The Russellville Democrat., 1888-07-12
NCLE PATTERSON.
" LadyLike " Reception bv
 the Children.

the Children.
 eu Lizzy Milham came home
 ooI one day she brought her
 letter with a strange post
 indeed, any letter at all
 such novelty to the family in
 tile brown house that they gath
 around Mrs. Milham as she looked
 over on the outside, with many
 ilations as to whom it had come
 and at last cut away the end of
 nvelope and drew it forth.
 cad 1t out, read it out, mammal"
 used the three excited children;
 50 their mother began, slowly and
 ieringly:
 BLUE CORNERS, August &, 1s-.
 ssPECrED NIECE BETSY Who on earth
 be from?) This is to inform you that
 ste housekeeper, Cyntha Brown. departed
 fife three weeks last Wednesday. Being re need Of some one to fill her place and
 ng from mutual friends that you were in
 ,ed ctrcun stances would be pleased to
 
 see fl satisfactory arrangements can be between us hear that you have three
 ren, but hope to be able to endure them ss too noisy and rude,
 Respectfully yours,
 "HARwooD PATTERSON"
 Well, of all things!n said Mrs. Mill I. as she came to the end of the e; this really looks like special videnceln
 Who is it, mamma? What does he lt?n cried the children, wild with iosity as their mother sat back in
 chair, deep in thought.
 did seem as if these children, with ir bright, earnest faces and affec- nate ways, would be any thing but q lwback to any one's happiness. Yet vas with much misgiving that Mrs. ham surveyed them and meditated on the effect of their entrace into Harwood Patterson's peculiar usehold establishment.
 UT great-uncle Patterson, your fa- er's uncle that lives in Blue Corners, , North. He's an old bachelor, rich, t very queer He has always lived 1 alone, with nobody but house. ,eper, in great big house. never W him but just once-right after your ther and 1 were married. He seemed en to take quite fancy to me; talked me more than he was accustomed, lks said. So now his old housekeep- is dead, and he wants me to go to ve with him and keep house for him nd it all depends on whether he takes notion to you, children. He is com lg to see us next week. Will you be cry quiet and lady-like and good-nat- red. so that he will be willing to have ou go back home with himP"
 "Oh, yes, yes!" cried the children. "We'll be awtnl dood," said Bess, the 
 ''I guess you'd better look out for Miss Bess," said Carry. 'I less if you get one of your mighty spells, Uncle Patterson will ave you behind"
 He won't neither" retorted Bess. But these symptoms of an outbreak ere quickly dispeled by Mrs. Mill am.
 There, there! What a bad way to eginl Carry, don't you tease Bess bout that, now. All of you had bet CT keep practicing to be quiet and .ood all the week, so that you'll be 'erfect in it next Saturday,"
 It did seem a providence that this etter came just at the time it did to his family. Mrs. Milham was a widow with these three little girls; the oldest ,leyen years old, the youngest four For two years she had been struggling ,n, trying to make both ends meet-tC pay her rent and bring up her children But it was a hard fight with these three hungry mouths tC eed and these growing bodies tC 'lothe, and the outlook for the coming all and winter was very discouraging Warm clothes were yet to be bought md woodshed and potato bin to bC filed, and it was hard to lay y any thing from the small wages that she was able to earn by ger daily work And now there was 6 nance for an easy anG respectable iituation where her children might be warmed and fed and clothed and gel ! good education And yet, from whai he knew and had heard of this old incle, all depended on the way il which he might be first impressed by hose children. They were, plainly he only doubtful point in his mind But I'll never give them up,' saiC Mrc. Milham to herself "lll starv, myself first, and Uncle Patterson car teep house for himself But, oh! if ,an only get them to keep quiet and not offend him. It's the first time 'eally, that ever wished they didn't nave quite SO much life in them foodness only knows what they won ake if into their heads to do and say We'll. suppose 1 can trust the Lord tC 10 what's right, and needn't worry toC much about 1t. We've been cared fol .hus far, and we will be still
 In the meantime the children, in { state of great jubilation, were discuss ng the wonderful prospect which had 70 suddenly opened before them. TC 70 and live in Blue Corners "a very compared with their little live in a big house with [ .ich GEcle what more in life was Jeff Q be desiredP
 Its like fairy story, said Lizzy