Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-01-19
BEHIND A SOFA.

lest furniture. There have odd little fan
cies all to myself. and wish things and dream
things that nobody kn,ws anything al odt.
For l am different from all the rest; my
parents are tall and handsome, and Louise
i. the prettiest girl l ever saw. Then my
brother Harry, who was killed in the Indian
mutiny, was like prince in fairy storv,
80 brave and beautiful. But L! ! am small
and feeble | cannot run or wrestle, and
there is something growing on my shoul-
ders which keeps me from walking straight,
and they call me deformed | shall never
grow any more; strangers think me nine or
ten years old, but when | count the years
from the date in the family Bible | find |
am sixteen. People always speak kindly to
me, with great kindness in their eyes, and
once in while | pity myself, but not often.
| ike to be this queer little figure. Louise
is like the lovely ladies in legends and bal
lads, ard | am like the imps and dwarfs !;
when read about them look at myself in
the mirror, aud make grimaces, and whirl
over on one hand and then on the other, till
Louise looks distressed and begs me to stop.
Being what | am, OF course | don't often go
anywhere, except in summer when we leave
town; anu nobody makes me do anything !;
SO | roam all over the house. and read, and
lie with my eyes open for day dreams, and
am merry and happy almost all the time.
| wish l were only six inches high, what
fun would have in the world Then,when
we are in the country | could ride on the
birds backs, and down in the woods l could
sit astride of the great lush toad stools and
drink from acorn cups-or by the sea shore
/ fancy | could launch a nautilus and sail
away like any grim lettle sprite. However,
to be four feet high has its advantages.
When Harry was wounded and lay in the
hospital, knowing that he must die, he
wrote long letter to my father and mother,
full Of grief and comfort, too and he told
them thing which surprised them greatly
How he was engaged to marry a girl in u
town in which they had bee iauartered. How
sweet and lovely she was and how dcsolate
she would be now, and he wanted them to
send for her and love her like daughter. |
clayped my hands at that. / like to have
people do things to interest me, and the
idea Of poor Harry having fallen in love
For L know very well what love is; l Rave
read the Fairy Queen" all through and
great many romances. And sometime ago
| began sly watch over Louise, on account
of certain Philip Rayburn coming to the
house very often.
But about Harry lady love- My mother
does not hike strangers very well, but being
for Harry sake ma 1e ii ference and fathe.
urged the plan, As for Louise, it seemed
as if she could not be eager enough for the
coming of this Miss Emily Grey, she was
10 determined to cherish and love her. For
my part, as home is all the real world there
is Tor me, like to have as many characters
IN it as possible So when | heard Emily
Grey was coming to England We invited her
TO stay with US.
She would not come at once. She was
iihiid, 1t seemed or perhaps, Harry being
dead, she would rather avoid his household.
But Louise pleaded for her, and wrote her
great many loving letters, and at last Em-
iy came.
Emily came. The first evening they
brought her into the parlor, was !, ing un-
der the table with my head on a hassock,
thinking about the Old Man of the Sea in
the Arabian Nights, aud wishing l had
been one of the genm of those days. But
when Emily entered, forgot everything
else, and peered out from under the table
cover at he. What dainty little lady sh-
wasi so pale and slig she made ME think
of frail, futterinS, yellow butterflies partly
l suppose, because of her yellow curls,
which tell all over her shoulders when Lou
lSe took away her bat and shawl. Her eyes
we're wide and pale and blue, her cheeks
we're colorless, and she had frightened,
deprecating way of looking up, even after
my stately mamma had embraced her. But
Louise kept about her, and cheered her,
and talked to her, till she began to look
brighter. Louise was so different, such
darling nut brown maybe" with honest
dark eyes and rosy cheeks, and lips always
ready to smile. Louise is my beauty.
Ny father and mother went out after
while, and Louise still talked to her guest,
while lay very contentedly on the floor, all
eufied up just where could see all that
passed without turning my head. Louise
went to an etagere at the other end of the
room to get little picture Of Harry, and |
Idly kept watch of Emily. That moment
she interested me; her wide, pale eyes mar
foTed and grew intense, she cast quick,
iurtlve glance after Louise, and around the
room, curving her little white neck, and
strange, bright smile fitted over her lips. |
thossht instantly of Coleridge's Geraldine
With the evil eye, and just for fuu | lifted
the table cover and put my head and shoul-
ders out so that she could see me. / an
afraid | grinned at her. She shrieked and
lung her hands before her face. Louise came
running back and asked what frightened
her.
oh - she whispered, such dreadful
iaee peered at me from under the table
Ihere 1t is againf' And she shuddered.
Charlesf' exclaimed Louise, looking