The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-08-14

Sand get Uncle Zeb Larkin to go with
usn
"Joly blue, that ,pould be a lark. Bless
you, Will, but do you suppose we can get
him to goa"
Nothing like trying" Will was evil
IDENTIFY in condensed state this morning,
and his words were like his mothers
cookies, crisp and right to the point.
Uncle Zeb Larkin was character, and as
such source of delight to his neighbors,
and especially of the younger fry, who took
especial pleasure in rousing his excitable
temper and bringing out his peculiarities
for their amusement.
He was a small, withered man, with q
smooth, round face in which shrew iness
and good humor were about equally blend
ed; a bachelor and living by himself, in tho
oldest of queer little houses, where he
patched his clothes and boarded himself in
his own eccentric fashion.
He had horror Of new inventions, and
when the railroad came tearing through
Jones' Hollow, whistling past within few
rods of his own door, he was justly indig-
nant.
"The murderin' thing! All on arth its
good fur is to run down calves an chick
ems, an blow up PASSENGERS" he exclaimed,
wrathfully.
1t had long since ceased to be an object Of
curiosity, however, and Uncle Zeb was
forced to admit that it did come handy for
that scurrying class Of people who were al
ways in hurry, but he had never trusted
his own precious body to its precarious
mercies, and his short journeys had always
hao 20 alo &c
knotty, rugged cane in hand, his baggage,
provided he had any, slung on the end of his
old cotton umbrella over his shoulder
The city was only twenty miles away, but
| Uncle Zeb had never been there but once,
and that was on the occasion Of favorite
Presidents inauguration, and he had been
so disguised with tho noise and hustle OF
the place that he had declared that nothing
should ever tempt him there again, SO that
the task which the boys had set for them
selves promised to be one requiring both
strategy and perseverance.
mop, l tell you mop" he replied, obsti
nately, when they preached the subject
'Ive never rid on them ere keers, an
never intend to. Eff young ones like YOU
wants ter risk yer necks, We ken, Two Ell
three boys more err less wont be 20 gret
loss to tn community no how" with sly
twinkle Of his shrewd old eyes.
snow, Uncle Zeb, that's too bad" CRIED
Sam "You know the whole town 'ud be il
mournin' if any thing should happen to US
But we're going anyhow, and it's you
duty to go along and look after US. I'll
now, really
'We'll pay your fare, uncle, and your bill
at the hotel, and take you around to SCI
the elephant, BESIDES" said Will Warner
His father was we'll to-do and he had plent,
of spending money
"Bother the elephant! never seed blu
one, and he put his big hoof straigh
through my melon patch / don't want t
see another"
''Oh! its not real elephant we mean, I'm
Gle Zeb," laughed Sam, "but the sights o
the city, you know; the theater, the garden
or the museum. Wherever you want +
CO."
"They say the theater is marster wicke
place." cautiously replied Uncle Zeb.
swell, what if it is. Just one little wicke
won't hurt us, and we can 20 to meetir
regular all summer to pay for IT," Will fore
saw a rich fund of amusement If they coul
only get the old man started, and he wa
much more pliable tksn they had expects
to find him.
"Say, Uncle Zeb, didn't hear you say yo
had to buy new suit of clothes" Sar
was stricken by bright idea.
"Wall, yes. Ihev been thlnkin' ont, that
fact"
''Then of course you want to 70 to the cit
to pick them out. You can't get any thin
Stylish" with wink at Will, ''in the couu