38 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[January, 
Geraldine; A Love Story. 
BY MRS. SUMNER HAYDEN. 
“HATTIE ” 
AUTHOR OP “LITTLE GOLDIE,” “MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE,” 
ETC., ETC. 
CHAPTER I. 
UNCLE ABNER. 
Our rich Uncle, Abner Ashleigh, desired to go to Europe, 
and one of his nephews must go with him, for he was too 
feeble to travel alone, or to trust to the mercies of a hired 
servant, for, you must understand that our Uncle Abner was 
worth a half-million of dollars, and it was probable that one 
of our family would inherit it all at his death. 
There were three nephews of us. 
Tom Ashleigh, the eldest, who had finished his education, 
and commenced his ministerial labors. 
Dick Aslileigh, the second son, who had but just gradu¬ 
ated, and coveted the wealth of Uncle Abner more than all 
the others. Next in order came myself, Harry Ashleigh, 
who was still at his books, hoping to get learning enough to 
gain a comfortable living, for I had no hope of ever Inher¬ 
iting a dollar of Uncle Abner’s mone 3 r . 
He had told me twenty times that he wouldn’t leave me 
enough to buy a jack-knife with, because I was so careless 
of his feelings and his gout. 
But the world went merry enough for me without Uncle 
Abner’s money, and I knew that I could earn my own pock¬ 
et money if I was but faithful to my books. 
I was home on vacation when Uncle Abner announced 
his determination to go to Europe. 
“You will never think of going alone, Uncle Abner!” ex¬ 
claimed my only sister, who had recently married well, and 
consequently, thought less of Uncle Abner’s money. 
“ Of course, I shan’t go alone !” snarled the petulant gen¬ 
tleman, and sent us all out of the room while he waited for 
Tom, or more respectfully, the Reverend Thomas Ashleigh, 
pastor of the Wendall street church. 
He came, and I went stealthily up stairs, and with my 
ear close to the register, overheard the following conversa¬ 
tion : 
“ Good morning, my dear Uncle ! How do you find your¬ 
self this morning? This cold weather coming on will affect 
your gouty limbs, I fear,” said my brother. 
“I’m well enough to go to Europe, and all I want of you 
is to know whether you can leave your business long enough 
to go with me. No parleying, but answer me. Yes or no,” 
growled Uncle Abner. 
“My dear Uncle, I would not listen to such a proposition 
from any other man in this world. But in view of your uni¬ 
form kindness to me, and your liberality heretofore, I shall 
not hesitate one moment, but declare myself ready to forego 
all thoughts of self-interest, and accompany you wherever 
you may wish to go.” 
“Umph ! well! You say you wouldn’t do this for any 
other man living?” 
“I would not, upon my honor. Uncle! Think of the ex¬ 
cellent chance I have, and my liberal salary, all of which I 
must sacrifice. No, dear Uncle, I would not do this for 
another living man—” 
“ Then, by hokey, you shan’t doit for me!” snarled my 
Uncle, leaning back in his chair, and shutting his eyelids 
closely. 
“ But, my dear Uncle—” 
“ Shut up your confounded noise, sir! Can’t you see that 
I am going to sleep?” angrily exclaimed my Uncle. 
“ But, sir !” persisted Tom. 
“ Get out! Don’t I know what you are all fishing for ? If 
1 hadn’t half a million of dollars at interest, you’d every 
one of you see me go to Europe, or to the devil, alone. You 
know you would, you sneaking cur ! You wouldn’t one of 
you offer to go with me ! Get out of my sight!” 
The Reverend Tom knew full well that to remain would 
lessen his chances of ever getting a haul out of my Uncle’s 
coffers, so lie prudently withdrew. 
Uncle Abner’s bell rang furiously. 
. My sister answered the summons. 
“ Send Dick to me!” he roared. 
“ Uncle Abner has one of his tantrums to-day,” muttered 
my sister, going for Dick, who at once repaired to the “lion’s 
den.” 
“Dick, I’m going to Europe. Do you want to go with me ?” 
was the question. 
“ If 1 could leave my profession, sir, I should be most 
happy to accompany you, but the journey, pecuniarily 
viewed, will subject me to considerable loss—” 
“ Get out! Just as though you did n’t know that I should 
pay all expenses, and pay you well for your time besides.” 
“Certainly, my dear Uncle! Certainly! You have always 
been near and dear to me, and I am willing to make any 
sacrifice for your pleasure. I will go to Europe with you,” 
replied my brother, Dick. 
“ Not by a jug-full, if I know myself! No, sir, you toady, 
I if you go to Europe, I don’t. Clear out! all that any of you 
want is my money! I ain’t blind ! I can see it.” 
Dick left the room in disgust, and my heart began to thump 
ominously. If there was one thing I desired more than 
another, it was to go to Europe, to travel in the land of his¬ 
tory of romance, and of song. 
Therefore., when Uncle Abner’s bell rang again, and ho 
thundered a request for me to be sent to him, I was ready. 
“What now?” I asked, entering the room. 
“ Sit down there, you young scape-grace ! I want to talk 
to you,” he said, savagely. 
“I don’t care to sit down,” I replied. “If you have any¬ 
thing to say to me, you’d better say it soon, or I shall be out 
of hearing.” 
“Harry, I’m going to Europe, and I’ve sent for you to ask 
you if you would like to go with me,” he said, more mildly. 
I burst into as loud a laugh as I could counterfeit, and 
after it had a little subsided, exclaimed: 
“Well, if that ain’t a good one ! The idea of my going to 
Europe with you! Why, you cross old curmudgeon, I would 
not go to Europe and back with you for all you are worth.’ a 
“ You wouldn’t? I’m worth half a million, young man!” 
he cried. 
“ I know that,” I answered, moving toward the door. 
“Come back here, you young scamp! I’m going to 
Europe, and you’ve got to go with me, whether you want to 
or not,” he cried. 
“Now, Uncle Abner,” I said, gravely, coming into the 
room, and throwing myself into his favorite chair, put my 
feet upon the table where he kept his papers and choice 
books. 
“Uncle Abner Ashleigh, I want to go to Europe more 
than I ever wanted anything in all my life. But I wouldn’t 
travel in your company for all the wealth of the Indies!” 
“ Why not?” he asked, in a voice quite humanized. 
“Because, Uncle Abner,” I continued, coolly, pushing a 
heavy book from the table with my feet, “ you are so mortal 
ugly that I couldn’t live to get back! E am morally certain 
that I should kill you, if you didn’t kill me before we had 
gone a thousand miles from home. No, sir ! I won’t go to 
Europe with you.” 
And having delivered myself of this speech, I arose, and, 
picking up the book I had displaced, left the room. 
After that there was silence in Uncle Abner’s room until 
dinner-time. 
Then I was sent for again. 
“Harry, my boy, liow would you like to have half a mil¬ 
lion of dollars?” he asked. He spoke pleasantly; but I 
could detect the tiger in his eyes. 
“If I could have half a million of dollars, without de¬ 
grading myself to get it, I should think it was pretty jolly. 
But I wouldn’t stand your lip, from here to Europe and 
hack again, for a lohole million !” I answered. 
“ Come, now, boy, don’t be stubborn ! Say you’d go with 
me, and look out for my comfort if I’d promise to make you 
my heir hy will. You would, wouldn’t you ?” 
“ No, sir-ee! I wouldn’t do it!” I replied. 
“ Haven’t you any respect for your old Uncle?” he asked, 
changing his tactics. 
“No, sir !” I answered, bravely. 
I saw that my journey to Europe was as good as made, if 
only I played my cards well. 
The cross old fellow, finding one who would not bow to 
his half-million, was determined to conquer. 
“Don’t you love me any, Harry?” lie whined. 
“Love you, Uncle Abner? How can you expect me to 
love you, when you have only given me abuse all the days 
of my life? No, sir! I don’t love you anymore than I love 
that brass monkey, on the shelf beside you !” 
“ Oh, Harry ! Ungrateful boy! Think of all the money I 
have spent on your education, and your clothing, and every¬ 
thing !” 
“ My good friend, you can’t play that on me! All that 
you have ever done for me don’t half pay for the trouble of 
having you forever snarling about the house. No, sir ; it 
don’t! And when you die, I intend to bring my bill in 
against the estate, at so much a day, damages.” 
“ Damages! Against what ?” 
“Against my disposition, Uncle Abner. You’ve fretted, 
and growled, and snarled about this house, until you have 
changed me from one of the sweetest-tempered little 
cherubs that ever went without wings, to a saucy, insolent 
boy, who has no regard for anything sweet or sacred. And 
your estate will have to pay damages, sir !” 
Uncle Abner looked first angry, then surprised, and he 
finally burst into a loud laugh, telling me to “clear out, 
and begin to get my things ready to go to Europe with him.” 
I went, protesting all the way that he had not money 
enough to hire me to accompany him across the ocean. 
The next day lie called me to him, and unlike himself, 
promised to be very quiet and gentle, and not be rude or 
cross at all, if I would say that I would go with him to 
Europe. But I held firm until all my preparations were 
made, and the steamer in which he had planned to go would 
sail in two days. 
My mother and sister begged to be taken along, but the 
crusty old fellow declared that he’d as soon have a thousand 
cats along with him as two women.* 
“No, my dear madam !” he said, in reply to her request 
to accompany him across the ocean ; “I’d as soon have a 
parcel of cats, as a woman to travel with. You can’t go.” 
And that settled my mother’s journey to Europe, for that 
time. 
Declaring to the last that I would not go with him, I bade 
my mother and brothers and sister a tender farewell, and 
went with Uncle Abner to the wharf. “I’ll go on board and 
see you safely stowed away in your state-room. Uncle Abner, 
and I hope you’ll have a pleasant journey. Hang it, old fel¬ 
low ! If you wasn’t so ungodly in your ugliness I would 
go with you. I do want to go to Europe,” I said, as we en¬ 
tered the large, airy state-room. 
The tears actually stood in the old man’s eyes. 
“ I’ll leave you all my money if you’ll go !” he replied. 
“It isn’t too late to send a message to your mother, and 
go now. Say you’ll do it, my boy. Remember the half 
million.” 
“ I don’t want your money, Uncle Abner! With my edu¬ 
cation, when it is finished, I can earn all the money I shall 
ever need, and you are so confounded cross, you know.” 
"We sat talking together for nearly an hour, when I sud¬ 
denly started up, exclaiming: 
“ I must go ashore, if 1 don’t want to be obliged to go to 
Europe, and I don’t. Not with you,” I added. 
“ Well, good-bye, my boyand the old fellow wrung my 
hand at parting. 
As I expected, the steamer was well down the harbor. 
Returning to the state-room, I found my Uncle in tears. 
“What are you crying about? Because the steamer has 
left the wharf, and I must go to Europe anyhow?” 1 asked. 
“ No ! We’re not moving, Harry ?” he cried. 
“ Yes, we are,” I replied. 
“Now, praise the Lord! But, Harry, my boy, I’ll be as 
gentle as a lamb with you—” 
“You’ll have to, or I’ll jump overboard!” was my sym¬ 
pathetic reply, as I tumbled into my berth, which looked 
very inviting. 
You may think me perfectly heartless, from my manner 
of treating my Uncle, but he was one of that sort of peo¬ 
ple, who, getting an idea into their head, allow it to become 
the one thought of their lives. 
Uncle Abner had entertained the idea that his relatives 
were all anxious to get his money ; and with forever brood¬ 
ing over the thought, had become monomaniacal upon it. 
Therefore, it only remained for me to convince him that I 
cared nothing for his money, to gain his affections, and 
probably through them his wealth. 
He had no nearer kindred than my father’s family ; and if 
he left no will, we would share it equally. 
There’s no use in a person having a rich relative who is 
presumed to be not long for this world, to say that they 
give no thought to the money of that relative. The thing 
would be impossible. 
Everybody thinks more or less of his expectations; and 
I had already resolved what disposition I would make of 
Uncle Abner’s property, if ever it came into my hands. I 
would divide it equally between my two brothers, my sister, 
and myself. Mother had property enough in her own right. 
Uncle Abner was as good as his word. He was as gentle 
as a woman all the way across the ocean ; and our large, 
pleasant state-room became like a borne to me, endeared by 
pleasant memories. 
AVe reached Hie “ other shore ” in safety, and at once com¬ 
menced the exploration of all the scenes of note. I 
Probably the most of my readers have seen all that 1 saw' 
before we reached Paris. So I will not weary them by re¬ 
capitulation. 
CHAPTER II. 
THE MASKED BALL. 
There was to be a masked ball in the great ball connected 
with our hotel, and Uncle Abner insisted upon my going. 
I had never witnesssd anything of the kind, and there was 
enchantment in the very thought of attending a masked 
hall in costume. 
The evening came ; and after having seen Uncle Abner nice- 
lyin bed, with his favorite foot-warmer, cologne bottle, wine 
and cigars, with hook and bell at his disposal, I arrayed my¬ 
self in the costume Of a German prince, and repaired to tiro 
bail-room. There were many persons still earlier than my¬ 
self; and fora half hour I amused myself with watching 
the movements of those present, admiring the different 
costumes, and seeing the new arrivals. Toward midnight I 
joined in the dance, my iirst partner being a graceful young 
girl, with the voice of an angel, in the costume of a German 
peasant girl. 
As we conversed during the intervals of the dance, I ob¬ 
served that her voice was purely American. Site must have 
noticed the same peculiarity, for she said, when we were 
resting after the dance: 
“Your voice tells me that you are an American. I am 
American, too.” 
There was such a confiding, innocent ring to her sweet 
voice, that X was drawn to her in spite of myself. 
“ Have you been long in Paris?" I asked. 
“ More than a year. I am at school here; and that large, 
graceful woman, in the costume of a queen, is my teacher 
of German. She planned our coming here to-night. In fact, 
it was Gretclien who first proposed coming. My mamma is 
terribly strict, so Gretclien says, and she never allows me to 
go to any place like this. But Gretclien promised to take care 
of me, and she gained mamma's consent to my passing the 
night witli her, at the lodgings. Then we came here ; and 
here we are, having a splendid time. It is nice, isn’t it-?” 
“ Very nice, indeed,” I answered, charmed hy the frank¬ 
ness of my young countrywoman, and wishing that I could 
obtain a glimpse of her face, which I felt, instinctively, 
must lie very beautiful, from tlie purity ^and sweetness of 
her voice, her graceful form, and slender hands and feet. 
“Have you ever been in a place like this before?" she 
asked. 
“Never!" I replied. 
“Quite a coincidence! We are botli Americans, and 
neither of us have ever been at a masked ball before. Per¬ 
haps we shall meet in our native land sometime. How shall 
we know eacli other there ?” 
“ IIow shall we, unless you give me your name, and I 
give you mine ?” I replied. 
“ My name is Geraldine—" 
“ Mademoiselle is talking too much,” exclaimed a soft 
voice near us; and turning, we beheld the German teacher 
in the costume of a queen. 
“Pardon me, Gretclien! I forgot wliat you told me, in¬ 
deed I did," murmured the young girl, bowing me a faro- 
