Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-07-28
NEVIL'S UNCLE JERRY

& HopkinsOn of Lincolns Inn Fields, |
was brought into the closest touch with
the office staff. and so was intb ltely
cognizant of the personal peculiarities
and with the disposition of its various
constituents.
One old clerk, who had started an Of
| fee boy to the firm named. was called
S. Nevil, but his baptismal patronymie
was generally shortened by his confrcres
into Swivel, a name which described his
temperament 10 a fine point. He was a
| mean-spirited. little-minded hound, and
more suited to a stool in a pettifogging
| solicitors office. where he could have
toadicd to the rich clients and bully
ragged poor debtors, than in the highly
respectable and respected one in which
| had an interest How he had been
kept ON so long was a mystery to many,
but ii was mainly through my instru-
mentality. The fact is that Nevil fell
i'll with influenza, and during his alb
Sencc his wife called for some wages due
to him. | saw and was greatly impressed
| 10y her. Her manners were those OF
woman of gentle birth and breeding, but
her face, which was neither handsome
nor even good looking, had those lines
Of patient suffering which plainly told
her story. There was no need to ask her
it, for it was plainly enough written; it
was not the struggle to bring up half
dozen children and make ends meet on
the usual small weekly wage that Nevil
earned, and that would be hard enough
il was Negil himself. l readily guessed
that by domestic tyranny he found an
outlet for his petty nature which his own
sex would not allow him to exercise on
them.
After seeing his wife | resolved that
Nevis place in our office was to be
permanent so long as | could use my
Influence in his behalf, and at Christmas
but that is outside the story.
One morning as Neyil came into my
office with some letters for signature |
was struck with his woeful appearance,
and as ! have foreshadowed my interest
in his family affairs it was natural that
should ask what was the matter with
him.
"A dreadful and shameful oaks has
been played on me, Mr.. 'Opkinson, sir.
ne said. Nevil was always erratic with
his his when put OUT"
sit down, my man, and tell me all
about it, | said, for much as | disliked
the man, | could not help feeling sorry
for him, so distressed did he seem.
You know" he continued, that we
have always looked forward to Uncle
Jerry leaving some of his wealth to us
or the children when the end came
Well Nevil," | interrupted, "has ne
dedy'
NE. sir worse than that. am afraid
] would not be so cut up about that, but
he has played such a dirty trick OH me
and mine that ! am as much Disguised
as disappointed.
AS | saw he was bursting to tell me his
sorrows | told him to proceed with the
story of his wrongs.
You must know that Uncle Jerry last
Christmas. as was his usual custom, in.
vited all his poor relations to dine with
/ l.. 4. hill
well as the 'grOwnups, no, he did not
like children well enough for that, even If
his house could have held tEem, which *
| could not. No, only the parents, and
there were enough Of them to crowd Il
good-sized table.
After a satisfactory hut plain dinner
we disposed ourselves in little groups,
some at cards and others to chat. The
/ night passed smoothly, excepting that
/ two cousins got excited in political
/ arguments These evenings wound M
/ with n d0Ch an doris, or speech from our
| host, and then, after SINGING Aud LAM
/ Syne' we would separate. The speech
! last Christmas was a memorable one,
/ and | remember each word burnt itself
/ into my memory as it fell from Uncle
! JCrry'S lips
My dear relatives he commenced,
! YOU will be sorry to learn. as | am to
announce il, that this gathering, which
/ il has been my pleasure as well as my
/ duty To hold mt this season of goodwill
/ toward all men, is to be the last.
Yes, the last, | grieye to repeat.
/ You are all, think, aware of the sudden
collapse of the company which promised
/ to be one of the greatest and most sue
/ ceSsful undertakings of modern times /
Will be brief, as the subject is to me Il
/ painful one. In that company | was
/ foolish enough To invest my money, not
[ SO much for myself as for the benefits
| could hestow upon my kth and kin.
! That dream has ended as dreams do
suddenly. NV riches have taken to
: themselves wings. remember with
/ pleasure the many professions ot atGec-
! tion from you all-NeS, all-without 4
/ single exception These presents which
| YOU SEE on the Sidchuard' here every one
mentally tottcd up what his own contri-
/ button had cost.
I Those presents are, rs You know
souvenirs of your aifcctiuuatc regard and
rcmemhranccS ON my birthdays. l viii
/ treasure them nS they deserve to h,
treasured. | ann about to try the expert
meut, a painful one at my age, of exist
! ing on tIU pounds per annum. instead OF
ON nearly as many hundreds. But | fee
confident that such affection as you have
always shown me, and such Solicitud,
for my health. was not prompted by mer
cenary motives. My declining days will
he Soaced. even under my gricv0usly al
tered circumstances, by my relatives
who will, | am sure, entertain me, in
stead of their being entertained
The assembled relations gasped will
aStoniShment at the first few sentences
but before Uncle Jerry concluded nj
speech, and he was in no hurry. | aSSur,
you. they had rcCo| cred themselves sut,i
cicntly to applaud ia the right places ant
to utter the usual platitudeS at the end.
Aud Lang Syne' was sung rattle
/ hurrledly, and we drew Il long breath o.
relief when we were outside the house
y small indignation meeting was hel,
round the corner. but, HOT as we were IL
indignation, the weather was too cold TO
/ outside defamation. so il WAS broken vi
AS futile waste of energy. and we dis
persed to Our respective homes
AS to myself" continued Nevil. :"
was as mad as any of them. hut as m,
wife and | were walking along our stree
| was suddenly struck with the notion
that il might he a plant You see sir
/ ] am great reader, and in novels an,
those short stories which one reads in IN,
evening papers rich old uuclcs have ;
habit Of sprin@pg these surprises ~
their poor relations at such festive gath