Year: 1873

ladies worked for Uncle Ingot slir


pers and book-markers for his birth
day, and sent to him their wishes a


Christmas in Rimme1s highly scente,


envelopes; in vain Jack sent him


pound of the most excellent snui


that Bacon's emporium could furnish


at the beginning of every term, H


always wrote back civil letter Q


thanks, in clear and clerkly letter


but there was never any enclosure


When Mrs. Isaac asked him to din


ner, he declined in a caustic name
-avowing that he did not feel him


self comfortable at the aristocrati


tables of the West End-and sen


her q pineapple for the dessert, of hi


own growing. He had really nj
iIl-feeling towards his Hatives, al
though he kept himself SO estrange(
from them; but I think this sort o
conduct tickled the old gentleman
grim sense Of humor. If he could
have found some legitimate excuse
for making up" with his sister in
law, within the first year or two o
their falling out, perhaps he would
have been glad to do SO; but time
had now so widened the breach, thai
it was not be easily repaired. What
he had satirically written when he de
clined her invitation had grown to
be true; he rarely went into society,
and almost never into the company
of ladies, the elder portion of whom
he considered frivolous and vexatious
the younger positively dangerous. He
had few old-bachelor friends, how
ever, with whom be kept up cordial
intercourse, and spent with them the
various festivals of the year as regular
ly as they came round.


On the 31st of December, for in
stance, he never omitted to go
down to Reading, and ''see the old
year out and the new year in, " in the





company of Tom Whaffies, with whom
he had worn the yellow stockings,
in their school-days that had pass
ed away more than half a century ago.
Tom and Isaac had been even greater
cronies as boys than Tom and Ingot,
but the latter did not like Tom less
upon that account; secretly, I think he
esteemed him the more highly, as a
link between himself and that luckless
family whose very existence he yet
chose to ignore. Mr.. Whafies had
intimate relations with them still;
they came to stay with him whenever
his sister paid him a visit, and could
act as their hostess; but this never
happened in the last week of the
year. Tom was never to speak of
them to his old friend-that was not
only tacitly understood, but had
even been laid down in writing as the
basis of their intimacy.


On the 31st of December last Mr..
Ingot Beardmore found himself, as
usual, at the Paddington Station,
looking for an empty compartment,
for his own company had got to be very
pleasing to him. Having obtained
his object, and rolled himself up in
the corner of the carriage in several
greatcoats, with his feet upon hot
tin, and his hands clothed in thick
mittens, and looking altogether like
a polar bear who liked to make HIM
self comfortable-when everything
was arranged, I say, to the old gen
tleman's complete satisfaction, who
should invade his privacy, just as
the train was about to start, and the
whistle had sounded, but one of the
most bewitching young ladies you
ever set eyes onl


''Madame, this carriage is engaged
growled he, pointing to the umbrella,
carpet bag, and books, which he had
distributed upon all the seats, in
order to give it that appearance.


"Only engaged to you, I think,
sir, replied the charmer, fippantly.
"Happy carriage! I wish I was. Isn't
that pretty?"


Mr.. Beardmore had never had any
thing half so shocking said to him in
all his life, and if the train had not
been already set in motion, he would
have called upon the guard for help,
and left the carriage forthwith. As
it was, he could only look at this
shameless young person with an ex-
preston of the severest reprobation.
At the same time his heart sank
within him at the reflection, that the
train was not to stop till he reached
his misunderstanding. What in
dignities might he not have to suffer
before he could obtain protection?
She was a modest-looking young
lady, too, very simplp dressed, and
her voice was particularly sweet and
notwithstanding the
dreadful remarks in which she had
indulged. Perhaps she was out of
her midland at this Idea Ar. InSOt
Becrdmore broke out, notwithstand-
ing the low temperature, into very
profuse perspiration.


"Now, what will you give me for
kiss, you old-you old polar bear?"
asked the fair stranger playfully as
the train flew by Ealing.


Nothing, Madame, nothing; I am
lstonished at you" answered MI.
Beardmore, looking anxiously around
The carriage in the desperate hope
Of finding one of those newly-patent-
ed inventions for affording commu-
with the guard.