The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-05-03
OLD UNCLE BILL.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

Any one who visited Mr.. MOTIFS al
his fine place on the Hudson would be
sure to notice, after while, an old
man who wandered about the: place
dressed all summer in white shirt and
linen vest and trousers and fisher
mans hal. .cand all winter in woolen
dressing gown. He was meek, tall,
bald old man and people at first took
him for a superannuated 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 that1"
If they inquired of Miss Belle, the
eldest unmarried daughter, she would
| answer:
can old connection of poor nam
mas. l can't see why pa has him
here-horrid thing p
If they asked Mr.. Norris's maiden
sister, she would reply:
"One of the blessings my late sister
in. law brought with her into the family
| A miserable ne'er-do- weel of a rela-
tion."
Ii the question were propounded to
pompous Mr.. Norris, as he sat in his
arm char on his piazza, or drove about
his property in one of his handsome
vehicles, he would answer:
"WelI, that's a sort of relation OF
my wife's, 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 himself. He's very stupid, very
but she wanted him here, and she had
her way, poor soul. l grudged her
nothing. Yes, that's poor Bill"
But if it was Miss Phemle 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
Pm very, very fond OF him, and he Of
me. Dear old Uncle Bill"
Certainly Pheme was the old man
only friend in that pompous household
She it was who went up to his little
room with his meals, and sat with him
while he ate them; who saw that he
had the newspaper and his pipe; who
had fixed that little, out-of the-way
place with pretty carpet, book shelves.
a Students lamp, lots of pretty orna
ments in worsted and painted silk who
never received her monthly allowance
without buying something for him.
His pretty, snow white shirts were
her gift, and she saw that they were
"done up' properly. The flannel dress
ing gown he wore in winter was of hel
contrivance. In fact, up in that dormel
rooted room there were hours that were
mere home-like than any spent in the
great parlors, or the big dining room,
where Miss Belle was only affectionate
10 ':pa" when she wanted him to give
him more money to spend and Miss
Norris, the eldest sister of the master O
the house, made bitter speeches in the
pauses Of the needle work in which she
WIS perpetually engaged. Sometimes
directed at her brother, sometimes al
Belle, sometimes at Phemie, but al
worded so crcumspectly and clothed
in such guise of piety that no one
dared resent them.
"What a comfort you are, Uncle
Bill" Pemie would say, as she poured
out the old mans coffee.
"And what comfort you are, Phe
mie," old Uncle Bill would say. ''If
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,
Phemie would answer, "for you'd be {
victim Of liver complaint, and tha
would make you lll-natured, and you'G
scold me, and say naughty words. The,
all 90, you know New you haven
any money or stocks to worry about
like poor pa and you're not irritable
and l like to be with you. You're like
mamma, too. You have her eyes,"
"You are sister Susan's image" the
old man would say. "Do you remem
Der the day that you came to the hos
pltal with herr"
"Yes," said Phemie. 81 was jus