The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-11-11
THE PRODIGAL UNCLE.

My family. at the time when this
story begins, lived in 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 pow
erty and she often addressed harsh
! words to my yfather-perfidious 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 economized with every
thing; they often ate dinners unfit to
be served; they bought provisions at
the lowest prices. and yet, even at
that, they had often to ask for credit.
My sisters made their own dresses,
and had long discussions about the
price of a kind of lace, costing 15
centimes yard.
well remember many scenes about
lost buttons and torn trousers.
But every Sunday we took walk to
the docks in great style. My father,
in long coat. high hat. and wear
ing gloves. offered his arm to my
mother, who was dressed as gayly as a
ship on holiday. Ny sisters. always
the first to be ready, awaited the sig
nal of departure; but, at the last mo-
ment, forgotten spot would be dis
covered on the coat of paterfamilias,
and it had to be quickly effaced with a
rag dipped in benzine. My father.
keeping his hat on his head. waited in
his shirt-sleeves until the operation
was done, while my mother. having
adjusted her glasses-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 a
marriageable age. and made quite a
respectable appearance in the city.
l walked at the left of nv mother,
my father at the right. And l remem-
Der the pompous air of my poor par
ents in these Sunday excursions, the
rigidity of their features, the severity
of their aspect. They advanced with
a grave step. as if an affair of the
greatest Importance depended upon
their carriage.
And every Sunday. seeing the great
vessels that had returned from un-
known and distant countries, my father
invariably repeated the same words:
'.Ah! if Jules were on one of these,
what surprise it would bei''
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
details of his life up to the day of his
departure for America. He had, it
appears. misconducted himself; that is
to say, he had squandered some
money, which is great crime if it
happens in poor families. A rich man
who amuses himself is simply guilty
of follies. He is called .'nobody's en-
emy but his own.n With the poor
and needy, a man who forces his par
ents to curtail their capital or income.
becomes a rascal. a knave.
In short, Uncle Jules had consider
ably lessened the inheritance of my
father, after spending his own share to
the last sou. Then he had sailed for
America, as they afterward learned,
on board a merchantman bound for
New York.
After having been there some time
my Uncle Jules established himself as
merchant, and he soon wrote that he
was saving little money and hoped
that he would be enabled shortly to
indemnify my father for the losses he
had caused him.
This letter created a profound emo
ton in the family. Jules. instead OF
being worthless fellow, they said,
was an honest man, tender-hearted
man. true Davranche, upright as all
| the Davranches.
In second letter, sent two years
later. he said:
need have no fears regarding my health
! which is all that can be desired. My business
voyage to South America; several years may
| pass, perhaps, before you will hear from me
But if ! do not write, do not be alarmed.
hope hope it viii not take too long. and then W.
| shall all be happy.
This letter became the gospel of the
family. 1t was read at every oppor
! tunity, it was shown to every one.
During ten years. perhaps. we die
not hear from Uncle Jules; but, as the
time heightened, my fathers hopes
also grew in proportion, and my
! mother often said:
when Jules is here our situation
will be entirely changed"
And every. Sunday, when regarding
the huge black masses of smoke on thu
horizon that assembled to the sky likt
an immense serpent, my father re
peated his eternal phrase:
s'Ah, if Jules were on one of these
what surprise it would be!'
And then he rubbed his eyes briskl,
with handkerchief.
They made a thousand projects whel
the return was assured; they woul'
buy, with uncle's money, a small
house in the country. | do not know
but that my father had already com
menced negotiations in reference t.
that affair.
The eldest of my sisters was % year
old, the other 26. They had neve
married, which was a cause of grea
sorrow to all. A wooer finally pre-
sented himself for my youngest sister
He was clerk. not wealthy, but hor
orable.
/ have always had the convictio
that the letter of my Uncle Jules
shown again one evening, had ende
the hesitation and strengthened th
resolution of this young man.
He was accepted eagerly, and it wa
decided that after the wedding th
whole family should take little tri
to Jersey.
Jersey is the ideal of a journey fo
poor people. 1t is not far; one tray
, erses the sea in packet and find
, ones self in strange land, an islam
belonging to the English. Thus
Frenchman. after two hours sailing
can see his neighbors and can stud
their strange manners and deplorabl
] circumstances. This trip to Jerse
occupied all our thoughts. our entil
attention, and we dreamed of it col
stantly.
Finally we started. I remember
as if it happened yesterday; the smol
t blowing over the dock; my fathe
very much perturbed, watching tt
transportation of our luggage; N