The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-05-29

ss 3..oxsus To dream awhile with darkened ken,
10 drop into the grave-and then?
80 John G. SAKE.
TO LET. r, i
I should like to describe my hero as
a young and gallant cavalier of the
nineteenth century, with the beauty of
an Apollo and the wisdom of sage,
but truth con,pels me to acknowledge
that Rupert Smithson, in spite of his
fine Christian .appelation, was neither
one nor the other. His nephew and
namesake, who was called in the bosom
of his family Rupert the second, said
that his uncle Rupert was.a 'crusty old
bachelor" and Ihaniner my brains in
vain for more fitting appelation. A
crusty old bachelor he undoubtedly was
more than fifty years of age with griz-
'zled hair, heavy grey eyebrows, thick.
grey beard and gruff voice and man
ner. It is very true he was always very
careful to keep the crustiest side Of his
nature on the surface, and had been dis:
covered in the act of committing Sc
cretly, deeds of charity and kindness
that belied- utterly his habitually surly
tone and abrupt manner. -
Twenty years before, when the gray
hair was nut-grown and clustered in
rich curls over the 1broad white tore
head, when the brown eyes shone with
the fire of;sanibition,s and the clear voice
was true and tendel, Rupert smithson
had given his heart to Katie Carroll
neighbor and friend and little sweet
heart from, childhood. Urged by love
as WE'LL as ambition, he had left bis
homes in a; small Western town and
gone to New York to win name and
fortune to lay at Katies feet. The for
tune and fame as successful merchant
came to him, but when lie returned to
Katie he found she had left her home
also, to become the bride of wealthy
pork dealer in Cincinnati. Nobody
told Rupert of any treaehery to the
pretty Katie, of letters suppressed, of
SANDERS circulated, and Of parental
authority stretched to it's utmost in
favor of the wealthy sutton. He had no
record of. the slow despair that crept
over the loving heart when the plead
ing letters were unanswered, of the dull
apathy yielded at last, and gave away
the hand of the young girl when her
heart seemed broken. All the young,
ardent lover knew was the one bitter
fact that the girl he loved faithfully
and fondly was false to her promise and
the wife of another. -~ He spoke no word
Of bitterness, but returned to the home
he had%fttet UP for his bride, and the
business he had hoped was a stepping
stone to happiness and loneliness.
Ten years later, when his sister, with
her son and daughter, came to live in
New York for educational advantages,
Rupert the First was certainly what4his
saucy nephew called him, crusty old
bachelor. Yet, into, that sore, dissap-
pointed heart Katie's desertion had. 80
wounded the bachelor uncle took with
warm love and great indulgence his
: nephew and neice, bright handsome
children .of ten and twelve, who, child
like, imposed upon>his quiet good ma
trlre and rioted over his quiet, orderly
home, till his staid~ housekeeper de-
clared they were worse than pair
Monkeys; they caressed him. stormilY
one moment and pouted over the refusal
of some monstrous indulgence the next,
and treated him generally as bachelor
uncles must expect to be treated by
their sisters children.}
There was some talk when Mrs;
Kimberly came: to New York of making
one family of the household, but The
idea was abandoned, and the wealthy
widow selected residence three doors
off, in the same block 49,
rupert is so set in his fdgety old
bachelor ways, she said, shat it will be
positive cruelty to disturb him. r
Probably young Rupert nd Fannie
did not consider their bright faces dis
turbers of their uncle's tranquility, for
it is quite certain that, out of school
hours, No. 46, their uncle's house, saw
them quite as frequently: as No. I43,
where their mother resided. With the
intuitive perception Sofa children, they
understood that the abrupt and often
harsh voice. the surly words and thesun-
demonstrativ6 manner, eovefedSa heart
chat would have made any sacrifice for
their sakes; that loved them with as
true love as their own dead father
could have given them: .-I -:
AS they outgrew childhood, evidences
Of ELECTION ceased to take the forms of
dolls and drums,~ and chopped out in
Christmas checks, in ball dresses and
bouquets, in saddle horse, and in vari-
GUS other delightful and acceptable
shapesy I'LL Rupeit came .of age, when
She was taken from college into his IN
scle's counting room; and a closer init
macy then ever was cemented between
the young life and the one treading the
downward path 10: old age, ~: - %
There had been asfamily gathering at
Mrs. Kimberly's- one evening, late'in
the month Of March and conversation
had arisen upon hetradiiona CUSTOMS
>ofsthe frst'of April. ~. =. =. -:
S-"Se1aeless, absurd tricks" Rupert
Smithson had called them in his abrupt
way, lit only to ,amuse children and
idiots. ~, 81 *@.rESs 49, = Il
"Ohs pshaw, Uncle Rupert" Fannie
said sauely,S' you played April fool
tricks, too, when you were young S
81" Neyert. Never could see any Wit Or
sense iii them And what's more, Miss
Fannie, 1: was. never once caught by
these shallow deceits. -. -. :,
Never made an April fool?" ..
"Never, and never will be-" was the
reply. "There, child; go play me that
last nocturne you learned. >: It: suits ME.
I hate sky: rocket music, but. that is a
dreamy, lazy air, and I like it. p -, 81,
S~aThe idea Of your liking anything
dreamy or lazy" said. Miss Kimberly.
T It thought you, were ~. energy and &C
tiNity. M, - - a.. !, = ::
when I work, I work" was the re-
ply, "but when want rest I want to
rest" 80 ....s..-u, .-..,.-. -.
Uncle Rupert" broke in Rupert sud