evening in the latter part of winter; "none of us have been over to
Fulton this week, and who knows but there may be letters," "Who knows
indeed!" replied Uncle Nathan, "I am as you say a careless mortal, and
never inquired for letters the last time I was over, so I'll just
harness up and drive over this clear moonlight evening." He returned in
an hour's time and soon after entering the house, handed a letter to my
aunt saying, "read that and see what you think of it." Seating herself
and adjusting her glasses, she unfolded the letter, and perused it
carefully; but any one acquainted with her would at once have been
aware, by the expression of her countenance, as she read, that the
communication, whatever it was, was not of an agreeable nature. The
letter was from a cousin residing in the State of Massachusetts whom
they had not seen for many years, but who used in his youthful days to
be a frequent visitor. Indeed it would seem, by all accounts, that he
was fonder of visiting than of any regular employment. This cousin,
Silas Stinson, had grown up to manhood with no fixed purpose in life. As
a boy he was quick at learning, and obtained a fair education, which, as
he grew older, he was at much pains to display by using very high-flown
language, which often bordered upon the flowery and sublime. I believe
in their younger days Aunt Lucinda used to allow "it fairly turned her
stomach to hear the fellow talk." He was a dashing, showy follow when
young, and was soon married to a delicate and lady-like girl, just the
reverse of what his wife should have been. A woman like Aunt Lucinda
would have given him an idea of the sober realities of life, but the
disposition of the wife he chose was something like his own, dreamy and
imaginative, with none of the energy necessary to face the trials and
difficulties which lie in the life-path of all, in a greater or less
degree. He had tried various kinds of business but grew weary of each
in its turn. At the time of his marriage his father set him up in a
dry-goods store, and, had he given proper attention to his business,