New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
CHAPTER II.
My UNCLE SEYMOUR.

CHAPTER II.
MY UNCLE SEYMOUR.
was standing at the window of my lodgings near
Regent Street, smoking a cigar and watching the
people pass. 1t was very hot day not dog
tr0tted by but had half fathom of tongue hanging
| from its Jaws; aud the heat gave an edge to the
| peculiar smoll of huc aud ancient cookery that
! haunts the atmosphere of every London lodging
house In short, it was just day to set man
dreaming of the country, of shady woods under cool
trees crowded with twinkling leaves, bees making
! a home-like music in the sunshine beyond, and
smell of wdhOwer5 around; or better still, OF the
SeaShOre the lip-lipping and fountan-like seethng
of the tide on the brown sand. mild breeze, warm
| as a woman'S breath blowing across the azure
water with just cnough of strength in it to keep the
! pools among the waves trembling.
Nothing could be pleasantcr than such thoughts,
! and whilo stood turning them over and resolving
| in mechanical sort of way to up kcelcg and make
strotch for the coast matter where, there comes
cab along the street, stops under my window, and
presently servant bundles into the room to tell
me hat a gentleman wishes to sec blr. Seymour.
! He was close behind the girl, and before | could
| ask his name she stepped aside and he walked in'
He looked at me very hard and said, " Is your name
! John Sutherland Seymour"
| bowed
| -fn naming the address,
| bowed again, wondering who he was and what
| his business could he. He about fifty-hyc
! years old, perhaps more; had a strong, reddish
beard heavy eye brows, and small, merry blue eyes
| He hal spoken my name with slight Yankee drawl
| in his voice. but his appearance was that OF an
Australian-tO my fancy. at least; perhaps because
| when was in Australia had secn men go dressed
as he was in blue check shirt and collar, blue
serge trousers, white waStcoat, cloth coat, square
| toed boots and u large soft Tapping wideawakc.
"JOhn Sutherland Seymour-probably Jack Scy-
mourS" nc repeated and said, Yes, SIR Jack
| Seymour; that's may name"
"Seymour is my name, too" said he. Can't you
guoss who am?"
stared, trying to think.
| Shave been all my life carrying the family nose
about to no purpose 7" e cried What is the use of
| the. genuine Roman run-the Seymour Tise-what
sailors would call the knk amidships, if it fails to
! connect mo as relatiOni' And saying. he
| struck an attitude in profile, with his forefuger
! against his nose.
Z" Is it possible that yCu are my uncle Charles Scy-
| meurH" ] exclaimed.
More than possible if You are Tom Soymour's
! SON" he answered and coming up TO Inc he grasped
| me by the hand nearly shook my arm of, and then
pitching his hat and stick on to a sofa, pumped
himself into q chair.
| I welcomed him with as much heartiness
| prise wOnld let III put into my manner; cndeavoT-
| ing meanwhile TO recOllcct what had heard about
| him from my father; how in his youth he had been
packed off to sea as a scapegTace; how he had run
| away from his ship iii some China port and
| heard of FIVE years later as doing pretty well in
New York; ; how very much later yet news of him
reached my father from Canada through gentle
| man, who reported that he was making money fast
| IL l,I writ and ha1 lppu a 1poIt IN
1 family as if be had faon overheard and gone to the
| bottom on his first voyage
After long and very narrow inspection Of me-
! he said Yon are not like your dad, ,Jacki"
No.p said l. amused to hear him call me Jack.
| "B'ye see any family likeness in INC :" he asked.
More than enough to swear by" l answered.
| He ran his oyo over the room, turning his head
| abnut so as to command round view, and, coming
| back TO me, asked if was married.
"No" said l. laughing, for there is something in
| this question that will make a single man laugh.
! 81 might guess So There no female hints
here, and that pipe" says he, noddng toward the
| mantlepicce carries, l calculate, at loast six
smokes too much in the bowl of it to be in the
! family line. Where does your father live."
"He is dead" | replied
@Dend!" he exclaimed. "Dead, dye say7" He
bent his eyes on the ground and tapped with his
foot. How long has he been dead :"
| told him He continued looking at the floor
with very gricved and disappointed expression in
his face. and then, returning to his first manner,
said. q hope he died pretty well off7"
aWIy. yes" said 1; "pretty well off, but not
better than pretty well'
| @Is your mother livingH'
| NO"
$50 you're alone"
nodded He took another good look round the
room and said "You have all that my brother Tom
| left, presumef"
"Pretty nearly ALL answered. tickled by his
Yankee curiosity. though he asked his questions
with So much gcOd-nature aud sympathy in his
voice and manner that it WAS impossible to resent
| them
GWhnt might that be, sir!"
"A tri6e short Of two hundred and fifty pounds q
| year"
! "Ahi" he exclaimed pulling a chair TO him and
resting one log upon it. Time was when always
reckoned Tom would beat me. He had ten times
nv brains and fifty times my ballast He would be
| gong 10 windward, with his spars erect and his
| spauker boom anidships, when was my beam
ends points off my course, and saggng like billy
boy 10 lecward. You'll excuse my nautical SMILES,
nephew. They are not always ntellgible but 1
am fond of going 10 tho ocean for my ideas"
GHead AZ you please in that way" said l. laugh
ing; you'll find Inc close in your wake"
ooh then you understand something about the
sea- do ye :" says he.
aAs much as soyen and half years of sailcrizing
could teach me-"
"Dammep ho burst ont, I" il didn't think so
right away off when first looked at you; But you