The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-23
Caring for
.n.
Horace:

Uncle Horace was over sixty and
discouragingly rich.
There is a point where ones income
becomes so great that people pass
from common, ordinarily covetout
envy to q resignedly helpless state OF
mind. They write down the figures OF
that income, stare at them and then
say: "Oh, shucks! There amt nc
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
and said they counted it such JOY
to have the dear old mans presence
glorify 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 If 1t had not
been for his income Uncle, Horace
would have been small, insignificant
individual with pale eyes and an un'
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
reserved, original man with ideas OF
his own, which his relatives delighted
to humor.
What worried Mrs. Stebbins ,espe-
cially was Uncle Horace's air Of alb
straction and his unwonted helpful
ness. Usually he was under feet, in.
vestigating everything that went on
and getting in the way tremendously.
On these occasions Mrs. Stebbins was
wont to say, through her teeth, that
1t 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 meditation 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
pened to the dear old man while he
was under her care. She said she
never would be able to forgive her
self, never!
"Mebbe it's rheumatism" Stebbins
suggested, hopefully. THAT is liable
to make q 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" Uncle Horace had re-
sponded. Il guess I'll 60 after the
MALL"
This was really double blow, for
Uncle Horace normally was not po-
lite, and he always wanted anything
that was offered him, no matter what
1t was, and also it was long walk to
the post Office.
Mrs. Stebbins had begged him to let
little Johnny 60 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.
mot in this rain, Uncle Horace!"
"Surely not when the wind Is blowing
so, 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 galoshes and wrappings
to go after the mail.
Mrs. Stebbins said to her husband,
dolefully, that she feared 1t was the
beginning of the end.
The week that Uncle Horace took
to starting at sound and to flush
at a word or an unexpected look, filed
Mrs. Stebbins with, alarm. That
something awful was the matter with
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 be in
terrible danger that very moment.
The stebbins family and most OF
the town stayed up all night search.
ing. Then the next morning note
that explained everything came from
Uncle Horace.