The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-30
PEGGY

NfINF.il~(t ,Nif it------- NJ q a. rr.ff,-.
A good many years ago | was invited
by my Uncle Peter to spend month or
so at his place in Steepletown. had
never seen my uncle in my life, to my
recollection; and from what L had heard
my mother, who was his own sister, say
OF him on different occasions, l was not
at all anxious to make his acquaintance.
He had always been represented as an
eccentric old bachelor, who had impris-
oned himself for life in q large house in
a little country town, and was never
seen nor heard of by any of his relations.
The letter which conveyed the invitation
to me, however, brought back many
pleasant memories of my uncle Peter
to nay. mothers mind, But could not
help thinking that these were only re-
vived for my benefit, especially as my
mother now avoided any disagreeable
reference to her brother; and the mark
of my ,uncle'sl favor did not give me
such pleasure as it did my parents, who
did nothing else but talk of the grand
prospects before me from the time the
invitation arrived till the day the visit
was paid, The prospects seemed to me
anything but cheerful. ''''"9ft i'h
Uncle Peter was not the man / ex-
pected to find him. When the servant
carried my name up to him on nv arri-
val at his house, became quite fright
ened as sat in the drawing-r0om wait
ing for him to make his appearance. If
he had suddenly sprung through
the floor or dropped from the cell
ing, l should not have been more
surprised than was when he opened
the door and walked into the room
for, instead of the wicked old monster /
had expected to meet, l found myself
face to face with man who was every
thing man should be-except a hus-
band. N't H.'7" iAit'
My uncle was bachelor, and bach
elor by conviction. That is to say, he
might have married long enough ago if
he had so minded, without having turned
single blessedness into married misery,
for he was quite rich enough to keep a
wife; so rich was he, indeed, that there
were few girls who would have had the
heart-inasmuch as the heart enters in
to the contract-to have refused him
even when he was old and gray, as he
was at the time my story begins. He
told me as much himself before we had
been many hours together. But the
songs of the syren, he gave me to I'M
.derstand, had no charm for him; he
had no ear for that kind of music. He
told me confdentially that he had only
loved one woman, except his mother
and he hoped loved my mother; and
l suppose he took it for granted that |
did, for he did not give me time to say
so, but went on to observe that he had
never loved but one woman in the whole
q of his life. 1n s6s .15HiM 4tmH
U When [ asked him alphabetically
why he had not married her, he laughed
outright in my face.
" For the simplest reason in the world,
my boy" he said, clapping his hands
. heavily on my shoulders. g Because
- "Because she refused you,'' l sug-
gested, gravely. / certainly did not see
anything to laugh at in that, but my UNI
Gle took it as a very fine joke. tlni
He explained to me that the lady in
. question was his niece; and, as did
not know what to say to that, inquired
meekly whether she was still alive.
!" She's your Cousin Tabitha, boy,''
cried my uncle. H LtW~ut
" (" Cousin Tabitha--of course!n I re-
piled 1 thought my uncle expected me
to answer him, and 1 did not know what
else to say. '7 " '
"Nicest little woman in the world ;
dearest little woman in existence ;
sweetest little woman in creation,'' con-
tinued my uncle.
:" Is She" t''" "i
I was going to say "pretty,'' for l
felt an increasing interest in my charm
ing cousin; but hesitated, for fear my
uncle had not mentioned beauty with her
other attractions for some reason of his
own ifl intN h b8ezIGfiiI mo
NJ els she whatP" said nv uncle, sharp
ly, in tone which implied that he was
ready to give me any Information 1 re-
quired. ' "''''a
"Is she reallyp" 1 returned, inno-
Gently. pIealF 9ts us vifnu.,
4 My uncle then gave me second edi-
ton of her praises, with additions, and
observed that | should soon be able
to Judge for myself. Cousin Tabitha,
Iconcluded, was also staying with my
uncle!.t,I Of lagis .ri Igtof ada
liiss"" And speaking of women,p says he,
81 suppose we shall have to get you a
wife presently."e '7'a q e1sF 9Yi1n /
-uoI remarked that Il should no doubt be
4 able to get one for myself Ii struck
me then that my uncle intended me to
marry. my Cousin Tabitha. I turned
that IDEA over in my mind as I dressed
for dinner. r meet my cousin for the
' first time under my runcle's roof
my uncle represents her to- me in
glowing colors;ii she is all his
fancy paints her; / fall in love
with hef, MARRY her, inherit my incle's
fortuhea this Is the train of thought
which runs through my head as L stand
before my looking glass, l am very
careful in the selection of a tie, and UNI
usually long over my hair. l was pre-
, pared TO fall in love with my cousin at
!. first sight, and with my heart beating
ike a reveille drum, l went downstairs
to meet my destiny. s'.'t ','I"i f
When ! entered the dining room found