The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-17

meat" Immediately flashed through
my brain. Did one of my intimate
friends call, l greeted her in my mind
with, 81 see girl; her name is May"
Cor Lib, or Molly, whichever it might
be; ''she comes to tell some news"
My very dreams were haunted by like
examples. saw the queerest things
Their names were gibberish. They
played strange and ridiculous pranks.
But for all that-perchance in conse-
quence of all that the book progressed
rapidly, and the first hundred lessons
were almost completed, when mother
received letter from cousin of hers,
dated from the same place in Australia
from which Uncle Sam had come. u
read as follows:
DEAR SARAH: Your brother-in-law START
for Wildwood in a few days. l trust that hl
will arrive safely, and bring you permanent
relief from your pecuniary troubles. You
will find him much changed in personal ap
pearance--the result of several hard fights in
which he has been engaged-since you last
saw him. Never handsome. he is now-pe
culiar-looking. | write this especially to
warn you, and to have you warn the others
not to allude in the slightest way to the phys,
ieal blemishes it will be impossible for you moi
to observe, as any such allusion would have
the effect of rousing him to furious anger
/
| inclined to look with favor, and kind remem!
brances to the rest, 1 am yours faithfully.
TOM
And not very long after the reception
of this letter Uncle Sam made his ap.
pearance. He a0as 'peculiar-looking,
to use favorite remark of one of oul
Oldest citizens, with vengeance"
His head was bald in spots, as though
the hair had been pulled out by great
handfuls, and his face was all awry.
Add to this the expression of an ogre,
and you will not wonder that the chill
dren, who had been hastily dressed at
news of his approach, were as hastily
withdrawn to the kitchen when he ar
rived. Poor little darlings, we got them
away just in time, for their lips had be-
gun to culver and their eyes to grow
big with frightened surprise. ''They
will get used to him by degrees" whis-
pered my mother, as gave each of
them reassuring kiss. "And now,
Ella dear, go back and do your best to
entertain him unity our father comes in,
while | set about the dinner"
returned to the parlor. Isat down
opposite our visitor. [ found dread
full fascination in his unsymmetrical
face. could not remove my eyes from
it. | essayed to speak, but before my
mouth was fairly open Uncle Sam bent
his shaggy brows and growled: ''And
so you're Sam, are youp And what
do you see that you stare in that Way?"
And then the spirit of that First
Reader, in spite of all that could do TO
resist it, took complete possession of me.
[ replied slowly and distinctly: II see
man; he is queer looking man; he
has a crooked nose; he has a crooked
mouth he has a crooked chin; he has
crooked ,eyes; he has an awful scowl;
he is rich man. l am poor girl.
would rather be pretty poor girl than
rich crooked man.
And that was the last of our expecta-
tions from Uncle Sam. He arose,
thundered forth some words which
can not repeat, broke all the mantel or
naments at one fell swoop, and left the
house never to return again.
I'll just add, to whom it may CON
) Germ, that soon after the hopes of 6
fortune from my godfather were thus
; destroyed, my engagement to Mat
Brewster was broken and that young
gentleman married Nettie Haley.
As for me, / was ''lucky'' enough tx
become the happy wife of John Erick
son. And our First Reader proved 6
perfect success. Margaret Eytinge, IL
Harper's Weekly.