Year: 1874

I l was a young man possessed {


sufficient means to enable me t


live at my ease, and refrain from Ii


Dor of any kind, when suddenl


there came blow that scattered m


property to the winds, and forced m


to employ my labor and wits in th


general struggle of gaining living


The blow came in the shape of tn


failure of large firm in which a.


my capital was invested.


After securing a clerkship in tn


house of the creditor of our lat


firm; my first care was to look up


less expensive clearinghouse thai


the one in which 1 was living. l in


serted an advertisement in severa


widely circulated city papers, asking


for reasonable board in strictl'


private family, and of course received


a multitude Of answers by next post


Out Of this motley installment o


epistles, there was but one which


pleased me, and that one l decided


to answer in person Immediately.


Grace Kingsly was the name Of tht


favored landlady writing to me, anC


the letter stated that her'house wal


entirely private, having no othel


boarders whatever. I was mucl
pleased with the fair, delicate hand
writing, and the idea took me thai
Grace was young fascinating wild.
ow. l was not disappointed when
reached the house, and my ring at
the door-bell was answered by the
lady herself. She invited me into
the parlor in a manner so courteous,
and yet so modest, that I had fallen
desperately in love with her before
could cross the threshold.


l enjoyed very pleasant chat with
Mrs. Kingsley. During the CONVEX
sation, she informed me that her late
husband had been in a very fair way
of business, and at his death, which
occurred ayear previous, had left her
in pretty comfortable circumstances,
They had but one child; and this
item of mortality I was graciously
permitted to look upon, as it lay
peacefully slumbering in its cradle.
l also learned that the lady was liv-
ing in the house quite alone, and de-
sired male boarder more as o pro-
lection than as a source of revenue.
In conclusion, the lady looked so
pretty, (she was quite young, not
more than two or three and twenty, !
and the board so moderate, her com
panionship so inviting, and she
seemed SO to trust in me, and looked
upon me so favorably, that I would
have heen heathen, dead to the
charms and inducements of the sex,
if I had not engaged board on the
spot.


The next day I had my trunk re-
moved to the new boarding place,
and permanently established myself
there. Before leaving my former
boarding house, letter was handed
me by the postman, but I did not
find time to examine it until I was
comfortably ensconced in the parlor
of Mrs. Kingsley's cosy house.


Opening the letter, [ discovered it
to be from a wealthy uncle of mine,
residing in Vermont, who regularly
sent me a letter every year, but whom
I had never seen. His epistles were
always short and to the point, gener-
ally on account of the weather in his
locality, and some good advice to me
to take care of my money, as might
be burdened with it before I was
much older. I was always glad to
get this advice from him, as 1 re-
garded it as an intimation that was
to inherit his wealth on his decease.


One day, however, about a year
previous, l received o letter from
him which contained another topic
besides those L have mentioned. My
uncle made some pressing inquiries
my matrimonial prospects,
and stated that if I was not already
married, I should Immediately enter
into the welded state, and let him
know it or he never would be an
uncle Of mine.


Now, as my uncle lived in Ver-
mont, and / in Philadelphia, / never
anticipated the old man would pay
me a visit and discover the falsehood,
wrote and informed him that I was
not only married, but the father Of
bouncing baby. The intelligence
so pleased my uncle that he sent a
gold goblet and silver pap-spoon to
be presented to my child. first sat
down and wrote very romantic let
Ter to my uncle, thankinghim for the
present, and then went to the nearest
ewelry store and turned both the
goblet and the spoon into cash,
WHICH pOcheGeu'


received no further letters from
NY uncle until the one l read in Mrs,
parlor. The postscript |
o this one not only astonished, but
frightened me. 1t read as
'ollows:


"P. 81 have never visited Phil
ldelphia, SO l have decided to do SO
1t once, and get look at your wife
md child. You may expect me
bout the tenth of the month"


"Good graciousl My uncle is
coming to visit me-" l exclaimed,
'and it is past the 10th of the month
low? l don't know at what moment
le may pop in. What am to do for
wife and child?"


At that moment there came a ter
ible pull at the door-bell, as if the
nan who pulled it imagined that he
,wned the house, and could make as
nuch noise as he pleased. A sick
ming sensation took possession of
ne, for I had a misgiving that it was
ny uncle.


Now as good fortune would have
!, Mrs. Kingsley had gone out to a


r