Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-12-22

yourself out t0 give your mothers
brother nights lodging!" said
Caleb Oheverel, bitterly.
Z The bleak March wind, bearing
dust, and grit, aud bits OF flying
paper ON its restless wings, came
whistling around the corner, lift
ing the old mans faded comfort
er's ends, and turning his blue
nose a shade bluer still, while Mrs.
Lew Larkins, his eldest niece,
stood in her doorway, filling up the
aperture with her ample person
in such a way as to suggest the ia
miliar legend, No admitsa,Ics I"
Mrs. Larkins was stout, and
blooming, and cherry-checked,
dressed in substantial alpaca, with
gay gold brooch and ear-drops.
which bespoke anything but abb
ject poverty
Uncle Caleb was thin and mea-
gre, and shabbily- dressed, with
glossy seams in his overcoat, and
tinger-ends prOtruding from his
worn gloves like ancient rOsebuds
coming out of their calyx.
81 am very sorry" said Mrs. Lar
kins, stiffiy; 'tbut we have but one
spare room, and that is at present
occupied. or course / should be
glad 10 do all that / could for you
but"
81 understand, / understand !"
said uncle Cheverel, turning cold
ly away. "I'll 60 to my niece Je-
rusha. ! wish you a very good
evening"
Mrs. Larkin closed the door, with
a sigh of very evident relief.
~ dare say Jerusha will take
care of him." said Mrs. Larkins,
phiIosophically. "Jerusha has a
smaller family than | have. But
l don't see why he came up to
town, instead Of staying peaceably
down i'm Tortoise Hollow, where
he belongs"
Mrs. Jerusha Eldertop, Mr.. Che
verel's youngest niece, had; it is
true, a smaller family than her sis
ter Rebecca, but then she had a
smaller income as well. She had
just finished a vigorous days clean
ing when uncle Caleb was an
nounced.
"Oh, drat the man I" said Mrs.
Eldertop, wringing her parboiled
fingers ont of a basin of steaming
soap suds; what sends him here,
just now, of all times in the worldl"
And she went down stairs, un-
graciously enough, to the little en-
try. where her husband was wei
coming the old stranger.
"Come in, uncle Cheverel-come
in y said honest Eben Eldertop.
"We're all upside down here we
mostly are, now that the spring
cleaning is going ON. But there's
room for you. If you don't mind
the children and their noise, and a
little smell of whitewash in the
spare room"
Mrs. Eldertop's welcome was by
no means so cordial. She looked,
to use a common expression, swim
egar and darning needles" at the
visitor, while in her inmost mind
she calculated the probability OF
the cold boiled ham and turnips
holding out for one more at sup
per.
''Come, Jerusha, don't scowl so.'
said Mr. Eidertop, when Uncle
Caleb had gone up stairs TO wash
his hands and. face. "Aint he
your uncle r. ! } Z - FFec
IA good -for-nothing old vds .
bond," said Mrs. Eldertop, acid is
without a cent laid up ahead Il enc
''For all that. he's your guespa,
said her husband, "and youk
bound to be civil to him. Al
here's his oyercoat now, with q L
zig-zag rent in it. just mend
while you're waiting for the kett
to boil" % W.
"I WON'T y said Mrs. Eldertop.
"All right" retorted her Ior
and master. "Then I'll take i
next door to Alexia Allen TO mend. !
Now Miss Allen, the tailoresss
who lived in the adjoining honses
was pretty and buxom to look
upon. and Mrs. Eldertophad nursed
comfortably a jealousy Of her for
the last four years. - ~
"You'll do no such thing r said
she, tartly. "Hand it here r.
And she threaded a needle with
black silk, and thrust her finger