Year: 1873

1 was young man possessed oi
sufficient means to enable me to live
at my ease, and refrain from labor
Of any kind, when suddenly there
came blow that scattered my pros
perity to tho winds, and forced mt
to employ my labor and wits in the
general struggle OF gaining n living
The blow cam o in the shape of the
failure of q large firm in which my
capital was invested.


After secm ing clerkship in The
house of q creditor of our late firm
my first care was to look up less
expensive boar ding house than the
fashionable one in which was living,
l inserted IN ad vertisement in several
widely circulate d city papers, asking
for board i'll st richly private family
and of course received q multitude
of answers by nei;t post. Out of this
motley installment of epistles, there
was but one that pleased me, and
that one 1 decided, to answer in per.
son immediately.


Grace Kingsley was the name OF
the favored landladl' writing to me,
and the letter stated. that her house
was entirely private, having nc
boarders whatever. I was much
pleased with the fair, delicate hand
writing, and an idea took possession
of me that Grace was young and
fascinating widow. ] WIS not disap.
pointed when / reach ed the house,
and my ringing at the door-bell was
answered by the lady h erself. She
invited me into the parlor in q man
ner so courteous, and yet so modest,
that l had fallen desperately in love
with her before / could cross the
threshold.


enjoyed very pleasant chat with
Mrs. Kingsley. During the conver-
sation she informed me that her late
husband had been in fair way OF
business, aud at his death, which oc-
Cured year 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 iv.
ing in the house quite alone, and
desired q male boarder more as O
means of protection than as source
of revenue. In conclusion, the land
lady looked so pretty (she was quite
young, not more than two or three
and twenty and the board so. mod
crate, her companionship SO inviting,
and she sc emed to trust in me, and
look upon me so favorably that l
would have been a heathen, dead to
all charms and inducements of the
sex, if had not engaged board on
the spot.


The next day I had my trunk re
moved to my new boarding place,
and permanently established myself
there. Before leaving my former
boarding house, a letter was handed
me by the postman, but I did not
find time to examine it until 1 was
comfortably ensconced in the parlor
of Mrs Kingsley's cosy house.


Opening the letter, l discovered it
to be from wealthy uncle, residing
in Vermont, who regularly sent me
letter once year but whom / had
never seen. His epistles were al
ways short and to the point, general
ly consisting of an account Of the
weather in his locality, and some
good advice to me to take care Of my
money, as / might be burdened with
some Of it before I was much older.
I was always very glad to get this
advice from him as Iregardedit it as an
intimation that I was to inherit his
wealth on his decease.


One day, however, about year
previous / received q letter from him
which contained another topic be-
sides those have mentioned. My
uncle made some pressing inquiries
respecting my matrimonial prospects,
and stated that if / was not already
married I should immediately enter
into the welded state, and let him
know of il, or he would never more
be an uncle of mine.


Now as my uncle lived in Yer
mont and I in Philadelphia, and /
never anticipated the old gentleman
would pay me visit and discover
the falsehood, / wrote and informed
him that / was not only married, but
the father Of q bouncing baby. This
intelligence 20 pleased my uncle that
be sont : gold goblet and . silver
lpap spoon, 10 BE- presented TO my
ch{d. I 6 hrst 81 down aud wrote