San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-24
THE PRODlGAL UNCLE.

My family. at the time when this story
begins, lived III Havre. They were not
rich. and were always hard up, Father
worked IN an Office. and the wages were
not the highest.
had two sisters.
My mother fretted under our poverty.
and she often addressed harsh words to
my neutrality-suspicious. yelled reproaches
The expression OF the poor mans face
always distressed me; he passed his hand
over it as If to wipe away perspiration
that was not there, and said nothing
felt his powerless sadness.
My parents economical with every
thing they often ate dinners unfit to be
served, they bought provisions at the
lowest prices. and yet even at that they
mad often to ask for credit.
Ny sisters made their own dresses, and
mad long discussions about the price of a
KIND of lace costing fifteen confines a
yard.
| well remember many scenes about
lost buttons and torn trousers.
But every Sunday we took a walk to
the docks in great style, My father, in
a long coat. high hat, and wearing
gloves. offered his arm to my mother
who was dressed as gayly as a ship on a
holiday My sisters. always the first to
De ready, awaited the signal Of depart
ure, but ut the last moment a forgotten
spot would he discovered on the coat Of
patertamlil;,., aud II had to be quickly
effaced with Il Tag dipped IN benZlne.
My father, keemng his hat on his head
waited in his shirt sleeves until the OPP
GRAFTON was done, while my mother, hav-
ing adjusted her gIasses-she was near
sighted hurriedly put on her gloves
Finally we started with great cere-
mony, my sisters, with linked arms
going before. They had attained mar
rlageaOle age, and MADE quite respect
able appearance III the city.
walked at the left of my mother, my
the pompous air of my poor parents in
these Sunday excursions, the rlgidity Of
their features, the severity of their
aspect. They advanced with a grave
step, as if an affair OF the greatest i'm
portance depended upon their carriage.
And every Sunday, seeing the great
vessels that had returned from unknown
and distant countries. my father Invari-
ably repeated the same words:
All! if Jules were on one OF these
what a surprise it would ber
My Uncle Jules. my fathers brother
was the only hope of the family, after
having been its terror.
did not speak of him, but since my
infancy my thoughts were with him,
and his first culpable act was always
present in my mind knew all the de-
tails of his life up to the day of his de-
parture for America He had, it ap-
pears, miscondacted himselt-that is to
say, he had squandered some money,
which is a great crime If 1t happens in
poor families. A rich man who amuses
himself is simply guilty OF fOllies. He
is called ''nobOdys enemy but his own. "
With the poor and needy, a man who
forces his parents 10 curtall their capital
or income becomes rascal, a knave.
In short, Uncle Jules had considerably
lessened the inheritance of my father,
after spending his own share to the last
sou. Then be had sailed for America,
as they afterward learned, on board a
merchantmen bound for New York.
After having been there some time
my Uncle Jules established himself as a
merchant; and he soon wrote that he
was saving little money, and hoped
that he would be enabled shortly to in
demnify my father for the losses he had
caused him.
This letter created a profound emo
ton in the family Jules instead OF be-
ing worthless fellow. they said was an
"os'asf nr-n a. tender hearted man, a