RICH UNCLES.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 24 November 1866, Page 3

RICH UNCLES.

(From the Saturday lieview. ) ¥■ If the rich uncle were only half as common an institution; in real, life as he ia on .the stageor in a' lioyel, the world would be a cheerib^tace than it is, and moralists would bo compelled to admit that virtue still w«as 'to be ; found xippii the earth, . .perched' happily, and pleasantly on one < r. other of the collateral, branches in every; family tree. In the pictures they draw of, society and its manners, novilists unfor- ; tunately are: too : fond ' ; of gi^ttifying, onpaper and in fancy^ the ' yearniugs of the humaufeheart after the unattainable. Tho curate-whose serinpns are never tpo lone, and always makes his hearers, think ; tho officerwlio carries the kid glove of his old' garrison Aflame .for thirty years .next luV , heart;, and has it., on ins person -when he falls at ;tlie : " head of; the. forlorn hope ; the self-sacrificing .bpauty ; ; who. i^igris .i. ,hor lover to a. rival.; the faithful college chum who has. cherished a mujtual attachment for liis friend's hardly-used wife f or ■' half ■ai century, and 'only ■' mentions it , in ji whisper on his deathbed—^Uiire so niany creations by means of which the sort of people who write romances express their passion. for the ideal.- Biit perhaps there is no! portrait so completely suggestive; of v the impossible ..'and^.tho, intangible as..tho portrait of the imaginary .uncle who never Appears except to make people liajipy, and. who always dies at the right .moment. .Jj>ur imaginations aro fired _at ; a;vory parly age by'the _de3crip'tion, and we go through life sighingi'and' longing- for this noble being whomever. is but always is to be. "Exoriare'-aliquis" is our constant but fruitless hope. Where, oh where, is that benevolent individual in gaiters of whom' we have read so^niuch, whose only anxiety is that we should marry the object of ouu,. affections as : -Soon as the license can 'be, procured; who* ; burns to .enjoy the pleasures of. matrimonial happiness by proxy only';, and Aylipse reward is to be allpwed m.i-etui'ii to kiss his nieces-in-law and their, children as often as he pleases when they come down to breakfast in the morning'/ Allpf us have learnt to. admire the princely munificence of Mr PeabodjC .But; every time the newspapers present us with a new; instance : : b'f his • liberality j the sad thought cannot but force itself on the 'minds 1 'oi inany how it is that' there are so few PeabPdysin private doincstic life, Who have been imbuded with the sound scrip'tiiral|niaxim that charity begins at home, aiid'witli a projier -^ense, of ; ,the privileges ; ahd'jOppor'tiiriihiss'i^il^thpse whom Providence has biesse^Jwth a; lively and : varied Miprtment pi, nephews and nieces. ...The title of human affairllis influenced,. as ; .wel all by;,;the merest accidents! It seenis ■ hard that it should have been irrevocably separated by some little trivial barrier, .from/what : might ,-hav.q been. If grandf atn'ers 'and grandmothers had livpcli. long enpiigii ! t'o have had one 1 more childl befprp they died, if their supernumerary ofls|rring v had;.been; ! wisely despatched- at pne^ip;. Ind^i, ;iha,d amassed a colossal fortune in thei society of Nabobs and of Begums, andliad finally come home, after a long absence, with' a rooted/ desire to live in the happiness of his relatives, this might have: been a bright and a beautiful; worldin spite of 1 We- can' all conceivQ how -pleased' we should have been, to ha,ve smoothed ' ! bur t beloved Peabody's, pillow, and to'have'rpme'mbfered him in our prayers. ;'Dis|aliteryisurn." There are few'pf us, to wlipni Proyide'nce has not seen fit' to' deny this harmless gratification .and when; we- look atlife as it is, andturiii|v the lnelanchply,, spectacle, to the'mireeviyolume npveis and. the. dreams oi the.. day, it is indeed- almost 1 exasperating to;see.how authors and authore'ssesMersist in poiiring -upoh the -heroes^Wd lieromes such golden showers of nhspeaki a^{y^ ecio ' us . kinsn ieiririwe|Kle'aM ' - ' v i;^^, 1111^ 61 "'such :■' : circunistaricei, with 'well-regulated minds, ought' never ; to take % lo^9 r . , i?P f rm from- a .selfish sentiineiit/ ■^■i^^^JP^j^d- nobler:, to ;be able W base # it oh a calculation of wiiat-the human' |.rac,e.,. loses. .^byuJiJie. infreqnency; ;of ; such . i ; eleyating;speptacles, : If l-ich niicles were iriot as rare birxis-as: black swans, the feminine half; .of < 'the i worldi would not bej lable to:go^n.saying|ywitMsu.ch a terrible-! show pf'^truthj^hUf^a^b^chelor-s^^life is necessarily' selfish:' r ■ . ;W6m'en' -'constantly j complain of "tlie -gross injustice' of 'the approach that rests on! |he character of an old" "maid. ' Old niaids'jire often Very Charming [pepple;, thou^ ; as : a . r,ule,j fWJth top., absorbing an admiratiph ;of I pppiilar;- preachers ;". and if marriagea are made in Heaven, it is not

unnatural that Heaven should keep some ' of the best specimens of "womanly virtue „ for itself . There may, however, be rich aunts as. well as rich uncles, and it would bo improper and imprudent to pass" a sweeping condemnation on those who have chosen, to play the part of wallflowers at life's festive hall. If celibacy in woman is a fault, it is a fault which may be redeemed by a devoted desire to make the younger members of her family prosperous amLwealthy. But, after all that has been said, it is fair to recollect that old maids' are not visited with half the reproaches which feminine critics shower on thahead" of . that much-abused being,- the ••■irretrievable old bachelor. Tlie irretrievable bachelor is a sort of.so.cial Hercules target, the bare existence of which is a slur .upon power and precision of fe'iiuuino artilleiy. Something must be done to put a stop to Ms attitude of offensive iinponotrabiltty, and his unpopulnrifcy may be taken as a proof that it is as dangerous in some casijs to resist successfully as to be gracefully vanquished. The hale lieavt^' to start with, is desperately wicked, but its follies and failings are never ; painted in such, gloomy colors as when it^was shown an ill-advi3ed intention to,, .lead a; single life. Tliis is why Club dinners and. .whist and smoking aro so generally admitted, by fennniiie moralists, to bb'hopel^sly prejudicial to the. character. They* are notonly in theory pernicious/ but they are. the jivowed enjoyments of the bachelor." The gallant knight who loves : and rides away is in hii^clegreo a more admirable creature than the unknightly craven who never, falls in. love at all, and who provokingly sits still over Ins Clvi$ 'cigar. The moral indignation one' very naturally excites .is so 'considerable tha^thc species would 'have become extinct long ago if it were not for' one redeeming feature in their case. When disapprobation of the bachelor's 'habits is: on ;the very eve of rising to a' storm, there is one savingvirtue that interposes and rescues him' ■ from annihilation. Un married blessodnes3 would be outlawed by the of society if it were not for the fact ,th"at' the irretrievable bachelor may yet fcMieve himself by turning into a rich uncie^hd becoming a -blessing, if not a creiit','to mankind. .It is thus — a feminine: philosopher. ...will perhaps conclude— that we are brought to see how, in thp . great economy of. nature, there is lio such tiling as utter ruin .and degradation. ; Fallen- as he seems to : be at the' first glance, the bachelor may live to prove'that his c:\irccr hasibeen in jio degree wasted or unprofitable. If there were only more specimens of so creditable a|(&n version, a' bachelor's profession wQulclfetfd by being coiisidcied'' a noble and dis^efestod one. In : answer to ; tlie' invidious^uestion why on earth he did not marry, the bachelor would only have to: -reply,' "I did not' marry bocaus'e it is my ambition to be made a rich uncle." , :.!•'■■.". : . .■■ ; ; A rich tinclc has this advantage further, that he- Catries into domestic life an example of 'unselfishness and disinterested spHcitude'fprl'tho welfjixo pf his. kind.' In rctu.rn for .the i'mpntatipn of selfishness that : isi so freely bestowed on them. bachelors might with, plausibility retort that lnarried, life is npt, iipon»the wh()le, productive of social, sympathy aiid' magnanimity; ■■' A partncrslnp is not necessarily less egotistical than ■ a^, ; single spectator, ,111(1 self-interest often perambulates the world in- couples. ! Towards their husbands and their 1 chihlren-Eng-lishwomen -are almost uniformly vinselfish, Sbiit Ibeyond their liusbandsVtn'eir children, and their own social*) success, they show commonly, a dispositiPh'.to, -'be. : indnTerent to the outside,. worlds and the re suit is that theirinfluencois.weakened and their. po\y'ers!. of >• conversation proportionably impaired.' If this- be true, domesticity has iis drawbacks, as well as its' delights. An Englishwoman's pleasures are simple, ■but possibly somewhat 1 narrow.- She is keenly, solicitous about her husband's ad,v'aiibcinent' in tlie w-'i'ldj and measures it •carefully by, the amount of social considi r\tion bestowed uponhoraelf . ", She likes her >chUdi'ento be healthy,:handsome, aridadniired, and .devotes, herself heroically to their best.interests,. By the time shehas got' to •''• the; extreme ;_e.dge of her. family circle, her enthusiasm is generally exhausted ; and litora'ture or politics she cares for so -far only as^they are likely- to affect or interest those 'in whoso- welfare r slib is concerned. "A rich bachelor at & domestic; tireside .is a-, perpetual protest^ agaiust^he'exclusiveness ! 6f ! View arid is in hisiway less of .an? egotist /than, the mother .whose ; <ibspluta, devotion to her family he.so, much admires. ; ;;^ind';aShe is, and intimate as, he is, his fair pfotegeX? would seej-ihim broiled alive before ;sh^ would allovrating^hair to be harmed of her husband's Prater children's heads ; and" a soft unalterable, sense of contingent ;bonefits soni&ttliVe's^pjsrhaps, suffu3cs even 'her real affection for . Considering the nobility of thenature pf^&non, the' fact that after marriage they^arbim-, ■pregnatecl with this , sort of fee.ling', fpl| Avliicii:scifishne3s is ,ipo hard .a/iaine, is ? - possibly a discredit;, rather to "their, .hiisbands ..than their own. educatio^n: ■/ If ■men, sought less; exclusively, to absorb every thought of the ■ women who, ,are under, their control, the. character, of ,womrn. would; be lriore; chivalrous after marriage- than it' is. Romance and impulsiveness'belong; chieily to unmarried: girls.. ; :They -will enter, into aiid appreciate. .-thjßi.n.qt. ruucoinmon. ;pride which no\v and theii makes ;. a man- abandon fame andj ortune "sooner than stoop -to pick them up. It is equally certain'that, wben women :inarry*this kind of entlmsj.asin : sobers down. In. the cause, flf.thpse to wlipin they are, at-" tachedthey. remain .asgenerpull'asj.everjbut with all generosity which threatens to inter.fere .with ;the,' fortuuesi.of . their, husband, or their children they Uaye-.but little sympatJiy. ";Ham'anifcy.ari(l patriotism, ; and even charity, ff ail- : irt,;tUeir eyes .when :C.ontraste(;l>w.ith. the ties of domesticity., i A being who.. is; cpntent Avith the.private. felicity o.i .others; au'd-who looks for no pfivate.felicity.of '..hij^yn; accordingly^be,. : a: noyei-.-Bighti.at^a family gathering. JSe M-ould be entitled to rank as an. exception <to. the law iof domesticity^ the theory of which is, that rp two are .permanently strong' except' the ! ties aris maternity or marriage. Rich uncles ai*9 , not as s easily .to'b'a'met '.^ith! as''the! 'natural 'Adam'-cpidd; wisli^jiit:' wli.en 'they' dti' 'diicnr the^are'pr^ov, ba'b'lv^ie'ss^eeotistical^lian their fortunate' nephews and nieces.. , '.' ' .'/ .'.. ; , | "•$ The pleasures of bene\plence which a rich; uncle may be considered to. enjoy are, indeed; 'b'y. , a. great ', Greek jihilcisopher to' "life', pleasures' of ; paternity ; ;J aiid, : it -.'may bo that i in exceptionfil '. case's . they eyeii' s «P.PJy jblie -place of the latter., t '' : Human ' nature is in ;the' nabit of bbasting.'of its' instinct's, '§*)&. a large of the feelings we terrii iiiare evidently to l?e accounted for on a simpler, \tbough: less flatiiering theory. That human nature possesses aAyiustinct properly, so-called, has. been denied,' .-'jma'y .'be' doubtejcl,^ and certaiiiiy never- "can- b^showii to demon-* stration/ It is by no lnifiuis certain thatj.

1 af'er all owaiKeV made for the influ('n?e 6(' sintiuient; interest, amY raasoii, si father : would be naturally drawn towards his son, anil the affection of human beings for their offspring is possibly made up of a powerful anil jierfect union ,o£. the three. However tl^tt may be, it is^ tolerably, clear that the piiee are nowhere voih^letuly unit'ecl as ■iifthc case of the rula-bion between .parents and their cliiltlren*; jvtid tlie rich uncle whose mission is to 'bring^pnisperiby.to his -Uelong'iu^s can at least enjoy* parental pleasures in a secondary ! and imperfect way.- It "is,' in truth, the only fashion left in which a man can enjoy them "without euteriiig into ; the ;i}i!jßcaripus.'Bpeculatipn pflmiirriage, or with,-: out against social flecorum and incurring the social penalties imposed 'iipoh '■ the.^irmer. , 'J?he skeleton, however,; ineyery •^benevoleii't niHii's closet is ■ aiid- must" be tlie rejection that it is almost impossible in advanced \\io, when the power of' exciting romantic attachments is gone, to bind others" to us, ; except,, indeed; )>y,.the glittering -I)Hfc.--fragile tie of gratitude. . The j-i.uh uncle is a liappy aud exceptional, personage who- dim bring those about him to f identify, their interests with his own, wul-i-o fed- bomuljtf) him by the sentiment.- that uuites-cliilcliten to their parents. .; To- achieve this result,/something more' than the benefactions 'of a kind old gentleman are usually necessary, unless accompanied by qualities that command-en-thusiasm ami regard.- "Even: a /millionaire cannot; take affection 'I^ 'storm, or break 'through the; circle' of faiiulyreseiye, as Jupiter broke .through. .tlie gua'nlis of J!)anae, in of gold. Those , who .wish to live in the affipiions of others had better riot Avait to make the'effort till tliey arc old an* 1 . Avealthy, but begin betimes Avhcn they are yOUng. -„-, v - - :;-.. ■ > ,- ;,, , ;;• ■• „ .