News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-04-24
OLD UNCLE BILL.

Any one who visited Mr.. Norris at hi
fine place on the Hudson would be sur
to notice, after while, N old man VIII
wandered about the place dressed all sum
mer in a white shirt and linen vest an,
trousers and a fishermans hat, and al
winter in wooden dressing gown. HI
was a meek, tall, bald old man, and peo
pie at first took him for superannuateC
old servant; but, finally, his nice linen
his neat hands, and certain well bret
tone of voice, if, by chance, they hearC
him speak, made them ask:
"Who is that?"
If they inquired of Miss Belle, the eld
est unmarried daughter; she would an
swer:
can old connection of poor mammal s
l can't see why pa has him here-horrit
thing!'
If they asked Mr.. Norris maiden sis
ter, she would reply:
"One of the blessings my late sister-in
law brought with her into the family
A miserable 'er-do-weel of relation.
If the question were propounded tc
pOmpous Mr.. Norris, as he sat in his
armchair on his piazza, or drove about
his property in one of his handsome
vehicles, he would ans'~er:
"Well, that's a sort of a relation OF
my 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 a 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. 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 a lit
tie eccentric, but the dearest old soul.
I'm very. very fond of him, and he of
me. Dear old Uncle Bill"
Certainly Phemie was the old man
S Shy Il tFend ae mo IN shaJomp9us % te
With his meals 6fad 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 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
lie wore in winter was of her contrivance.
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 ''pa" when she
wanted him to give her 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 perpetually engaged
Sometimes directed at her brother, some,
times at Belle, sometimes at Phemie, but
all worded so circumspectly and clothed
in such a guise of piety that no one dared
resent them.
What comfort you are, Uncle Bill,
Phemie would say, as she poured out the
old mans coffee.
"And what a comfort you are, Phe
mie," old Uncle Bill would say. eff
was a rich uncle, just home from India
like those in plays and novels, yor
couldn't make more of me"
Il shouldn't make SO much, uncle,
Phemie would answer, ''for you'd be 6
victim of liver complaint, and that woult
make you i'll natured, and you'd scolC
me and say naughty words. They al
do, you know. Now you haven't any
money or stocks to worry about, Hk'
poor pa; and you're not irritable, and
like to be with you. You're like mann
ma, too. You have her eyes"
You are sister Susan's image th'
old man would say. DO you remembel
the day that you came to the hospita
with her?'
Yes" said Phemie. 81 was just l.
years old and mamma was crying owe
| the telegram. My only brother, Phe
mie,' she said. so sick that he may die
and so poor that hesin hospital Thel
we came and l saw you in bed, and afte
while we tE[Fsy,t=Su home Rnd M
nursed you weraSain."
And died herself, just as | got about,
said Uncle Bill. ''And your father AM
the rest did not like a shabby old NAL
around the house. Well, 1 was lucky t
get a home l suppose, and luckier still t
find such disinterested love as yours
You're like Susan. She was the deares
girl that ever lived. Yes, you're like Su
san"
But they did not always talk thus
They were very busy often, over books
over Phemie's embroidery, for which Ii
designed patterns; teaching her little do
a thousand tricks; feeding the blind XII
ten Phemie saved from drowning; mal
ing little well, from which the canar
drew buckets of water. And Phemi
and the old man would wander off to tn
river side, where he would fish, seldoi
catching anything, and she would rea
or knit.
None of the family knew of these il
timacies. Belle, older than Phemie /
six years, preferred that she should col
slider herself child until Miss Norr
was married. And Aunt Marcia detes
ed her for her resemblance to the siste
in-law who chad never been coRgenial
No one in the house knew, but son
one not of the household did, and share
at times in them.
Sometimes, when the old mans re
dangled over the water, a younger aRgl
would take his place near him-a han
some young fellow with black hair al
the brightest eyes in the world; and thu
the hours went by like hours in drear
and Phemie felt happy as she had f'
when a child by her mothers side. Al
Uncle Bill laughed and told fishermen
stories. As for the young man, silent
talkative, he was always charming.
thought Phemie. She was II; she hi
never had a lover. She was well read
romantic lore What happened was on
to be expected In little while tN
lovers sat beside old Uncle Bill on t