The Van Buren press., 1871-04-11
MISCELLANY.
Helpful Eda.

Eda was our city cousin. We had
never seen her, but Sarah Ann Carson
who. because she is acquainted with us,
concluded to call on her when she was
in New York, said she was "a mighty
stuck up little body" Mother says tha,
it is not pretty way to speak of any
one, but poor Sarah Ann has no mother
to teach her, and some folks seem to
think that anybody who lives in hand
some house aud wears fine clothes must
of course be vain and proud. Yet, il the
truth must be owned. We girls were not
at all averse to accepting Sarah AIMS
opinion.
~ know I shant like her," said
Frank, struggling her shoulder, "she'll
be so prim and precise that we shant
dare to turn round It's always so with
those city girls. For my part, / wish
she wasn't coming"
81 wish so, too" echoed Ellie, "we
shan't have one bit Of fun as long as she
stays. p"
But wishing was useless Uncle FL.
lott had written that Eda was not well
and needed a change ofair, and of course
father wrote to him to send her at once.
"If she is at all like sister Elliott, I'm
sure you will love her. said mother
but some way none Of us felt very cheer.
ful about it. Brother Fred was to go to
the depot to meet her, and we had hard
work to coax him to take off his farm
clothes and make himself look tidy.
:" Oh, fudge!" said Fed, who was gen.
orally very careful about his dress when
he went to town, "if she thinks we've
been fixing up for her she'll just 60 to
putting on airs. But he yielded so far
as to take off his overalls and change
his coat
"There's the train" called Ellie, from
her perch on the window. sill half an hour
later, aud presently Fred drew up at the
horse block and handed out delicate
looking girl in gypsy hat and gray
travelling suit.
al suppose she thinks she'll astonish
the natives" said Frank spitefully; but
no one stopped to answer her, for moth
er had hastened down the garden to meet
Eda, and Ellie and followed at a digni.
fed distance. IT we had not prejudice il
did not take us long to feel at home with
her.
Isn't she nice 7" said ! enthusiast.
cally, after Frank and | had gone to our
room.
"Oh yes, l suppose so. Frank ad.
mitted . but she is stuck up, as Sarah
Ann says, for all that; you can see it by
the way she tosses her curls F" And SO
we both went to sleep only half persuad-
ed that cousin Eda was " nice. "
Mother" said Fred next day, throw.
ing his coat on the table, I" l shall have
to have new pocket in that" Mother
had headache that morning, and by the
time the pocket was cut out she had to
put by her work and lay down. One OF
us girls might just as well have done it,
but it seemed so natural to leave the
mending for mother that we never
thought Of it. Scarcely had she left the
room, however, when cousin Eda seated
herself at the workbasket. and when after
dinner mother took up her needle again
she found the coat as neatly mended a,
il she had done it herself
ELLA, dear, do you know anything Of
my glasses? ?" asked grandfather, group
ing about like blind man.
~ haven't seen them, grandfather, y
said Ella, going on with her reading, bu
Eda was up in an instant to help in tht
search and would not sit down till the
glasses were found.
"Thank you, darling, you are SO like
your mother" said the old man, strok
ing her hair. And so it was every day
One morning we found her down on lel
knees lacing grandfather's shoes. Pool
old grandfather might have tugged at hi,
shoe.string by the hour before one Of us
would have thought Of offering to lace
them for him, but cousin Eda seemed tc
know intuitively when any one needed
help. If we were going out it was Eds
who helped mother on with her shaw
and tied her bonnet strings; if grand
father had to stay at home from church
it was Eda who always stopped to give
him a comfortable little kiss that left q
warm place in his heart and made the
long hours far less lonely.
! About three weeks after Eda came, the
young folks at the village decided to have
picnic, and we were all invited
~ suppose she will put on her Sunday
go.to meeting clothes, said Frank, who
was still on the watoh to find some fault
with Eda. But presently down came our
little city cousin In u gingham dress and
thick soled shoes
That's very sensible, my dear" said
mother, patting a cheek that began to
grow plump. and even Frank smiled ap.
provingly. We had merry time that
day, and no one entered into it more
heartily than Eda. After dinner we So,
down on the grass and made wreaths for
our hats, aud then hunt for May apples
was proposed.
"T wish aome ~ thosa hio ~irla vould