The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-08
Caring for
Uncle Horace

There is a point where ones income
becomes so great that people pass
from common. ordinarily covetous
envy to resignedly helpless state of
mind. They write down the figures OF
that income. stare at them and then
say: oh. shucks! There amt no
such income!" That was the delight.
full kind of income Uncle Horace had.
Mrs. Stebbins and Mrs. Cromp. his
two nieces. were so devoted to him
snG said they counted it such Joy
to have the dear old mans presence
giorify their homes that they lost
good sleep planning how to entice him
away from each other
Moreover. each was firmly con.
WINGED that the other was designing
person.
Since he had come to stay with
Mrs. Stebbins for few months she
had felt that something was wrong
with Uncle Horace. II 1t had not
been for his income Uncle Horace
would have been a small. insignificant
individual with pale eyes and an I'M
pleasant habit of wanting the best
chair. and of sitting In the next room
and coughing when his niece had call
ers. Under the circumstances he was
a reserved. original man with ideas OF
his own. which his relatives delighted
to humor.
What worried Mrs. Stebbins cspe-
cially was Uncle Horace's air of alb
straclion and his unwonted helpful
ness. Usually he was under feet, in
vestigaing everything that went on
and getting in the way tremendously.
On these occasions Mrs StchbinS was
wont TO say. through her teeth, that
It was perfectly wonderful the way
Uncle Robert kept up.
This time he paid no attention to
what was going on IN the house, but
would sit deep in mcditation or stare
out OF the window. Mrs. Stebbins'
first fear was that he was losing his
mind
She said she would feel perfectly
terrible If anything like that hap
pcned to the dear old man while he
was under her care. She said she
never would be able to forgive her
self. never!
"Mchbe it's rheumatism" Stebbins
suggested. hopefully. THAT Is liable
to make man do almost anything"
Don't you want some more blank.
cts on your bed. Uncle Horace?" his
niece asked him after this suggestion.
Are you perfectly comfortable?"
THANK you, Tilda. I'm perfectly
comfortable" Unce Horace had re-.
spondcd. Il guess I'll go after the
MALL"
This was really a double blow. for
Uncle Horace normally was not pO-
lite, and he always wanted anything
that was offered him. no matter what
Il was. and also Il was a long walk to
the post Office.
Mrs. Stebbins had begged him to let
little Johnny 20 and save his own
strength, but Uncle Horace had per.
sisted. He said he felt that he ought
to do something instead of sitting
around and letting the family wear
themselves out waiting on him, and
that he was glad TO be of service.
Not In this rain, Uncle Horace"
Surely not when the wind Is blowing
40. Uncle Horace" or Don't worry
me by going out in this snowstorm.
Uncle Horace" had not the remotest
effect upon him when he started to
climb into his galoshcs and wrappings
to go after the mail.
Mrs. Stebbins said to her husband.
iolefully. that she feared 1t was the
beginning of the end.
The week that Uncle Horace took
to starting at a sound and to flush
at a word or an unexpected look, filled
Mrs. Stebbins with alarm. That
something awful was the matter witt
Uncle Horace she was convinced and
she besought him to see doctor. She
made him Jelly and fed him beef tea
despite his protests and tried In vain
to get some ineligible conversation
out Of him.
Then one day he went after the
mail and did not come back.
Mrs. Stebbins had the whole town
out searching for him. She wept as
she looked on closet shelves and up
trees and In other impossible places
and said that nobody could know
how her heart bled at the idea that
darling old Uncle Horace might De ID
terrible danger that very moment.
The Stebbins family and most OF
the town stayed up all night search
ing. Then the next morning a note
that explained everything came from
Uncle Horace.
II went away to get married." lc
wrote in his grabbed hand. Il have
been corresponding for some time
with a most estimable widow OF forty
five, who wants to make homo for
me in my old age. She has four chill
dren. and We will all come to visit