The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-01-20

Az Uc0l bhtxV vtutu0 " y01I0 0n0u OIlUB
10 visss sAsss talk, its aweeier minstrsls ainel
DR.. Jex'S Predicament.
Il was the funniest thing that I ove1
nav in my life. Cruikshank would have
gloried in Il. wish ! had him here Il
illustrate that scene with the spirited
vigor that only his dancing pencil gives.
It was In Kentucky that it happened
that pleasant land Of bluegrass, and to.
bacco, and fine stock, with white-teethed
girlA Mabel, my sister, had married
Dick Hucklestone, and they had begun
life IN great contentment and . little
three-roomed house scarcely big enough
10 hold the bridal presents. But they
were happy, hearty, healthy. They had
two cows, ice.creAm every day, charm.
ing baby, and Uncle Brimmer. Who
shall say that their cup was not full? In.
decd, they thought it full before Uncle
Brimmer added himself thereto-a very
pondrous rose leaf. He was one Of our
old family servants, who fondly believed
that Miss Mabel and her young husband
would never be able to get on without
him. He walked all the way from Mis-
sissippi to Kentucky, with his things
tied up in meal sack, and presented
himself before Mabel, announcing affably
that he had come to ''stay on"
s'But / haven't any place for you,
Uncle Brimmer," said Mabel, divided
between hospitality and embarrassment.
''Lor' honey, You kin jes' tuck me
aroun' any1har. I don't take up no
room"
Mabel looked thoughtfully upon the
big brown gray-whiskered old negro,
whose proportions were those Of Hcrcu-
lee, and shook her. head ..You are not q
Tom Thumb. Uncle Brimmer."
mo, maam.' said he, submissively,
s'but I've got his spirit. Couldn't
sleep in de kitchen, honeyg" he went ON,
with insinuating sweetness.
mo, indeed" cried our Young house,
keeper; Il put my foot down on any
body sleeping in the kitchen"
Aunt Patsey, the cook, stood by, bal.
ancing pan Of flour on her head, one
INT hand on her hip. / suspected hcr Of
: personal interest in the matter, and in
deed she afterwar,l acknowledged that
she thought Uncle Brimmer's coming
would prove = sblessin' to her feet"
Those feet Of hers had been saved MANY
steps through the service 81 her ten-year.
old daughter. Nancy Palmira Kate
called Nal.ky Pal, for short But of late
Nanky's services had been called iuto
reqnisatlon rs nurse, and Aunt patsey.
who WAS fat and scant O. breath. Thought
abe had too much TO do; and SO She
viewed with evident delight the stalwart
proportions of our gool-natured giant
from the south.
Oars d lof. Miss Mabel" shs sug-
gested.
1T is TOO small, and il cluttered up
with things already"
soh, sho. chile, dar amt nothin' in
Dat lor 'cep' de EATERS, an de peppers,
m de dried apples, an some strings o.
eerbacker, an de broken pillow, an
some odds IN ends o de- chillen's, an
Lucy Crittenden's pups. Lcr', dur amt
n0thin' ter speak Of in de lof."
He can't get in at the window, said
Mabel, shifting her ground.
ssLemme try, said Uncle Brimmer.
The kitchen was . small log-cabin
some distance from the house-s'in good
hcllerin' reach" to quote Aunt Patsey.
Above Il was Q low room, or loft,
crowded with the miscellaneous articles
enumerated The only way of getting
into il was from the outside. A Ia ilcr
against tho side Of the cabin n mitt "a
one, through little window, no logger,
I am sare. than that Of railway coach.
into this storehonse Of treasures Nanky
Pal, who vas rs slim rs snake, was
usually selected 10 fetch and carry
through the small aperture. But Uncle
REimmer.
I'm pretty sho kin do II, he said.
counting up one eve, Is he took OF his
coat end prepared to try.
We stood in the doorway rs he eau.
tously went mp the ladder; and after IN
excitang moment he pushed himself
through the window, aud turning. smiled
tziumphantly.
This settled the matter. A cot bed
was procured for Uncle Brimmer, and
he soon became the mainstay of the
family. Chccrfully avoiding all the
work possible: indifFerently as an ostrich
eating III he could find in cupboar's or
highways; grimly playing hobgoblin FOR
baby; gayly twanging his banjo
moonlight nights-mcmory recalls Il o.
With . smile, Uncle BrimMsrl I en-
ohApleeA indistinct in the semi darkness,
- - 1t under tho mulberry-trse, sing-
sing.
With vas In Tennessee.
A-crtti.. 10 NY cheer,
An arms aroun' MY dear!s
This Vas his favorite. Who shall
doubt that il expressed TO him al the
poetvy, romance, passion, Of life?
After time Uncle Brimmer fell i'll,
and 10 sent for doctor.
DR.. Tfattles Jex Was tho medical man
q our cnunty. Hell lived in Middleburn,
seven miles away, aud he came trotting
over On great bay horse. with pair d
saddls-bags hanging like Gilpin's bot
tleia, ono on either side. He looked a
diminutive q I monkey perched on the
tall horse's back. and indeed he Was -
vee hit paxky body" - was said ol
Tommy Moore. But, bless me! he was
= pompous and self-important q though
- had found the place to stand on, and
conA move the world with his little
lever. A red handkerchief carefully
pinned across his chest showed that he
had lungs and q mother. His boots
were polished to the last degree. His
pink aud beardless face betrayed his
youth; and his voicc-ah! his voice!
What ! treasure IL would have been
could he have let it ont to masqueradersl
Whether It Was inst changing from that
Of youth to that Of man, or whether. like
reading and writing. it came by ma
tnre. / can't tell. One instant il was