The true northerner., 1882-12-15

say "Oh?" which he felt even then was
scarcely warm greeting to give an
aunt from the antipodes.
"Oh, but" she added, cheerily, "thats
not all; I've another surprise for YOU;
up too, to see their grand college cousin ;
they're just outside. IN call them in
sh III ]? 2"
In another second Flushington's
small room was overrun by horde of
female re.atives, while no looked on
tasping.
They were pretty Girls, too, many Of
them but that was all the more dread
ful to him; he did not mind the palmer
ones half 70 much; combination OF
beauty and intel ect reduced him to q
condit on of absolute imbecility.
He was once caught and introduced
to n charming young lady from Newn-
ham, and all he could do was to back
feeby into n corner and murmur thank
you" repeatedly.
He was very little better than Shat
then as his aunt singled out ore girl
after another. "We won't hi..e any
formal ronsense between cousins" she
said; "you know them all Try name al
ready. dare say-this is Nhlly, that's
Jane, here's Flora and Kitty, and Mar
garet. and that's my little Thomasina
over there by the bookcase.
Poor Flushington ducked blindly in
tie direction of each, and then to
them all collectively; he had not pres
eDce of mind to offer them chairs, or
cake, or anything; and, beside, there
WIS not nearly enough OF anything for
all of them.
Meanwhile his aunt had spread her
self comfortably out in his arm chair,
and was untying her bonnet strings and
beaming at him until he was ready to
expire with confusion. Il do think, "
she observed at last, "that when an old
aunt all the way from Australia takes
the trouble to come and see You like
this, you might spare her iust one kiss -
Fiushngton dared not refuse; he
tottered up and kissed her somewhere
about the face, after which he did not
know viii h way to look, he was so
terribly afra d that he might have to 60
through the same ceremony with the
cousins, which he simply could not have
survived.
Happily for him, they did not appear
its hind legs and, resting one knee upon
it, waited patiently for them TO deign a
conversation; he could not have uttered
sing q word.
The aunt came to his rescue: "You
don't ask after your Uncle Samuel, who
used TO send you the beetles?" she said
reprovingly.
NO" said Flushington, who had for
gotten Uncle Samuel and his beetles
too; mo; how is Uncle Samuel-quite
well, ] hope?"
Only t lerably so, thank you, Fred /;
you see, he never got over his great
loss"
NO." said Flushington, desperately,
"of course not; it was "a large sum Of
money to lose all at once"
Il was not referring to money! said
she, with slight touch of stoniness in
her manner; Il was alluding to the
death of your cousin john"
Flushington had felt himself getting
on rather well just before that, but this
awkward mi 4take-for he could not rec
ollect having heard of cousin John be-
fore-threw m off his balance again he
collapsed in silence once more, inward
ly resolving to be lured into no more
questions concerning relatives.
His ignorance seemed to have aroused
pathetic sentiments in his aunt. Il
oug' TO have known she said, shaking
her head, they'd soon forget us in the
old country; here's my own sisters son,
and he doesn't remember his cousins
death! Well, well, we're here, we mnst
SEQ if we can't know one another lit
tie better. Fred, You must take the
girls ard me everywhere, and show us
everything, like good nephew, you
know"
Flnshing'on had horrible mental
vision of himself careering about all
Cambridge, followed by long process
sion of female relatives-a fearful pos
sibil!ty to so shy man. ~Shall you
be here long?" he asked.
"Only week or so; we're ut the
Bull, very near to you, you see; and
I'm afraid you think us very bold beg
gars, FRI ID, but we're going to ask you
TO give us something to eat. I've set
my heart, so have the girls (haven't you,
dears y, on lunching once with q col
lege student in his own room.r
There's nothing so extraordinary in
it, assure you, protested Flushington,
"and-and 1 IN afraid there is very little
for You to eat. The kitchen and but
tery are closed" Che said this at a vent
ure, as he felt absolutely unequal to
facing the college cook and ordering
lunch from that tremend us parsonage; I;
he would rather order it from his tutor
even). But if you don't mind potted
ham, there's little at the bottom of
this TN, and there's some bread and an
inch OF butter, and marmalade, and a
few biscuits. And there was some
sherry this morning
The girls all professed themselves
very hungry, and contented with any
thing: so they sat around the table, and
poor Flushington served ont meager
rations of all the provisions he could
| frd, ev, TO his figs and French plums
but there was not ne ir!y enough to go
round, and they lunched with evident
dis.ll sionment, thinking that the col.
lege luxury, OF which they lad heard &c
much, had been greatly exaggerated.