Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-01-10

suK ana SATIN all your days. Luck has
been against me, that's all, Here's a
dollar. did mean to keep it to get that
pane OF glass in the window men
ded, but I'll manage somehow with
piece of brown-paper for q day or two
until Bolton pays the BILL"
But suppose he doesn't pay it 2"
Then my pane of glass won't be put
IN: Run-quickly, now while the baby rs
asleep. She's so fretful with that last
tooth that nobody can do anything with
her but you.
But, even on the threshold, Mrs. Sep
pie met little, wrinkled old man,
dressed in faded olive suit cut after a
most Anticipated fashion, and carryin
a shabby leather valise in his hand.
us this Simon Sepple's place 2" said
he. eyes, you arc Kitty Blight's
daughter y to the astonished house.
mother. 81 should have known YOU in
Caffraria. Kiss me, my dear. / am
your great-uncle, Benjamin Blight 7"
"But-but," stammered Mrs Sepple,
unable all at once to dissociate her mind
from old ideas, 'you died in Australia.
At least, my great uncle, Benjamin
Blight, did"
"No, didn't, said the old man, with
some acerbity. "lf died in Australia
how could I be here? 1t isn't my fault
If people said what wasn't true. -
"Dear Uncle Blight, said Kitty, 81
am very glad 70 see you. Your eyes
are like my mothers, now that I look at
J you, and"
The old man sat down his shabby
vallse with sigh of relief.
"I'm thankful to find some one that is
glad to see me, said he 'I've thought
good many times. of late, that it would
have been better if 1 had died in Aus
tralia. came back here to end my
days among my relations. And the old
house is sold, and the folks are moved
away-those of them that aren't lying in
the churchyard-and it's only here and
there that a very old person remembers
that there ever was such a person as
Benjamin Blight. You're the last card
in the game, Niece Kitty. Nobody else
wants me. Your Cousin Calvin said it
wasn't convenient to receive me into his
family, but knew of Home for Indi-
gent Old People that he could get me
into if I'd join the Baptist Church. And
Hiram Blight-old Hiram's grandson,
you know-he told me up and down, he
couldn't saddle himself with relations
whom he had never seen or heard Of /
might be an impostor, for all he knew;
and If l vast, it was quite inexcusable
for one to be psnniless at the age of
eighty four. And Zoe-that's Hiram s
grandson's sister-a grand lady on
Fiftieth street-says that she is very
sorry that she cannot help me in any
way. All, welladay, Kitty, it's a queer
feeling, when man crosses three thou
sand miles of ocean 10 spend Thanksgiv-
ing with his kindred, and finds nobody
glad to see him."
"Come inside and sit down." said
Simon Sepple, heartily. "We're not
rich, like Calvin Blight, or aristocratic,
like Zoe; but we'll make you kindly
welcome to such as we have. Kitty
he whispered to his wife, "you had
better buy little roasting piece of pork
and few apples for sauce. Your poor
old uncle looks as if he needed some
thing to brace him up. Don't be afraid,
child. I'll make him comfortable while
you are gone"
So these simple hearted people took in
the old man, who except on the sub
Jects OF fifty years ago-was really moth
ing more than an additional child to
care for.
"Those people are crazy" growled
old Mr.. Bullion, the landlord. Cant
pay their own debts six weeks behind
in their rent, and yet they must needs
assume the feeding of another mouth
and the clothing of another back" III
Would you let the old man starve "
bluntly demanded Sepple and Mr..
Bullion could only mutter something
about the principle of political economy
and the improvidenoe of working peo-
ple."
Mrs. Sepple was sitting by the window
OF their small dining-room one day, do
ing an odd job of dressmaking for a
neighbor, whereby she hoped to earn
enough to buy an unpretentious Thanks
giving turkey, for Uncle Blight's mind
dwelt with curious persistency on the
idea OF the festival which had been moth
ing but dream to him for SO many
exiled years.
eft it's only small turkey" said
she, with pint of cranberries, and the
cheapest pie that we can buy at the
bakers, it will satisfy Uncle Blight and
the children. I'll get along with my
diphcd uIeSS lor tut present, anu my
bonnet isn't SO very shabby if keep the
veil well-pinned over it. Uncle Blight
and the children will be so pleased if
they can have genuine Thanksgivingl"
And Mr.. Sepple had smiled sadly and
said:
"You are always thinking OF other
people, Kitty"
She was stitching busily away at the
founces of Mrs. Meeker's garnet merino
dress, and Uncle Blight at the other
window was amusing the children.
He loved them, and they were fond of
him; and Mrs. Sepple, quick to seize
upon any salient point of gratitude, de-
clared that the children were no trouble
at all since Uncle Blight came.
He had been an actor once, in that
far-off country where his life was spent,
and in the old brown valise there were
remnants of stage inery that filed the
hearts of the little folks with glee.
And when he could be induced to re-
hearse the 'funny parts" as little
Molly called them, Mrs. Sepple de-
clared ''that it was every bit as good as q
play" and nearly died with laughing.
sSuddenly. Molly broke away from