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

minutes later. -
Here's one for your mother, from
James. / hope there's nothing amiss
with Fanny or the children" Mrs.
Weston opened the letter and read aloud:
"Could you or one of the girls come TO
Fanny? She has been in bed a week
with what the doctor call bilious inter-
mittent fever, and though he assures me
there's no present cause for alarm, he
says perfect quiet is absolutely neces-
sary, and that she can't get well while
she laws in bed worrying about the child
rem and servants, and they keep running
to her about every tritie. She needs
some one to take all care off her hands,
and of course her sister ought to come,
but she has arranged to start for New
port to-day with a party of friends, and
says she can't possibly break up all their
plans. How can she possibly go and
leave Fanny is more than | can under
stand: but perhaps if she came she
wouldn't be of much use as she thinks
more of her own comfort than anything
else Poor Fanny worries about little
Jamie who is rather fretful with his
teeth and does not seem happy with
Ann"
Here was a disappointment for some
body. Much talking and crying follow
ed, since each Of the three commended
that she was to be the one to give us the
pleasant journey, but Jenny carried the
day. appealing to her father to look at
her mother and sister, who were both
evidently needing mountain air, and say
if it wasn't simple common sense that
she should 90 to Fanny; she who was
,,n,,f,ntl wall oDI annnTll for
ANYTHING. Dear little thing! she did
look radiant with health, energy and
kindness as she stood by her tall father
with her bright, eager face turned up to
his
OF course Mrs. Weston and Lily pro-
tested against it, but Jenny was mex
orab]e and further settled the matter by
writing letter to James, telling him TO
meet her at the station in New York The
next morning.
After dinner she proceeded to rear
range the trunks. without shade Of ILL
humor, separating from LilY's all her
own pretty. new things. She held up a
white muslin all putfings and lOOpings
and valenciennes and cherry ribbons,
saying as she did so, what pity it was
that Lily couldn't wear her dresses, for
surely she wouldn't need this sort of
thing while she was nursing poor Fanny
Her mother and sister declared that
all their pleasure was gone, and they
shouldn't be able to enjoy anything
without her, but Jenny insisted that that
would be treating father very shabbily,
and after all she would go some time.
''She would make father take them all
again next summer.
The next morning Mr.. Weston took
her to the station, and put her into the
train an hour before the White Noun
tain party were to start, and she nodded
brightly to him from the window as the
train moved off, her snnny face bearing
no trace Of disappointment at giving up
her plans.
She felt repaid when she saw James
pleasure at meeting her. Poor fellow :.
he looked quite worn out with his fam
iIv cares, and reported Fanny much
weaker that morning. The streets were
not attractive rs they drove up from the
station to FOrty-seventh street The
MONDAY sun was absolutely sickcning,
and Jenny was thankful when they
reached their own particular "brOWn
stone front" and James unlocked the
door for her with a cOntcnted, "Nell,
I've brought a treasure at last
Fanny had only been up stairs a week,
and Jenny marvelled to see what a
change had come over the unusually
pretty. hOme-like house for want of the
mistress eye and hand. The hall table
was thick with dust, the parlOr carpet
Uttered with fallen blossoms from with
cred bouquets in the vases, the piano all
over dust. too. and the chairs aWry.
while the sliding doors, open into the
dining room. disclosed to view an untidy
breakfast table still standing, while
swarms of flies were rejoicing in the
glaring sunlight which poured in through
the unshaded windows.
1T all looks forlorn enough" said
James, helplessly, II don't know what's
the reason. But come, I'll take you up
to Fanny at once" And they mounted
the stairs to the second story front room,
where poor Fanny lay in bed eagerly
holding out her two thin hands with a
smileo welcome on her pale face which
went straight to Jennys kind heart.
Heres a sight for sore eyes" said
James triumphantly. 'NOw, Fanny,
we shall have everything going on well.
| Shall | order anything for you? | must
be going down town now. [ leave you
in good hands, to-day" and James walk
ed off. looking brighter than he had done
since Fanny's illness.
Jenny took off her things and got her
self into q cool white morning dress as
quickly as possible, and began to make
Fanny more comfortable by setting her
room to rights, while Fanny looked on,
well pleased at her dcXtrOus way Of do
ing things, each quick, decided move
ment working wonders, and all without
noise. so different from Bridget's sham
bling way of running backwards and
forwards and getting nothing done. Be
tween James and Bridget the room was
in deplorable confusion, the dressing
table strewn with bottles, glasses and
spoons, and the contents OF FannyS
Jewel case scattered over several chairs,
where they had been left by little Jamie
that morning, when he had had them to
play with to appease his fearful bowls
after a fall Poor little fellow he was
only year and a half old, and sadly
missed his mothers care, while blue-eyCd
baby Lily reigned supreme in the nur-
serY, and usurped his share of AIMS
services.
''Mv dear. if you hadn't come to the
rescue, all my things would have been
destroyed" said Fanny. The other
day Bridget made mustard plaster in
one of my best embroidered pocket
handkerchiefs, and when | found it out
she said, 'Shure the doctor tOuld me to
put it in fine muslin. This room needs
sweeping dreadfully, but I couldn't bear
to have it done this morning, for she
makes such a clatter whenever she
moves that | only long to get her out of
the way. And, Jenny, won't you brush
my hair for me? Bridget makes my
head ache so, and won't You see that the
children are properly dressed when they
wake up, and do go into the kitchen and
see what sort of dinner cook has got
up for James and George" George
Leroy was Fanny's brother and James
partner, and lived with them;) "And
oh Jenny, the doctor said was to have
beef tea once in two hours, but | can't