Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-08-15


Fanny had none that morning, and
ought not to be left without it any long
er. What was to be done? Suddenly
Jenny remembered the extract of beef
of SANITARY commission" days, and
writing down the name ON slip of pa
per sent the housemaid to the nearest
chemists in search of it. She came
back in a few minutes with the little
packee of queer looking, leathery, brown
stuff. and in an incredibly short time
Jenny has bit of it Clipped up fine,
dissolved in boiling water and seasoned
with pepper and salt, and beheld with
satisfaction a cup of smoking beef-tea
guiltless of grease, which she triumph
antly carried up stairs, inwardly calling
down blessings on the head Of the man
who invented the extract.
Poor Fanny could not have taken
| much if it had been nectar, for fever
time was coming, and Jenny was really
alarmed as she saw the pale face getting
crimson, felt the scorching heat of the
hands, and tried everything she could
think of, without success, to alleviate
the racking headache and dreadful rest
lessness. She seemed so very i'll that
Jenny longed anxiously for the doctors
afternoon visit, and when he came he
evidently thought her worse, for he
looked grave as he said, more fever
than yesterday" AID added something
about typhoid symptoms Jenny fol-
| lowed him down stairs and asked if he
thought there was any danger. "No
immediate danger" said he, "but Mrs.
Westod requires very great care, and
must be kept perfectly quiet" and he
left Jenny feeling quite weighed down
with responsibility.
Mindful of the 'cOming man." how
ever, she rang the parlor bell for Bridget,
and made her carry away the Withered
flowers and bring the dust-pan and brush
to the Uttered carpet, while she told her
about the dinner-table arrangements in
a few clear, simple words. Fanny had
an irritable way of talking to her ser
wants. constantly finding fault. and Civ
ing confused orders which made a stu
pid Well-meaning person like Bridget
unable to do anything right, while Jen-
ny's sweet manner was so reaSSuring and
quoting that people were always able to
do their very best for her
The weary afternoon wore away at
last, and precisely at 6 o'clock, as Jenny
was tanning her patient, she heard the
latch-key in the front door and James
and Georges well-kpown voices.
George was a tall, handsome man
with great strength ard splendid cour-
age. which had been we'll proved in the
battles before Richmond, but SO shy
that Fanny used to say she believed he
would rather face a rebel battery than a
room full of strangers. lie was such a
domestic, home-loving fellow that James
and Fanny, finding that he spent all his
evenings at their house and seemed to
be very homeless and forlorn at a hotel,
had proposed his coming to live with
them. much to his comfort and satisfac-
ton. He was uncOmmOnly fond of
children. and Fanny's little ones adored
"Unclc George. who had the sweetest
temper in the world, and had never been
known to be cross. He had plenty of
intellect. and could always say some
thing worth hearing, provided he was
with people ne knew well and liked,
but his shyness made him do himself
great injustice in society. He thought
Jenny the sweetest girl in the world.
and his favorite castle in the air was
pretty house of his own, presided over
by bright, sunny-tempered little wife
with rosy checks, brown eyes and a
saucv little turn-up nose. But whether
he would ever have the courage to tell
her so was really matter of doubt; for
the more he thought it over, the more
impossible it seemed to him that Jenny
could ever like him well enough to say
eyes; and | really think he would
have been thankful it, like the Parsees
with their prayers, he could have de-
putcd some one else to do it for him.
Fanny had guessed his secret, but
wisely kept her own counsel, only de-
termining that should matters ever 90
so far as to. need one little friendly push
to set them all right, hers should be the
hand to give it. Little did she think
what was TO be her part in Georges
lOve-makinr.
Poor Fanny. The long list of her
noble qualities did not exclude either
patience o. sclf-cOntrol, and as the
weary days went by and the novelty of
,Jenny's presence wore off. she began to
find fault even with her favorite sister
in-law; and although, if she had been
asked, she would have said that there
never was such dear good nurse, she
yet scolded at everything she did in q
way that was very hard to bear.
Fortunately for her, Jcnny's patience
was ineXhaustible, and she was a gen
crous soul who would have sconed the
mranncss Of losing temper with a sick
person or a child. But if patience never
tagged. strength sometimes did, and q
week of days OF incessant activity and
nights of broken rest had made her lOOl,
much palcr and thinner.
1t was a sultry morning, and she had
Just finished getting Fanny ready for the
doctors visit, and was putting away
some things. when, in some unaccOunt-
able way, she let fall a goblet on the
hearth with loud crash.
Jenny, / can't think how YOU can
be 50 awkard ~ burst out Fanny, startl-
ed by the noise. Il declare, you are
just as bad as Bridget | do wish you
would go away and let me have some
quiet.
1t was the feather that broke the
camcl's back, and poor Jenny, who had
been up two nights, burst into tears.
None of the Westons had been
brought up on System of weeps," and
mortified and ashamed Jenny hurried
out of the room, muttering something
about ''back in a minute" and rushing
past her own room, which was in the
chaos of sweeping day" she flew
downstairs into the cool, darkened par
lor, and throwing herself INTO a corner
of the sofa, sobbing as if her heart
would break. Her violent efforts to
stop crying seemed all of no avail, and
she was Mortified at the thought of the
doctors coming and finding Fanny eX-
cited by her absurd behavior.
"A pretty nurse, indeed" said she to
herself. ''What would mother say to
this But at any rate George and
James were out of the way"
There she lay, poor little thing, with
her hands over her face and her head
hidden in great soft sofa-pillow, only
one crimson ear and the shining brown
braids visible, and the pretty shoulders
heaving with sobs.
What was that little ear about that it
gave its owner no warning of a foot
step, and she thought herself all alone