The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-06
THAT DEAR NEPHEW.
ONE DAY WITH HIM WAS ENOUGH
FOR UNCLE.


sonally interested In small nephew with
fat legs came In the nature Of a shock,
though 1t was the most natural thing In
the world. In vague way had heard Of
this nephew. recalled the receipt In
letter some time previous Of the photo
graphic proof Of nude infant seated In a
large bowl. The inscription said tho nude
Infant was my nephew. This, UNDER
stand, Is the popular method of starring
frstborn. Later on they take them in
groups. arrived In the village bent on
long season of peaceful rest and thinking
only Of this nephew in casual way.
His mother, who was little more than
kid when I left home, received me and
for at least ten seconds utterly refrained
from saying anything about my nephew.
He had soaked overnight in the bathtub,
] afterward learned, in order to properly
impress his uncle, and was still in the up
per regions of the house. Presently I
heard him falling down stairs, having re-
pudiated the nurse after getting his clothes
on, and the first view had of him was
bright red epiglottis from which issued
sounds that Jared me considerably.
When the overture ended, beheld, with
secret pleasure, d really handsome boy Of
yours, with soft brown eyes and hair.
He wore a pink silk Fauntleroy waist,
with ruffled front and cuffs, white linen
knickerbookers creased In the latest style,
black stockings and tan shoes with pointed
toes. Taking him Of he stood, my nephew
quite eclipsed what had expected, and
really felt proud Of him. His mother,
seeing me beam upon her offspring, kissed
the child and said
"Come, darling! Here is your uncle.
Won't you speak to him?'
Fixing his bold brown eyes upon me.
my nephew spoke:
"Say, gimme three pennies. I've got
two now, and want to buy popcorn
ball."
shuddered. Hoboes who possessed one
nickel and wanted another to round out
nights lodging often made similar re.
quests of me. Had this cherub already
developed the instincts Of Bowery bum,
or is this only the ingenious habit of ex-
IRENE youth? asked myself. But I
yielded up the pennies
"What do you say for thatr his mamma
Whispered.
"Thank you'll"
"Thank you, WHAT"
"Thank you, mani"
"Oh, no! Not IMAM. That's your IN.
Gle, ard he's fond of little boys. Call him
Uncle Charlie, and he'll like you very
much"
Again my nephew fixed those brown
eyes upon me- A confident smile, super
Ind hx Inc hnyauad
about his mouth, and little hand stole
into mine.
"Uncle Charlie" he said, "open the I'm
ole door for mo- want to go on the un-
ole street and play with my unole dog"
opened the door md slammed 1t when
tho nephew had passed out to play with
his uncle dog. My sister looked embar.
rassed at first. Then she laughed.
"You must excuse the little dear" she
said. "He is not accustomed to the word
'uncle' and doesn't know how to use it,
But felt hurt to think that my nephew
classified mo with doors and streets and
dogs, and for the next half hour reminis.
cences involving whooping cough, teeth,
measles and other things interested me but
little. We were sitting in the parlor, where
could see the lower part of the front
steps from the window. Presently l no.
ticed puddle of water on the concrete
walk. 1t grew larger and larger, and I
finally called my sisters attention to the
Rhenomenon, for blistering August sun
hone clear. We opened the door. and
there sat my nephew on the top step, In
the scorching heat, gnawing at whit had
originally been II six pound lump Of ice.
left in tho uncle street by passing wagon.
My nephew's ruf1ed bosom was full of
sawdust, slivers and dirt; SO were his lace
cuffs. Two muddy streams of iCe,water
flowed from his purple fists to his elbows, :.
thence into his lap, thon through the linen
knickerbockerE and down his dripping
legs, until the rivulets Joined the pool at
the base Of the steps,
"Come here!" said my nephew mother,
escortipg him into the house by the back
of the neck. "You're q pretty sight. l
must say!'
~ wasn't doing nothing. mamma. only
eating my Zoe" no walled.
/ confess that was brute enough to en-.
Joy the spanking Itsounded like beating
wet towel with a board but was not
very painful l reckon. At the end OF an
hour my nephew was wrung out and dress
ed again, but the excitement gave his
mother headache, with touch of neu-
ralgia on the side Swathing her face In
HANDBAGS, she rested on diyan and groan.
ed disinally.
"What makes you groan SO, mammaT
asked the infant.
"Oh, I'm sick, and you made NE SO.
II didn't groan, I'd die. Run away and
play"
Twenty minutes later he returned. His
mother had fallen asleep and the logical
mind of my nephew told him that his par
ent Ind passed away because she no longer
gronncd. So he hunted up an old black
veil, hung 1t on the knob Of the front door
and came back to silently weep beside the
dead.
Tragic news travels swiftly in country
town. One rumor said that the reason
never married was because l had been
crossed in love. Being thus blightcd, l
came home and shot myself. Another had
the boy drowned in the oistern, and still
another rumor told how my sister fell dend
at the piano while practicing new piece.
Heaven only knows what else would have
happened had not sen'ible neighbor seen
the Grape and called to investigate.
After that my sister said she hadn't
time to suffer with the headache. Placing
a broad brimined straw hat on the head
Of my nephew, she sent him into the back
yard to play while sought surcsase from
sorrow in sleep. But along toward oven
ing panic again reigned in the village. My
nephew was lost-stolen by gypsies, some
body said, though none had been seen
thcreabouts In 20 years. But my nephcw's
mother continued to swoon at intervals of
ten minutes, while bands Of armed men
plunged wildly to and fro on the main
street led by the constable.
10 increase the horror of my home COM
ing, q fearful thunderstorm deluged the
township, and In one Of her lucid intervals
MY sister said tho child would be drowned