The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-10-25
UNCLE JACOBS RUSE.
A Change In His Win Produces a
Happy Effect.

~PES HACN~
Jenny Lucy BagIey were the pret-
test two girls in Balky Bottom. Their
mother was very proud of them, and
though a widow in straitened circum-
stances she strained her narrow means
10 put them at the new seminary.
The ambitious mother might have
found it difficult to carry through
her plans if an only brother, several
years her senior. who had run away
when a boy, and who had long ago
been given up for dead, hadn't come
back one day as suddenly as he had
disappeared, with no end of money in
his pocket still bachelor.
Uncle Jacob Ransower, in spite of
his grotesque dialect and old-fashioned
manners, soon became, great favor
ite with Jenny and Lucy. By a sort
of tacit understanding he took up his
home in his sisters house, and from
that time the latter was relieved from
all anxiety on the score of her daugh-
ters' education, Uncle Jacob thence
forward cheerfully paying their bills.
including all the extras"
The girls came home finished at
last, and Uncle Jacob was teased into
buying q grand piano. with half a cart
load OF fashionable music.
The sisters would have had focks of
beaux. for they were not only remark
ably pretty, but, as every body knew.
they would one day come into Uucls
Jacobs money; but they held their
heads so very high that there wasn't &
youth in Balky Bottom adventurous
enough 70 spunk up TO them Even
Hiram HOppick, who used TO be rather
spry IN his attentions TO Jenny in the
Gnte-seminary days, and Reuben Ruck-
man, who used to bask IN an occa-
siOaal smile Of Lucy's in the same
blissful period, hung back now ike
brace Of bashlal schOol-boys with their
fingers in their mouths
At last a star of the hrst magnitude
set the armament of Balky Bottom ali
abIaze. 1t was no less a luminary
than Mr.. Cleophas Brassey. Uncle
Jacob, who had caught from his nieces
a touch of the seminarian idiom, pro-
nounced him ''mooch too quote
But the ladies nonconcurred. Mr..
Brassey. in their eyes, was n perfect
Prince Charming; and when they
came to know him, and heard him
sing: "Me hawt is fawh, fawh awayr'
"a statement with probably more
truth than poetry i'll it-Jenny declared
he was nicer than IA, and Lucy
quite agreed with her.
For the first time in their lives was
there any jealousy between the sisters.
For z time Mr. Brassey distributed
his attentions impartially between the
two. 1t would have puzzled him, in
deed, TO give a reason for a prefer
1nce. II point Of looks, neither sister
Lad the advant age, and Uncle J.cob's
money. it was understood, was TO go
TO them II equal portions.
But Cleophas Brassey was of 4 mora
practical turn Of mind than the meta
| physical donkey that starved TO death
| between two haystacl1s, for want of
| philosophical reason for choosing the
one rather than the other Uncle
| Jacob was complaining a good deal
| lately OF ''puzzin' in his het," and
! had put himself on double rations of
| blackstrap as a remedy. Feeling there
was no time TO lose, Mr.. Brassey, in
/ the privacy OF his chamber, christened
| his meerschaum Jenny and his tobacco
! stopper Lucy, and went over the old
! juvenile rigmarole by which school
! boys decide who's frst TO be hare.
The last word fell 10 Lucy; so Lucy it
was.
| From that time forth it ceased 10 be
a question where Mr.. Brassey's pre-
/ objections lay. 1t was nothing but
Lucy with him now. :., ~. -.
! Mr.. Brassey would have proposed
70 Lucy without delay, but he was a
little dubious on the score of Uncle
Jacob. 1t would be just like that OBJ
stinate old Dutchman, If he didn' / ike
the match, to express his disapproyal
by disinheriting clause in his viii.
But at last circumstance occurred
that couldn't fail TO give Mr.. Brassey
a considerable lift in Uncle Jacob !
opinion. Lawyer Hacker. with whom
Mr.. h. seemed to have a good deal o!
business lately, came in hot haste in
search of that gentleman, whom he
found on the widows back porch max.
ing himself quite one of the family
Uncle Jacob, with his corncob pipe
and pitcher OF blackstrap, fanking
the party. 'sasal ,
Il have just received" said the law,
yer, breaking in on the company with
the air OF one on pressing business
AN offer OF two hundred thousand dol
lars for your Florida plantation
What answer shall / give?" -
Say I've changed my mind am
don't wish 10 sell, carelessly replic,
the other. turning to resume his tets
a-fste with Lucy, and Hacker left
Uncle jacobs ears had not been Idle
and when, IN the evening, 1t was dis
closed in family council that Nh
Brassey had that aiUornoon propose
toLucy, the old gentleman, instead
exploding as had been feared, smoke
his pipe in silence, and when that an
the blackstrap were finished 5Stoc