Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-04-26
OLD UNCLE BILL.

\
Any one who visited Mr.. Norris at his
fine place on the Hudson would be sure
to notice, after a while, an old man who
wandered about the place dressed all
hummer in white shirt and linen vest
and trousers and tishermans hat. and
all winter in wooden dressing. gown
He was meek, tall, bald old man. and
people at first took him for suuer-
animated old servant; but, finally his
nice linen, his neat hands and certain
well-bred tone of voice, if, by chance.
they heard him speak, made them ask
''Who is that2"
If they inquired of Miss Belle, the cid
est unmarried daughter, she would ans
wer:
IAN old connection of poor mammals
l,can't see why pa has him here--horrid
thing"
If they asked Mr.. Norris's maiden
sister, she would reply:
Zone of the blessings my late sister
ln-law brought with her into the family.
miserable meier. do-weel of 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 a relation of nv
wlte's, ne er weel. The black sheen
OF the flock, you know Always is one
IN every family. For her sake-sbe was
a very benevolent woman-we let him
stay about. He prefers eating by him
sell. 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 Picnic 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 Phemle was the old mans
only friend in that pompous household.
She 1t 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-thew 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 contri-
vance. In fact, up in that dormer rooted
room there were hours that were more
home-like than any spent in the great
parlors, or the big dining room, where
Miss Belle was only affectionate to 'fpa"
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
ly engaged. Sometimes directed at her
brother, sometimes at Belle, sometimes
at Picnic, but all worded so circum-
specify and clothed in such a guise of
plety that no one dared resent them.
''What comfort youare, Uncle Bill, p"
Picnic would say, as she poured out the
old mans coffee
"And what comfort you are, Phe-
mic, old Uncle Bill would say. 'If l
was rich uncle, just home from India,
like those in plays and novels, you
couldn't make more of me"
81 shouldn't make so much, uncle, p"
Picnic would answer, ''for you'd be
victim of liver complaint, and that
would make you ill-natured, and you'd
scold me, and say naughty words They
all do, you know Now you haven't any
money or stocks to worry about, like
poor pa; and you're not irritable, and |
like to be with you. You're like man.
ma, too. You have her eyes"
You are sister Susan's image" the
old man would say. DO you remember
the day that you came to the hospital
with herr"
yes" said Picnic. II was lust
twelve years old and mamma was crying
over the telegram. My only brother,
Picnic, she said SO sick that he may
die, and so poor that he's in hospital.
Then we came and | saw you in bed and
after while we brought you home, and
ma nursed you well again"
'And died herself, just as got about, "
said Uncle Bill. "And your father and
the rest did not like shabby old man
around the house. Well, was lucky to
get home, l suppose, and luckier still
TO find such disinterested love as yours.
You're like Susan She was the dearest
girl that ever lived. Yes, you're like
Susan.
But they did not always talk thus.
They were very busy often, over books;
over Phemies embroidery, for which he
designed patterns; teaching her little
dog thousand tricks; feeding the blind
kittens Picnic saved from drowning;
making a little WELL from which the
canary drew buckets of water. And
Phemie and the old man would wander
off to the riverside, where he would fish,
seldom catching anything, and she would
read or knit
None of the family knew of these init
macies. Belle, older than Phemie by six
years, preferred that she should CON
slider herself child until Miss Norris
was married. And Aunt Marcia de-
tested her for her resemblance to the
sister-in-law who chad never been con
genial"
No one in the house knew, but some
one not of the household did, and
shared at times in them.
Sometimes, when the old mans rod
dapRlf1 ever the water. a rouuasr