South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-12-21

1890 - ~"y s0oSOas oh' tuc NNtutg
wife dropped into chair AS though
the last remaining portion OF her
strength had left her.
what was the subject of the lee.
ture, my DEAR Inquired Mr.. DYKES
with cheerful smile, as though he
did not regard the si,uati ~ a. y. :. 4
desperate.
you know very we'll that Uncle
Phil has but one subject
and that is cxtravagance,o or the re-
verse, enconomy,' added Mr. Dykes.
'Of course that was the subject OF
the lecture; and you always take his
side of the question. Uncle Phil has
ten tines as muchindncnce with YOU
as have. Whatever he says is right,
and whatever l cay is wrong retort-
ed Mrs. Dykes rather warmly.
IF supper is ready, I think we had
better attend to that next; aud we
shall have the whole evening to dis.
cuss Uncle Pills lecture. The subs
ect will keep for awhile
But Uncle Phil will be here to take
part in the discussion and that is jus t
what | don't want. He oy ershadows
me entirely when he says anything,
md might as well hold my tongue
as s eak, pouted the wife.
Uncle Phil will not be here, Ma
lian. It's halfp2 six, and he has
10 90 TO church meeting at seven
Very well, but l am going to have
something doue this time. won't
have Uncle Phil here any longer. Ii
he is to stay in this house l shall NOT
Mrs. Dykes was very young aud her
.ngry pout, as she sailed ont of The
room, made her look lie ;idedlv pref
ty; at least so thought her husband
But before she was fairly out, the
door opened and Uncle Phil came in.
The door was ajar and he must have
been III the ball during some portion
III The lady's severe remarks about
him. Bn, lie looked as placid as
though earth had no sorrow for him.
He was Il man of fir v, though his
hair and beard were white enough
FOR seventy.
lie did not seem like a man who
could be very disagreeable if he tried.
lie had deaco nish look about his
face. that of Il serious though not aus
tore man. Certainly no one would
ave taken him for a shipmaster, but
he had spent most of mis- life at sea
or in foreign parts. lie used to read
the Bible to his crew every Sunday,
and lever allow any swc airing or 9th
err bad language i'll his presence on
board ship. Though he was psalm
singing skipper no captain was ever
more popular with his men than Cap
tain Dykes.
Uncle Phil had been married in
carly life, but his wife died while he
was absent on long voyage. lie
nad recently given up the sea, and re-
tired to his native town, now an i'm
portant place of EN- thousand inbabi-
tants. lie found himself a stranger
there, but at his own request his ne
phew had taken him as a boarder.
The gosslps were not little both
cred 10 determine whether the retir-
ed sh'pmaster was rich or poor. He
engaged IN every church and Derev-
o'ent enterprise, and contributed
Moderately OF his means.
Charles Dykes had opened store
IN Tripleton a year before, and every
body thought he was doing we'll. :
Mis-. Dykes thought 80, though
Charles himself insisted that be was
not making money very rapidly; he
could not tell how much until he bal
anced his book & took account of stock
In the main be was prudent, care
Iul young man or at least was dispos.
ed to he go.
Uncle Phil made hasty supper
and then went to his meeting. lie
acted just little strangely for him
though the smile had not deserted hi,
face. He said less than usual. anC
seemed to be thinking very earnestly
about something.
DO YOU suppose he heard what !
said, Charles!' asked Mrs. Dykes, af.
ter Unylc Phil had gone.
Il think not; but you ought not to
say anything behind his bacI, thai
you would not say 20 his face replied
the husband Uncle Phil is GOOD
man, one of the salt of the earth.
'!Io Ia altogether too salt for me
Il / should put too much salt in the
doughnuts, you woalI not ike them
Uncle Phil is saIter than Lots wife,
i am sorry you don, like BIN, Ma.
rian.'
i can't like man who is continu, !.
| ~ tripping me ~. and lccturing me
upon economy. You ought to know
better than he does what Oh can az
/ ford
| am sure nothing but his interest
N us prompts him to say ANYTHING.
1t one means well almost anything
can be excused
when | said that | wished ron
would keep horse so could ride out
D o. Il 4