Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-08-12
MY ODD
UNCLE
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

would have been had it not been for
his marriage. He was prosperous in
business affairs and accumulated q
fortune. But no children were born to
him during the brief period of his mar
rage. and after his separation from
his wife he never entered upon q sec
ond matrimonial adventure.
I was his only male relative. and
after hesitating for some time between
leaving his property in trust for a
philanthropic work and leaving 1t to
me he finally came to the conclusion to
allow it to accumulate through my life
time. to establish the foundation that
he intended. But this plan was con-
hngent on my agreeing not to marry.
His proposition to me. If accepted.
would give me every comfort and lux
ury so long as l lived. but would de-
prive me of wife and children. did
not agree with my uncle on the sub
tect Of matrimony because knew that.
though q splendid man. he must be q
very hard man to get on with. He
seemed to be fond of me, and II
wanted anything l had only to ask him
for it. Yet l dared not oppose him In
any Of his prejudices. The difference
between me and the wife from whom
he separated was that understood
him and had the tact to manage him.
while she failed In both these respects
My aunt was much younger than my
uncle-she was but little my senior
and. being conscious Of her inability
to get Oh with him. came to rely Oh me
to bnpter mGnage him when ii dead
u - ~ 49,
old and never given to acting upon I'M
pulse. while she was sensitive and had
no faculty for going around stone
wall instead of over it.
My uncle's proposition-which ignor-
ed my aunt-placed me in the position
of taking what belonged rightfully to
her. In making my decision ! was in
fuenced far more by what was my
duty to her than to carry out my un-
cle's intentions.
accented the condition, and nv un-
Gle made his Will. leaving his PROPERTY
In trust to me. l to have so much Of
the income as l chose to appropriate to
myself, but in consideration Of this l
gave my word to him that l would
never marry, and the will stipulated
that In case ] did marry the property
was to pass out Of my hands and the
foundation was to be established. I'm
der this condition it would be practi-
cally impossible for me to marry. one
OF the reasons being that l would be
Obliged to drop from u1llucnce to pow
erty. very unpleasant fall.
Before acccding to my uncle'S wishes
j asked my aunt If she would disap-
prove of my doing so. and she told me
that since she could not benefit by her
husbands property she preferred that
l. should do so. However. before nc
cepting the proposition made bold to
tell him plainly that his separation
from his wife was principally his own
fault and that he was doing her Il
great injustice to leave her property,
or. rather, Its income. to me instead Of
to her. l expected that this would al
ter his determination. but was surprised
that 1t had no effect whatever to deter
him from his purpose. Indeed. it seemed
to confirm him In it.
did not promise not to turn over
a part Of the income from his es-
tate to his wife. My privilege to do SO
would have satisfied me with the posi-
tton I assumed had it not been that l
was pledged to celibacy. Moreover,
there was a woman whom wished to