The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-07-04

> f not "a - u man who
wandered about the place dressed all
summer in white shirt and linen vest
and trousers and fisherman's hat, and
al winter in wooden dressing-gown.
He was meek, tall. bald old man, and
people at first took him for super
animated old servant; but, finally. his
nice linen, his neat hands and a certain.
well-bred tone of voice, if, by chance,
they heard him speak, made them ask:
"Who is thatG''
Ifthey inquired of Miss Belle, the ED
est unmarried daughter, she would ans.
wer:
Gan old connection of poor mammals.
] can't see why pa has him here-horrid
thingln
If they asked Mr.. Norris's maiden
sister, she would reply:
lone of the blessings nv late sister
in-iaw brought with her into the family.
A miserable ne'er-do-w of a relation
II the question were propounded to
pompous Mr. Morris, as he sat in his
armchair on his piazza, or drove about
his property in one of his handsome
vehicles, he would answer:
''Well. that's sort of arelation of nv
wife's, a ne'er-do-weel. The black sheep
of the flock, you know. Always is one
in every family For her sake-she was
very benevolent woman-we let him
stay about. He prefers eating by him
self. He's very stupid, very; but she
wanted him here, and she had her way,
poor soul. grudged her nothing. Yes,
that's poor Bill.
But if it was Miss Phemie of whom
the question was asked, she always an
swered:
why, that is Uncle Bill. He's lit
tie eccentric, but the dearest old soul.
I'm very, very fond Of him, and he of
me. Dear old Uncle Bill.
Certainly Pheme was the old mans
only friend in that pompous household.
sheit was who went up to his little room
with his meals, and sat with him while
he ate them; who saw that he mad the
newspaper and his pipe; who had fixed
that little, out-of-the-wsy place with a
pretty carpet, book shelves, a students
lamp, lots of pretty ornaments in worsted
and painted silk; who never received her
monthly allowance without buying some
thing for him.
His pretty, snow white shirts were her
gift, and she saw that they were ''done
up properly. The flannel dressing gown
he wore in winter was of her eontri-
vance. In fact, up in that dormer rooted
room there were hours that were more
than any spent in the great
parlors, or the big dining room, where
Miss Belle was only afectionate to sspae
when she wanted him to give him more
money to spend; and Miss Norris, the
elder sister of the master of the house.
made bitter speeches in the pauses Of the
needle work in which she was perpetual
y engaged. Sometimes directed at her
brother, sometimes at Belle, sometimes
1t Picnic, but all worded so circum-
specify and clothed in such a guise of |
piety that no one dared resent them.
'sWhat comfort you are, Uncle Bill, y
Phenie would say, as she poured out the
I'D mans coffee.
''And what comfort you are, Pie
ME, " old Uncle Bill would say. "If
vas a rich uncle, just home from India,
ike those in plays and novels, you
couldn't make more of me-"
~ shouldn't make so much, uncle"
'hemie would answer, ''for you'd be a
1ctim of liver complaint, and that
would make you ill-natured, and you'd
cold me, and say naughty words. They
IL do, you know. Now you haven't any
money or stocks to worry about, like
'oor pa; and you're not irritable, and l
ike to be with you You're like NAM
ia, too. You have her eyes"
"You are sister Susan's image" the
Id man would say. ''Do you remember
- 1890 to the hospital