The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-02-25
Uncle Obed's Visit.

powerful stretch of imagination for
Mrs. Amber's guests to have tancied
themselves amid the light and fra
GRANGE OF some tropical isle on that
festal night. The stately balustrades
were wreathed in tinted blossoms, the
air was frightened with the perfume
of heliotrope and tuberoses, and the
chandeliers that hung from the fres-
coed ceiling like coronals OF CULVER
ing. fire, threw MONDAY briiliance
over the crowd. '''''D'.4 "'''i' '
At the further end of the superb
drawing room stood Mrs. Amber her
selt-a stately matron in sapphire
velvet. illuminated by the pale glim-
mer of pearls. No one would have
imagined from the smiling self-pos.
session of her manner that this night
was the crisis of her false existence
the turning point of her life, '-c.
Through all the hum and murmpr
ofthe aristocratic assemblage, through
all the crash Of arriving carriages,
and the storming melody OF the band
below, Mrs. Amber's quick ear
caught one low, hesitating step on
the threshold. II was her husbands.
She beckoned to him with her jew
eled tan, and whispered IN scarcely
audible accent:
swell T" eu ~ aDG
".Just as / expected. We are
ruined; can't keep above. water a
week; Norris has tailed, and we'shall
follow suit. 81" '
aels y n 1ggmarad A M!Es, Amber,
tboughttully. ga week ! One can
accomplish much in week. r. Have
YOU noticed how attentive young
Gold is to Cecilia ?" she added, mus.
ingly. sslh5ei ten; N
'He won't be, after" J4. &N
. "Hush !" Mrs. Amber exclaimed
with quick glance around, as if ap
prehensive that the very walls would
hear the whispered colloquy. 81
she wins a rich husband before The
world learns Of your distress, WI
shall be tolerable safe. For you
own sake, keep a cheerful face
mingle with your guests; throw OF
that perturbed frown. tell you al
will yet be right"
Mr.. Amber shrugged his shoulder
and whistled bar of some popula
melody, then turned away to ODE.
his wife's behest to the best OF hi
ability, while Mrs. Amber, he
smooth lips all wreathed with dulce
smiles, resumed the task of receivin:
her gay friends.
o. Suddenly there was sort of Thrill
and litter in the apartment tn
crowd opened as if to make way 70
somebody, and Mrs. Amber steppe'
forward, expecting some distin
guished arrival.
"Good evening, Tiddy. / kalkil
ated you would be gone to bed a
this time O. night, but see you don
keep New Hampshire habits. Ham
forgotten me, have you? Why, pu
Uncle Obed Jenkins p M ..s
Mrs. Amber turned pale through
all her artificial bloom at the unex
pected addition to her company tina
stood before her, his honest feature
beaming with genuine delight. 1
was a ruddy-faced old man, in a sui
of butternut colored cloth, carrying
in one hand neatly tied handker
chief, containing his wardrobe, anC
in the other crooked walking.stick
full of knots and gnarls-such sticl
as grows only in dense swamps
where the young saplings have t.
twist their little arms in every pos
sible direction to get ray of sun
shine, and grow in the most unhearC
of shapes.
II declare, pursued Uncle Obed
"you're fine as fiddle, Tiddy; and
where's them little gals you sent up
summer before last, to get red cheeks
, at their Uncle's? Growed up to be
young ladies-well, iii amt beateu!'
And Uncle Obed extended bony
hand to Miss Cecilia, who drew back
Y