Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-25
Mx Pretty Cousin.

| enid beauty, herS grew with her growth, so that
at seventeen she was still the prettiest of the
| flock Of girls at home. ! was the oldest of six
| sisters, and Meta was our orphaned cousin, who
| had been our mothers charge from infancy,
| sharing all things with us, one of ourselves, al
| though in her own individual right she did not
| possess one penny, and we were small heiresses,
| having about one thousand dollars each from
| our late fathers estate.
My sisters were all pretty girls, though none
| of them were so lovely as Meta. Perhaps some
| OF her admiring friends were influenced by the
| laws of contrasts, Tor we were all brunettes,
while she had complexion like an ivory miLia-
lure, large violet eyes, and hair as fine, soft and
waving as a chds, of the loveliest goi den color.
Her figure, too, was petite, plump and graceful,
| while we were all tall and slender. Nobody
| disputed her claim 10 be the beauty of our
| circle, and she reigned with winning grace
| amongst us.
| 1t was at the wedding party given for MAY,
nv third sisfer-bertha and Lola were already
| married, and | was an acknowledged old maid
| that we made the acquaintance OF Herman Van
| dercoort, who was our new brother in-law's
| groomsman, facing Meta as bridesmaid.
| He was long, be was gaunt, he was almost as
| ugly as Meta was pretty; he was as shy as
school boy, aud awkward to cumsiness. Meta
| laughed at him, f1rted with him, and fairly be-
| wildered his slow brains with her butterfly
| viyacity and coquettish tricks All The evening
| he kept near her, his big black eyes resting on
| her face in dumh admiration, and his awkward
eallantries awakening her sauciest airs and
| speeches.
Carl, Mays German husband, carried her off
| for wedding trip TO Berlin; but before he left
| he told us something Of Herman.
"Do make him feel at home, girls, if you can"
| he said. "He is the best fellow in the world
| when you know him. He has just sent over Tor
| his father 10 come here, and they are going to
| live on the hill. His father is a great chemist,
and Herman is studying medicine. He is not
| handsome"
Here Meta ave saucy exclamation of Won
| der, and the laugh that followed ended the de-
| scrlL ton.
DR.. Vandercoort arrived in due season, and
| the house on the hill, only short distance from
| our own, was taken possession of by a plump
i German housekeener, and the two gentlemen
We seldom saw Vandercoort pere, but Herman
| seemed always lowering about the house.
| He began to be spoken of as young phys
clan of great promise, and his list of patients
| increased rapidly, people having an implicit
| faith in the invisible father, who was supposed
| to direct his professional movements. Butch,
| what "but" it wasl-he never seemed TO i'm
prove on the shy awkwardDess of the first eve
| ming. We all knew that he was counting Meta,
| and the glrls-for Bertha and Lola lived next
door TO us on each side, and were included vet in
| that plural-were never tired of teasing her
| about her new admirer. Such couriing he
would come in with one garment of radiant
cleanliness, contrasting with the general care
| lessness OF his dress in most ludicrouS man
ner. Sometimes cuffs of brilliant wilderness
CLEANED from The wel-won coat sleeve, making
| more conspicuous SHIRT front stained by coffee
| or eggs; or, If the bosom was snowy hued, the
| cuffs were sure TO bear marks of service. He
| seldom spoke more than four sentences in an
evening, but would gaze at Meta, as she sang
| worked or chattCd, with an absorbed air that
| was very irving to our gravity.
Meta accepted his devotion with a careless
| grace, never disputing the fact when it was
mentioned, but never admitting any return Of
| his affection
"Meta, my DEAR" Bertha would say, ''has
| Herman proposed yet?'
''Did he tell you be intended to propoSe?'
mo, my child. Don't trife with his youth
| full affections when he does"
"Whyl would it affect his beauty? He is so
/ handsome and graceful
what did he say last evening when you
| were on the porchP
''He said, 'Ah! twice and 'Ohp four times;
Yes, miss once and I think So once'
"Metap
"Fact. ] assure you'll"
But, five rldiculed him in the character of
| lover, we were forced to respect Herman Van
dercoort in the light of public opinion. His
| private fortune was large, and he had very
| large practice amongst the very poor. Every
voice was willing TO give him praise for his
generous charities and his devotion to those who
could never repay him dollar. In NV capacity
| OF Old maid sister was one of the church parish
visitors Of the poor, and soon gave TO Meta's
| awkward sutton my warmeSt respect
| Did YOU see the beautiful cork leg the doctor
| has gwen Mixer said one woman to me. "Al
| the winter, since he lost his leg in the factory
Mike has been under DR. Vandercoort's care,
| and many's the dollar he's slipped under his
| bottle, or given the children, when | was OUT
washing, and nlver cent OF a hl for all his
visits, And now he's bought an Elegant false
| leg, so Mike can get about again."
"See," said another, "the little news stand DR..
| VanderHoorts started for Billy. He says be
won't be TT for hard work for long time alter
the hurt he got in his chest, and so he's started
him selling books and papers, and mes doing
hrst rate. Tended him for nothing, 100, all
| tue time he was sick"
Not two, nor three, hut dozens of instances of
| such kindness came under my immediate no
tice; funeral expenses, aid for one, a ltte coun-
| Try trip managed for another, months rent
pald Tor third, and 1t was not a rare sight to
see the doctors carriage driven bv himself and
beside him a ragged patient, well wrapped in
The carriage blanket, taking a short drive for
health seeking.
So, if we laughed at Herman's manner, we
9raVely respected his sterling goodness of
heart, his professional skill, and his beueyo-
| lence
Meta, be it known, not content with captivat-
ing The son, had srnck up a most fourishing
Irritation with Papa Vandercoort, who made our
mouse his only visiting place. He was a little
old man, dried up and wizened faced, with a
long silky white beard, and long white hair,
over which be wore skull cap He taught
Meta German for hours togather, when his son
was away, telling her wild German legends and
anecdotes oil his son, the worshipped child OF his
old age.
"'rhey are all dead but Herman" he told her:
"all my brave boys and far girls. am eighty.
TWO years old, and he is not thirty; SO | hope
God will spare him TO close my old eyes. He is
Il good boy, Meta good boy.
The girl would assent, for she never had a
| SaucV word tor the Old man. hoWpvpr she miUht
| torment the son."
can not say exactly when it was that we
began to suspect that Meta and Herman had
agreed TO become betroihed, but the fact grad
| uaIly dawhed upon us all, A blushing con-
seriousness upon Metals face, when the tall
h@uIe appeared at the gate, may have given us
| the hrst hlnt: or 1t might have been the appari
ton OF Herman in new suit, with spotess
linen and shining boots, looking SO entirely lost
| in wonder at his own garb, that Bertha said
audiUly she hoped he would upset something
over bis clothes before he came again; or might
have been when he suddenly, unInvited, walked
over 10 the piano and electrified us by playing,
with mastery skill, several difficult pieces, sing
| ing two German songs in rich baritone voice and
then rushing abruptly from the house,
as If he had been caught stealing the
spoons; or perhaps ii was when we found he had
tongue, and could converses freely when the
spirit moved him. The flashing of superb
diamond ling upon Meta's finger NAV have
Betrothed they were, and we soon found our
bright, pretty cousin had given her heart into the
keeping of her awkward lover, and gradually
but certainly rubbing down some of the sharper
corners of his manners into courtesy and ease.
There could be no doubt il was a love match.
in the fullest sense OF the word, and the wedding
was only postponed by the necessity of Her
mans return TO Prussia for short visit TO dis.
pose ofsome family property before settling for
! life amongst us.
When he had departed Meta became more dc.
voted than ever in her attentions TO the old doc
tor. She spent whole mornings with him, appar-
emily perfectly happy in his society," aud when
| ever she was missed at home we were sure to
| find her on the hill
| 1t was lovely June morning, when we were
| looking for Herman's return by every steamer,
| that Meta put her pretty face in at my door TO
| say she was going over to the doctors, and
| would stay to luncheon.
| 81 Will take some of my sewing" she said,
| "and work as much as | can"
| put down my own WORK, some wedding gar.
| menis, for a moment, TO draw the young Girl
into my arms and kiss her sweet face She
| looked SO very, vey pretty in her delicate chintz
| dress, with blue ribbons IN her bright hair,
hnsh on her fair cheek, and her violet eyes full
| ol life, that SAID aloud:
| Il wish Herman could see you TO day y"
Am | very pretty to-da, ?" she asked, not
| sauclly, but with an earnest simplicity.
eyes" ] said heartily.
"a am SO glad. Not for myself but for Her.