The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-06-03
for the cfireside QJhair.
COUSIN EMILY.
A TALE IN THREE CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER THE ARRIVAL.

CHAPTER 1.-THE ARRIVAL.
I remember as we'll as possible the night
my cousin Emily first came to US. 1t was
near Christmas and we were all gathered
round the fire, awaiting her arrival with my
uncle. We were sitting in large, wide din
ing-room, in an old fashioned city house.
An immense blazing log in the spacious
crate, cast pleasant CLEANS upon oakpanneled
walls, hung here and there with some good
painting. Opposite the heavy mahogany
door (Which l always admired) were-two win
dows down to the floor, one of which was
screened by a tall plant, trellised upon a
frame; while the other permitted a full
view down. into the one Of the busiest city
thoroughfares. A long folding table support
ed a handsome lamp, beside which my cousin
Maria sat at work. She was a4steady-looking
maiden of fve-and- twenty, with gray, quiet
eyes, and dark hair, plainly banded. She
vexed me by looking SO prim and devoid of
expectation when we were full of it. By we
[ mean three boys and a girl who, with my
SELF grouped round the fire in various atti-
tudes of restlessness, made up my uncle,s
family. I shall only introduce each personal
ly as occasion may require; of myself, l in-
tend to say little. 1 had lived with my un-
Gle and cousins from infancy, and felt as one
of them. Ny uncle was !. just and generous
man; but his goodness dwelt in acts, not
words. We did not see much of him; ab-
sorbed in business, he only gave us his COM
pany, in an evening, when his presence was
restraint on our juvenile spirits. He was al
ways tired, and could not bear noise; he
spoke, too, in short, quick way which check
ed us into silence. | have no doubt now that
aunt's death had in some degree soured his
disposition and, unfortunately, his daughter
Maria, who now filled her place, was not of a
temper sufficiently genial to soften his. Our
evenings were generally dull, and we escaped
early to the nursery as to region of freedom.
Here we are free even from Marias sway.
which had caught the tone of my uncle's rig
or, and was supported by his authority I
must confess that the boys were sufficiently
refractory and provoking. Mara's post was
not the easiest in the world and Fanny and
might have better supported her in it if she
| had not offended the dignity of sixteen by too
great an assumption of authority.
But l am forgetting my cousin Emily,
/ whose arrival we were expecting, not merely
| ly with the eagerness of curiosity, but with a
vague hope of relief from the tedium of our
] family dullness. | knew that she~was- like
myself an orphan and scion of the same wide
branching family, and that she was now upon
| leaving school to take up her residence with
us. But we had never seen her, and we
| speculated about her to Maria's annoyance
Pray leave off talking about cousin Emily,
/ children" she said at length: I" am tired
/ of her name already. CanNot you wait few
minutes without such waste of conjecture ?''
/ eff you would condescend to guide your
conjectures by joining in them We might spec
: ulate to. better purpose, perhaps replied
Fanny, hther saucily.
| bova com atbiDcr battar 70 do nj,
ria, shortly, giving an expressive look at the
pile of work in the basket before her
:' I hope cousin Emily will not turn out
person who has always something to do
sighed Fanny.
Tom was just yawning out an amen to thi
aspiration, when a knock at the street doc
checked Maria's displeased rejoinder. Their,
was a suspension of breath then a, quick re
moval of our ourstretched arms and legs from
the rug and sofa. Tom, an incipient dandy
ran his fingers through his disordered hair
with hurried look into the chimney-glass
John and Frank stiffened themselves int
sudden Occurrences and Ted fixed pair o
wide open blue eyes upon the door, with in
tent of devouring cousin Emily at glance
1.-The next moment my uncle, buttoned up an,
black looking, brought her in. -" WE'LL Ma
ria Well, children here's your cousin, En-
lily Seville"
We saw figure in dark cloak and tha
! was all at present. Maria walked up to he
E and shook hands, which passed quietly; bu
. then clear, ringing voice said, "What. ar
# all these the children ?''aand bright fac
: turned round to US, and two little hands wer
$ held franklyfout. s47 s.ea.. 81.
: "And how do you do, cousins ? oh, no,
]. rich am !'' was said in a sweet, laughin
!, way, which made my heart warm at once
She gave a rapid look at Fanny and me an
% then kissed US shook hands heartily wit
% the three boys, and took Ted's little face be
tween her hands to kiss Then she threw o
" her cloak and bonnet, and sat down as one
: the circle. e So =. .1l.s5s-. /.
/ remember how she looked. do nc
: know whether she was actually beautiful, bl
. she had face like sunshine, with mass
! wavy curls dropping round it of that goIde
. lsbrown tint SO rarely SEEN I could not
! first determine the color of her ewes; b,
how bright they were as they shone kin
:. and curious looks all round. She had scare,
4 ly sat there five minutes before we felt as
we knew her; and when she rose up to joi
my uncle at the table, and talked to us all Il
time as if we were old friends, and ho