenty years ago. AOu know, suppose. that was
lett an orphan very early IN llie and that my Ola
uncle my only surviving relative, adopted lne. You
didn't know IL : Well, you do now, then MY
poor mother was my uncles only sister; they had
been left fairly well or by their parents My uncle
embarked has money III business aud grew rlch
uy mother married III opposition 10 MS wishes,
lived a miserable life for SIX wears, and then vas
left q peunliess widow, with one clli-ilI sell My
father, whom | don't remember. hNed Just Iohg
enough 10 break hls wltes heart and gamble away
her fOrtune-she only returned TO htr brother
hons, 10 die 1t must be confessed that my uncie's
experiences Of matTlmOny, as seen III MS sister
case, were not encouraging perhaps TINS was th9
reason OF his settling down INTO the confirmed Ola
bachelor that he did. Tie haa loved his sister eN-
IRENE lv-thcIe was considerable difference IN age
between them-and he had been her guardian ana
protector Till the DAY OF her lil-starred inafT'ae1.
That produced a GOODNESS cut lac opened ms neart
and home to her Ia her trouble ana accepted the
charge of her orphan child was oloDsHl up III
ms house. educated al ms expense. ! hcIcNc re
WAS reallv fomQ OF after hlS fashion but the one
great trouble OF his life had s0ared hEn. lie never
recovered the loss OF his sister he never 1orsaVe
the memory OF her husband, the man VINO mad
stolen her nom hiil.
Marriage in the abstract, became abhouent to
him and 10 always Wlth tone or testy NcAduoh
that he spoke Oh has friends making fools 81 them
selves By entering into the letters OF wedock. tie
lived a very quiet life III ms snug house
by year more and mole exclusively 10
the task OF money-maklng. lie was not
miscr; his establishment Was a comfortable and
alluent one but belye that as time went on, ms
strongest affections began 10 centre round tLat
money. He always talked OF me as lis her but az
the same time was by no means uucialiy sup
phed glth resources for extravaganza ID the
present On lily leaving school was promptly
promoted 10 a clerks stool II merchants house
and there 1 was found, ABOUT twenty years ago
10 the enjoyment of a salary of 10 podnqs year
and 10 prospect of a IurtEtr GREASE no longcr
resided at Chaplain. My uncle had retired IRON
business and become more reserved and un-
sociable in his habits than ever Now
Was getting on in tie world, he r3tnarheo
/ could af1Id 10 MAINTAIN myself ana
Was nothing 10th 10 exchange the dreary duihcss
ol the C.apuan mansion Tor the needom even oil
.pgv lodgings in London. My uncle PAID my
rsrT aud [ received an occasional present from
him. i was not extravagant and managed vel
enough things were cheaper twenty years ago l
rea IN believe reason OF ny unclco closcHsted-
ness was a dread lest, II were thought weil-to-do,
some matrimonial snare might DC Iald Tor NE
"lCuu have ever thlng here one Gay, Nl4Ilam' ne
would say il moments OF rare eAp"AniOIi' anu
home You'll keen things together rs I've done.
But remember don make fool OF yourself, ana
marry. Look AZ yOur poor mothers Loo why,
She hadn't thrown herself away she might nave
been alive ana happy now. None Dat lOO4s' sif'
fools o. klayes, 20 and get married.
4, i listened GuLiuIly enough. My temptations
10 commit the su OF natrimony were small We
had 80 visitors al Chaplain except business Trend
or two Oh luy ncle =, generally Old bachelors IKE
himself. Ms. Correct, the hOusekccper, encouraged
Iny uncle III his solitary habits. 1t would nave
Deeu a sad misfortune 30 her had he been converted
from h, anti INA trImonai views ana ed 10 iHs'aii
a mistress at the Lawn. Mrs. COrbet had SOOd
SITUATION and she knew it, She had hyed WITH
lny uncle great many years. and was handsome
wel-preseryed woman OF fifty or thereabouIs,
almost lady III appearance ana uIlh'I' 20 uHe4o
mad great opinion OF Aer 4 had not. j rom my
childish days l knew she had Regarded NE WIN
jealousy and aversion, although concealed under
studied sinOotLness OF .lnauner. She was a WIDOW
with one son, youth some years younger thdh
myself / believe she looked on me as the great
obstacle to this boy fortune; co hoI milk 3uo
could have cherished the idea OF ever IN
duc.nx my uncle to marry herr but
am sure she tancied that II he were
quite alone in the world he would be as AheIy 10
5rgucath his money 10 his faithful hOusckeeprr is
10 leave II 10 the hospitals. Then her GaTLng' ler
idol, would be rich man. VIII 90 her inc |
Justice 10 say that rather for the sake OF her
Sou than herself that she coveted the Old man
money. cold hearted woman, not TOO scIuPuIouS
il comprising her ends she yet l0Feu 'h@t DCy 1t
somewhat graceiess youtn-Wlth an Ln'Shse
devotion. But tor she M -ht have been aOIe 10 |
make hun rich. Children are keen observers ana |
Mrs. Ccrbets stihed dislike was no secret 10 me |
In nv boyhood. although | did not think my !
uncle perceived it. AS grew up she qlsllked me |
yet more IL was gall aud NORWOOD 10 thlnK |
OF lie as my uncle's heir. his troubled me |
little knew my uncle was not likely TO disinhert !
me Ia favor of a stranger unless we had some 0ie
quarrel. and there was not any hkeIlhOOu Oi aucn
event occurring. since had taken up NY |
abode ia London / did not see much Ot my uncle, |
aud IulrcQuent intercourse Is oIteh no su5nl pre-
seryatiye 10 family concord " hen sent Io ven
TO Chapman but my uncle detested dIoppers-in,
aud IL was a understood thing that my visits were
only acceptable When asked iOr.
had plenty OF work in Messrs. Hardie's Office,
anu found amusement tor my leisure hours
Perhaps tuge OF nv uncle's unsociabicness ran
III TIE family, for 1 never thought my laJheI
solitary existence disagreeablc. had no intro
auctions IN London and although got on terms
Of acqudiut slip with some Oh my ieloW Clerks,
our Intimacy was confined 10 walk or "a VisiV 20
:ie theatre IN company never Ni5ted AZ O1eu
s0mes, nor indeed, cared 70 90 So j was Ioho u
icadlug ske.chud a little. | had been accus-
.oMed 20 10 without companions an my ne ana
my l1c al lsAEgton was at least a lar hVeHer one
Ran ny previous existence at Chapman hdu beeh'
But when / was just twenty i've. new era
opened 20 Iny life. IL began ia very common
place fashion some new dodgers came into the
ROOMS over mine. / think should have hardly
Observed this fact had not their predecessor teeh
ncisy medical student and the bilssiul Iuii that
lOok place after hs departure induced me 10 impure
one day, when 1 paid my rent II the upstairs
toons were now tenanred at all Yes, they were
widow lady and her daughter had taken the
to0lns should find them quiet neignbors.
supPOse So | said carelessly, thinking that at
e%St they would not bring home a party OF noisy
''~eents ldtc al night ana then 1 lHOu0Hi ~
nore Of the new Icdgers. But after that day
.Ohstanily met them on the stairs as was going TO
ny work two slender figures IN deep mourning,
'a-h carTyl what looked ike roll OF music
"nlehce inferred they Went out giving lessons.
a suppose u was the mO9OtOny OF my life that
.4le NE observe any tTlile that varied 1t but
esah sometimes 10 think little about my fellow
o1sefs did not even know their names, and Of
ILalse had never addressed them bu one day. IN
,es ehang the starr, the young lady had dropped
,f roll OF music and picked it up and returned
receiving Thank you" IN what struck me
10 the sweetest voice Il had ever. beard. After
al yentured to lift my hat when we encountered
aen otter on the staircase, and the ladies would
y" IA return but there was something In their