The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-11
SELECTED SKETCH.
EDITH'S LESSON.

hhOh my Oucic ooAin dcp nftcu I'VE tno AnH
west there were few left to mourn his abb
sence. He had paid his board, SO his land
lady didn't care and as for his relatives,
they all-with the exception of my mother
united in calling him an idle, worthless
fellow, and were glad to be rid of him.
But mother, who was always soft-hearted,
chung about his neck with sobs and tears,
and begged him not to 60 to those dreadful
mines.
When Aunt Ethel heard Of 1t she turned
lp her pug-nose an inch higher, if that were
possible, and never, by any chance, inquired
into the contents of the thin letters that oc-
casionally came from her absent hrother-in-
law. But when she heard that Uncle John
had acquired a fortune and was great
man, the pug came down as much as it had
gone up, and on the day of his arrival
when mother and trudged down through
the rain to meet him-we only reached the
depot in time to see him embodied in Aunt
Ethers velvet cloak, while my cousins,
Annie, Laurie and Maud Estelle. chung about
his knees, then he was hurried into car
And you'll never make me believe,
Edith, +" said my mother, resentfnlly, that
Ethel did not see u.s." Which did not at
tempt to do, being of the same opinion
In the evening Aunt Ethel came around,
leading my uncle into the room as if he had
been q poodle dog. Mother flung herself
upon his neck, weeping with unrestrained
Joy, while Aunt Ethel made sort of Roman
candle of herself and fred of all manner of
complimentary squibs.
:" How do you do, my dearf How well
You are looking, Edith hope your beau
ty will not make you vain. And, Sister
Lizzie, you positively owe me a vote of
thanks for bringing this big California bro
Their of ours around tonight. I knew you
would be SO anxious. Hasn't he grown
perfect bearp"
"a very good-Iooking one, think" said
mother, patting my Uncle Johns whiskers
fondly. m sa4
Aunt Ethers face darkened.
" / see you have not forgotten how TO
fiatter wish could always say smooth
things" Fen
You should feel smooth, aunt, and then
you could" put in, bluntly.
Uncle John roared father said Edith I"
and aunt Ethel giggled family.
witty as ever, dear. Come John, /
don't want to hurry you, but it is late."
ooh, never mind mel l guess sis can
give me sofa, or an armchair or some.
thing" .
"a sofa, indeed" said my mother, in
dignantly GAS if I wouldn't give my own
brother the best bed in the house, after an
absence of six years"
And SO he stayed in spite of all of Aunt
Ethel's protestations. ne
"Why don't you come here, Edith ?" said
my uncle, as the door closed after her re-
treating form. "You are not half SO well
behaved as Ethel's girls. They half stran-
gled me with kisses, and repeated page of
history and six hymns for my edifcation.
"rm not baby-Pm sixteen years old,
and took trouble enough for you when I
went with ma through all the mud and rain
to meet you; and you were so taken with
Aunt Ethel you couldn't even see u.s."
"Aunt Ethel is q very fascinating wo-
man. observed Uncle John, gravely. at
is astonishing how fond she is of you all
And when / told her I intended making
Edith my heiress you should have seen how
delighted she was"
Iopened my eyes very wide. The fact Of
being Uncle Johns heiress astonished me
less than the assertion that Aunt Ethel was
pleased; but as there was not the ghost of a
smile upon my uncle's face, swallowed my
surprise as well as / could, and began to
consider myself in my new aspect Of an
heiress.
Uncle John bought a handsome house just
out of town There were velvet carpets,
and vast mirrors and Aescy curtains drapr
ing tall windows, from whence one looked
out on welltrimmed lawn.
How happy was to feel myself mistress
of that grand house, and as ran about,
iingling my bunch of keys in the pocket OF
my coquettish little apron, remember I
adopted certain consequential airs which
my Aunt Ethel took good care to point out,
but at which Uncle John only laughed
We had many visitors among them Aunt
Ethels sister. Misc Alice Grey. a cool,
self possessed, quiet girl, with intensely
black eyes and hair, pale skin and scarlet
lips.
b She came to spend few days; but three
weeks found her perfectly OF home, and not
ct all inclined to leave.
She made herself very agreeable TO Uncle