The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-05-13
600 back, - sse-Ysu'Ye tee ltttle 80
Gomez


BY ELLES LouIsA CHANDLER.
There were three Of us--Kate, Annette and
nyself, and We were going into ths oldwood
70 hunt Strawberries. Oh!it was sssh de-
licious day in June. The birds sang till the
air was fairly vocal with their melody, and
oil the green trees nodded their heads in ap-
probation. The very brook seemed 70 have
caught tho general inspiration, and danosd
along through the meadows ~ ii keeping
time to q quickstep Of the fairies.
Annette Summers and had been invited
to spend the half holiday with our school
mate Kate Harrington. Deacon Hsrring-
toms old fashioned brown house frontsd to-
wards the south. Behind 1t stretched broad,
green meadow, and still further back was =
densely wooded ACTIVITY, famous for flowers
and berries in the geography Of every child
10 Ryefeld. loved to look 1t Deacon Har-
rington's old brown house, even in those
early days when had we'll defined notion
Of artistic taste in my curly head. ! knew
that It combined to an eminent degree the
elements OF the picturesque. The Low roof
which sloped back nearly 10 the ground was
gray with moss. Ivy crept about the win
dows, and over the rustic porch had twined
climbing roses, along with heavy clusters Of
trumpet creepers.
made OF the little boughs Of the white birch
twisted together in fantastic fashion, and
here Grandmother Harrington Was wont to
cit, With her gray wooden knitting work. Oh.
what treat We used TO think II was to spend
half holiday with Kate Harrington.
q wish were you, Kate exclaimed An
l. - k~tf kn Ian
mer afternoon chasing butterflies and srrang-
ing a vegetable baby house, with hollyhocks
for our ladies' parasols, and tsapots manu-
featured out of verisabls poppy pods. Il
wish were you, and then / could be happy
all day long, with nothing to trouble me-
'You could, could you p and Rates cheeks
flushed Is she put away from them her heavy
bands Of black hair, you think so, and that's
all you know about il. l have . thousand
things to vex me. There's Rose, for instance.
Mother expects me TO be constantly taking
care Of her, and she's the greatest little tor
nent you ever saw. BY the way, girls, LET'S
start after those Strawberries 10 the wood,
won't tease to 60 with u.s.
We were just half way across the meadow,
when we heard sweet voice crying,
turned round, remember, and thought
how beautiful WIS the little creature coming
towards Us. She was very unlike her sister
Kate. Kate was brunette, but the little
white robed figure tripping across the mead
ow had pale, spiritual face, and long curls
Of golden hair falling to her tiny waist
eager, beseeching interest in her large, blue
kn .k~A k>- -
arms towards ", and kept crying in her ear
nestness:
'Please, girls, wait for Rose,'
A look Of vexation crossed Kste's face, and
she called out in tone Of extreme irrita-
blity:
$50 back, Rose, you're too little to come.
Go back 20 backl'
Kate always had a way of being minded,
and the little one put her fingers to her eyes,
and silently turned toward the house. We
hurried on in the direction OF the wood, with
out giving single glance backward. think
hshness, and know my own pleasure was
spoiled that afternoon. We found plenty Of
strawberries, red and ripe among their beds
OF leaves. There were little blue eyed bios
SONS, too, that kept reminding me OF Rosie,
heightened, and we turned to 70 home.
We had gone down the hill out OF the
wood, and crossed several rods Of the mead
ow-land, when Kate said in hoarse whisper
Sec there, girls, what is that white thing
by the brook? DO you see it2'
We saw it and hurried towards it. 1t vas
Rose. At f:st We thought she was dead
Scarcely seemed the faintest breath to steal
from her parted lips, and the pulsations Of
the heart were so week you could scarcely
feel them. She was in : trance-like sleep.
1t was some time before we succeeded 10 wa
king her, and then her limbs seemed chilled
and stifened by the subtle dampness Of the
meadow land atmosphere. She could not
stand. How many times that afternoon the
little darling had begged Us to make chair
FOR her with our hands, and We had answered
that We could not stop. We made her one
now. She twined her dimpled arms abou,
our necks, and held on very tight; but she
didn't speak, except once, and then she only
said, saint most big enough, sister Kate p
Mrs. Harrington met Us al the door with .
wild look Of alarm.
Good heavens, Katev she exclaimed,
what's the matter with Rose2' And taking
her from our arms she discovered that her
clothes were almost saturated with moisture.
Kate, child why don't you speak2 Has
Rose been in the water p
sNo, ma'am, but she went into the meadow
and got to sleep, and We found her there
sleeping
Oh, there were anxious hearts in Deacon
Harrington's brown house that night. Very
tenderly was the suffering little Rose Graded
on her mothers breast, but not once did she
speak cohercntly. Her cheeks burned ana
her eyes sparkled with fever; her dimpled
arms were tossed above her head, and every
little while, between her means, she would
stretch out her hands towards some imagi-
nary object, and say: 'Please sister Kate,
isn't Rose most big enough r
Three days passed-days Of incessant
watching and WEAKNESS, and towards evening
the little Rose opened her blue eyes after .
restless slumber. She seemed much better,
and the mother glanced hopefully up to the
kind physician bending over her.
cannot say she's better, madam. God
knows wish could; but Rose must die be-
fore midnight and the tears stood in gilt
terlng drops on the good mans cheek.
The mothers great grief WAS not noisy
She quietly lifted her darling from the bed,
and sat down with her in her arms. Kate
stood by, sobbing A. il already the brand OF
Cain were upon her brow.
Please, mamma said the little one Of
length, am big enough to 20 to Heaven |!
Yes, darling Was the fearful auswer.-
Jesus loves little children
And, mamma, do you s'pose he'll forgive
me Tor sitting down in the meadow TO watch
hattie, when you told me must never stay
lherci'