Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-19
Or BEARER
81 WALTER BEAsANr-
Author Of HAH Sorts and Conditions OF
IN Cspsain's Room.stc.

The pie ure Of family life at It's easiest and
happiest presented IN this Camden Town
household + reproduced every night in miles
Of streets AMI thousands Of houses II Is
complete when the mother sits-as Mra
Cr0nan sat this ~evening-With a basket Of
work before her, placidly stitching. She
had been married for twenty-fou years, and
had stitched without stopping for twenty
three years, 50 that she now desired no other
occupation but leisurely stitching. When
he children we're younger there was greater
pressure the stitching was hurried. Beside
her sat her second daughter, Norah. She had
\ book IN her hand, but Think she was not
reading much, for she did not turn over the
pages and her eyes were looking through
the open winiow into the back garden.
where two lilacs and q laburnum wers in
fuh blossom When a girl Is engaged to the
most delightful fellow in the world, and the
cieverest there are not many books which
she cares to read II It be asked why she
was not assisting her mother in darning the
family stockings It IS enough to reply that q
girl who i private secretary to a genealo-
g1st, who draws . salary and pays for her
own board, ard who Is engaged all day in
me most scientific researches, cannot be ex-
pected 10 darn stockings in the evening
Geraldine, the third daughter, was learning
q lesson for next days school, and the three
boys Terence, Alberto and Larry, were hay-
ing q row royal. in which nobody interfered
I'm 90 large q family there is always a row
going on between some Of the member
over q Backgammon board. That Is 70 saw.
two q them quarraling, and the third, who
afdently desired to swing a shilelagh III the
HAY, had been hustled and bundled out 81
the squabble at an early stage, and now sat
quiet waiting for his chance.
Such apicturs as this is truly national, Il
represents the English bonheur de famiIa
Less civilized nations g to theatres. cafes
chantants, open-air concerts operas. dances
circusess public gardens-all kinds OF thinrs.
An In family our people say at home.
each household in its W me- The elder
boys, however, have got q trick Of spending
tne evening out In bis hand the doctor had
an evening paper, and he was reading ii
slowly, as 4 thu habit with men who haye
no time for much reading, and sometimes
forged The newspaper for many days to.
getheE From time to time he isrked apiece
OF news at his wife, who never read a nanar
a. al and knew nothing Of any politics out
side the walls Of her W home
4nen the door opened, and an Old pentla.
man came in. He was q very clean good.
looking old gentleman, grave, and eyen q.
1gere, Dut mot benevolent Of aspect. Quite
me contrary, indeed, though his locks wers
p silTery white and SO abundant, AMI his
beard 80 beautiful and so creamy. He would
mare looked benevolent, perhaps but for his
under lip. which projected, and gave a
grumpy look to an otherwise open and kindly
counte nee. This was Uncle joseph him
self He was dressed in evening co ,tume-
not The old-fashioned swallowtail which old
men used to wear by day, but the correct
evening dress OF ths day, with a shirt front
decorated with one stud and d white tie. Ha
wore this dress-a mot unusual dresj IN
Camden Town-as il he was accustomed 10
II notas II IL vas q kind Of disguise. AT
sight Of their great-uncle the boys shut I'M
the backgammon board, and all then retired
together promptly, and were heard to finish
their game and their quarrel In some up
stains apartment. Norah, for her part. ap-
piled herself vigorously to her novel, and her
father buried himself in the paper. So great
was the popularity Of Uncle Joseph.
Uncle Joseph shook his head solemniy.
took q chair as if he were assisting al 4
funeral, and sat down beside his niece, Mira
Crcnan, with a sigh that was almost like a
groan- He sighed a great deal Ia the eve
ming, which, for certain reasons, was a try
ing time with him.
Two years ago. be addressed the doctor,
but received no response from the news
paper, and therefore he turned to his nieca.
Two years ago, Maria, l should nov, at
this moment, hasf-past nine, be sitting on
the right hand, or perhaps the left, OF ths
chairman The banquet would DO nearly
and the elcquence OF the evening, in
which 1 always took part in a few we'll
chosen sentences, would be about to begin.
II you sit down at half-past seven or a quar-
bsr 70 eight the speeches generally begin at
half-past nine
"Yes, indeed, Uncle Joseph Mrs. Cronqn
replied, with a sigh sympathetic; lit must
he q beautiful thing to remember
Beautiful indeed, Mariaw He sighed
again. II will take a glass OF gin and water.
But it is overt is over. IshalI hear those
speeches no more. / shall drink that cham
payne no more. Piper sec and Heidseck are
strangers to me henceforth.n
II