The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-03-26
THE UNCLE'S LEGACY.

1he reader lB lnJrOuuCeu luUO bue lIV- Z
ing room, as il is called. of Peter Du-
rants cottage poorly furnished /
apartment, clean, but with the signs Of |
meagre poverty everywhere plainly (
visible. Occupying one of the window
recesses is the work table or bench be- |
Z longing to our friend Peter, who fol-
lows the trade of tailor.
There are his shears, his measures, his
work, his skeins Of thread and sewing
silk, his paper patterns, his wadding,
and scattered all about are shreds of
cOlored cloths-red, blue, green, brown,
grey and black.
In one corner of the room we saw a
rudely made cradle, and near it, with
child's frock in her hands, stands the
plump figure Of Dame Martha, the
tailsr's coInely helpmates and mother Of
sixteen children, at .,,,.s,r ts.y
"Ohp' she cries, tossing aside the gar
ment she has been examining, 81 shall
patch and darn you no more. My six
teen dsrlings shall wear rags no longer;
they shall be newly clad from head to
foot III good serviceable black; and
Alice shall be made to look as smart as
new pin. Poor girl, she hasn't had a
decent thing TO wear since she was short
dressedl l don't know where we should
all Of us have been by this time had it
not been for the kind help Of some Of our
eighbors-charitabl soulsl-better off
than ourselves. Just fancy sixteen
children, biz and little, to feed and to
clothelg Oh, dear, how we all have
been pipched' these many years But
. our poverty lis past and gone, now
and
At this moment the latch OF the cot
tage door is lifted, and an old woman
Good 'morhin', Matty. Is Peter at
home2",
b j" No, Betty Marsh, he is not. What
do you want with him ~
:" want him to patch my good mans
coat as soon as he can. HlF
"Pooh, don't youknow Uncle Durant
is dead?'' So
"0f course / do. That's news week
old. And what then ~ 3lt ta
Well, the oldm was rich. BE was
a great miser, although be owned more
gold than be could count, He has left
all hismoney to my Peter, who was his
nephew" 'ge.1 .te.e4
Then you are very lucky woman,
Matty, although you have got sixteen
children. Well, Isuppose ! must carry
my mans coat back againl" M
Before Matty can make the other a
reply, the cottage door is dashed open
and Peter Durant, assisted by two men
enters, carrying an old fashioned eight
day clock. .g.s,. 0s,a
iazt Heydayl What on earth is this
PeterT asks his wife in surprise.
"a heavy load and be hanged to it,
he replies, Grossly. n think coulc
Ind II in my heaftto chop il up int
Where did you get it, husbandp
Where did get it? Why, this awk
warks pnwieldy piece Of furniture j
Uncle DuranPs legacy-all, in fact, h,
has left me-" = ~
y J Peter r' ggasps Martha with whit
lips; 6 Peter, don't say sol Recall you
words OH do, do, doH 86
Matty, I speak the truth. Thi
clock is all the wealth Uncle Durant hs
N'a bequeathed u.s." SALTS asesaaft
&" 1t can't be possible, husband. VIII
~ then, gets his piles of money"
There-fetch me hatchet, wife,
- chop up this brute of a clock
Destroy il Peter2 Oh, mol Att
Na all, it's piece OF furniture. Letit b
Set it up against the wall, put it
tFsi working order, and so end the matter
reckon ] may now leave my man
coat to ba mended eh, MattyT
~. Work is ii for me to doT' inquir
the tailor. " Yes, of course, neig
hf.ras - II