St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-10-29
MY LITTLE BOY.

was a widow. A young widow,
suppOse-fOr no one would regard
three and-twenty as a venerable age
A pretty widow people said. Whether
they were right or wrong, ] cannot
take upon myself to say. OF course
knew, whenever looked in the glass,
that ! was not an absolute Highland
so. when my cOusin. Mrs. General Fox
ley, invited me to spend summer with
her at the Oriental hotel, where there
were balls and soirees, lawn tennis and
archery, breakfasts going on all the
while, | wasn't ut all sorry that Mile.
Chatelage bad sent home my lovely
new half-mourning dress, all trimmed
with pearl and lavender, sparkling jet
and prismatic clair de hines, and that
Aunt Lavinia, our family etiquet book
had decided that it was quite proper to
wear my diamonds, if pleased. For
was a decided brunette, and dark
women always look well in diamonds.
Not that it had occurred to me that
| should ever marry again. My old
commodore had been very good and
kind to me, but he was feeble and all
ing, and required a great deal of care
and my general impression of matri-
mOny was that it involved trouble and
sOlicitude, and IA constant burden of re-
spOnsibilitY.
And now was free, and / intended
to remain sol. ! felt like "A Gagged bird
that had managed to give its golden
wires the s!ip-a butterfly in the blue
June air | meant to go to the ORR
entail hotel and have a royal time,
waltzing, dreaming-even cOquetting a
little in "A harmless sort of way, if it
seemed good to me-but as to marry
ing again-no, not |! Even Priscilla
Bent, my companion, who was the
most logical of creatures, declared that
| would he the greatest fool alive to do
that
But we never know what is going to
happen to us. That very night be-
fore we were to start for the Orient, |
came into the the room where Priscilla
was packing the lace things, which
were too nice aud delicate to be intrust-
ed to Fitine, the maid.
''Prissy," said |, "lOok here Il tele-
gram from San Domingo! My cousin,
Fanny Black, is dead ~
''Dear me, how sad" said Prissy,
putting on the regular look of atflictiOn
although she had never in her life seen
Mrs. Captain Basil Black, of II. NJ.
Il4th FusileeTs, stationed in the West
Indies. "But suppose that won't in
teriere with Our trip to the seaside, will
it."
"But that isn't ALL" said |, "she has
left son. And with her dying breath
she charged it on her attendants that
should take him to this country and
make a home for him."
GLOW old is he?" said Priscilla Bent,
looking aghast. And"
LET me see" said /, counting upon
my fingers. "Basil Black-that's his
name, for | remember cousin Fanny
writing about him to mamma when |
was IA mite of Il thing must be one and
twenty at least by this time"
''Bless mei' calculated Priscilla,
land You are only just turning twenty
three yourselfw
"Prissy," cried I, with miscellaneous
glee, lyon are as good as a book of
dates :"
But it won't be proper" said Pris-
ella.
"Not proper echoed !. "Why won't
it I've proper? Isn't that dear old com
modOre's house big enough for all of
usl And aren't You here to matrOnize
usl think myself it will be rather
fine to fit up a suite of bachelor apart
ibOlIl' ulcSSInR room
elsie" cried Miss Bent, in despair,
al believe You would make fun of any
thing! Don't yOu see how outlandish
this plan would be? Write at once to
these San Domingo people, and tell
them it is out of the question"
Its too late now, Prissy," said |.
''Ihey are on the way here, don't you
see | shouldn't wonder if the steamer
were in port now. And you know,
Prissy, I've always wanted to adopt
Il little boy, only the dear commodore
wouldn't let me"
elsie"
"Well, Prissy7"
81 think you must be crazy" groaned
Miss Bent. "a little boy, indeed [! A
daShing, flirting, drinking West India
fellow, six feet high, I'll go bail, and
broad to correspond | shall leave the
hOuser'
"No, you won't, Prissy,n said | coax
ingly. you'll just make the best of
it, as am going TO do. ! dare say he
is very nice-and poor Fanny never
would have left him in my charge if he
wasn't all that is delightful And per-
haps he'll want to go to college, or
study law, or something, so he won't
bc VET ihutn III tilt mouse, AFTER all
and You know Prissy, one can't neglect
dying wOman's request"
"It's very thOughtless of her. at all
events" grumbled my faithful old
chapeIOn. "A young thing like you
laughed. Il dare say she heard
was widow said /, land probably
imagined me a middle-aged horror with
eve glasses and double chin. Leave
these things, Prissy-we shall not go
tn the sea-shOTe now until cousin Basil
is safely installed with his gun case,
his hoOkahs and chibOuks, his books
and papers, in my blue rooms. Come
with me and We'll have up the house
keeper, and turn them into bachelor
suite at once"
was very happy for the next three !
days, studying the imaginary tastes of
my unknown cousin, culling ont choice /
editions of the poets, hanging rare en- /
cravings Oh the walls, aud matching
carpets and curtains. Miss Bent, poor
old soul, said il was all nOnseDse-that /
no young man of any spirit wOuld con-
descend to "sit down" (that was her /
expTession) in house where he was to /
he dependent
''But he is my cousin" said /. "He !