Year: 1873

| was a young man possessed of sutfi-
cient means to enable me to live at my
ease, and refrain from labor of any kind,
when suddenly there came blow that
scattered my prosperity to the winds, and
forced me to employ my labor and wits
III the general struggle OF gaining liv-
ing. The blow came in the shape of the
failure of large firm in which my capital
was invested.


After securing a clerkship in the house
OF a creditor of our late firm, my first care
was to look up less expensive boarding
house than the fashionable one in which |
was livin". | inserted an advertisement in
several widely circulated city paper, ask
ING unreasonable board in strictly private
family, and of course received multitude
OF answers by next post. Out of this
motley instalment of epstles, there was
but one which pleased me, and that one
| decided to answer in person immediate
ly.


Grace Kingsley was the name of the
favored landlady writing to me, and the
letter stated that her house was entirely
private having no boarders whatever.
was much pleased with the fair, delicate
handwriting and an idea took possession
ofme that Grace was young ndfascinat-
ing widow. | was not disappointed when
| reached the house. and my ringing at
the 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 | had fallen desperately
in love with her before | could cross the
threshold


| enjoyed a very pleasant chat with Mrs
Kingsley. During the conversation she
informed me that her late husband had
been in a fair way of business, and at his
death, which occurred year previous,
had LETT her in pretty comfortable crcum-
stances. They had but one child and
this item of mortality was most gracious
y permitted TO look upon, as it lay peace
fully slumbering in its cradle. l also
learned that the lady was living in the
house quite alone and desired a male
hoarder more rs means of protection
than as a source OF revenue. In con-
| clusion, the landlady looked so pretty
(she was quite young, not more than two
or three and twenty and the board so
moderate, her companionship SO inviting,
and she seemed TO trust in me, and look
upon me so iavorably, that | would have
been a heathen, dead to all charms and
Inducements of the sex, if | had not en-
Gagged board on the spot


The next day had my trunk removed
to my new boarding-place, and perma-
| nentlv established myself there. Before
leaving my former boarding houses "a letter


was handed me by the postman, but l did
| not find time to examine it until | was
comfortably ensconeed in the parlor of
| Mrs. Kingsley 'sscosy house.


Opening the letter, | discovered it to be
! from wealthy uncle of mine, residing
in Vermont, who regularly sent me let
ter once q year; but whom / had never
seen His epistles were always short and
to the point, generally consisting of an ac-
count of the weather in his locality, and
some good advice to me to take care of
my money, as ] might be burdened with
some ct it before | was much older. /
| was always very glad to get this advise
from him as regarded it as an intimation
that | was to inherit his wealth on his
decease.


One day, however, about year pre-
vions, received letter from him which
contained another topic besides those |
have mentioned. Ny uncle made some
| pressing inquiries respecting my matri-
IL
not already married, I should Immediately
enter into the welded state, and let him
know of it, on he would never more be an
| uncle of mine


Now. as my uncle lived in Vermont and


| in Philadelphia, and never anticipated
| the old gentleman would pay me visit
and discover the falsehood, I wrote and
| informed him that was not only married
lint va tat hon 81 :.
| intelligence so pleased my uncle that he
sent gold goblet and silver pap-spoon


to be presented to my child. at first sat
down and wrote a very romantic letter to
my uncle, thanking him for the presents,
and then visited the nearest jewelry store
and turned both the goblet and spoon into
cash, which pocketed


| had received no further letters from
my uncle until the one which l read in
Mrs. Kingsley's parlor. The postscript
| to this not only astonished, but absolutely
| frightened me- | read as follows:
=. ST have never visited Philadelphia, so I
have decided to do so at once, and get look at
| you and your wife and child. You may eX-
pect me about the 10th of the month.


Good gracious! My uncle is coming


to visit me-" exclaimed; 'sand it's past


the 10th of the month now! don't know


at what moment he may pop in. What


am to do for wife and child ?''
At that moment there came terrible
pull at the door bell as if the man who


pulled it imagined that he owned the
house and could make as much noise as
| he pleased. A sckening sensation took
possession OF me, for | had misgiving
that it was my uncle. Now as good for
| ,Un,1lI bor I, 4
gone out to neighboring store for few


moments, and had requested me to have
| an eye on her child while she was gone,
so it wouldn't fall out of the cradle and
hurt itself. As glanced at the cradle,
and thought Of my uncle at the door, a
bright idea entered my mind. l deter
| mined, in case the visitor was my uncle,
to claim the youthly occupant as my own.
The visitor proved to be my uncle.
knew him by the pictures of him l had
seen, and he likewise knew me by my
photograph After mutual recognition
and handshaking, | ushered my honored
relative into the parlor and introduced


him to my newly claimed offspring.
"There, UNCLE" said I, sis the first
pledge of our married life. I assure you
take pleasure in presenting to you my
| child"


"It is fat little youngster." said my
uncle, gazing at it admiringly. "By the


way, what is it, boy or girl ?''


That was Il knotty story for me to an
swer, for he was just as much acquainted


with its gender as was But It would
not do to show ignorance on the subject,
SO | answered at hap-hazard that it was a
| boy


81 am sorry it is boy" said my uncle !;


.fhere are too many boys in the family


Now, if you had only produced little
blue eyed girl, it would have been more
sensible


assured him l was sorry the gender