The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-11-06
ACTING A PART.

20 bDu tJldCG, anu our Only ser
want, a slOw-paced creature working on
half wages, took her own time to answer
his summons. And no wonderl It was
one of the sultriest mornings in mid
summer, and everybody who is any
body had long been out of town. We
ourselves would have liked to be in the
country, too /; but, oh, what hard work
1t was to live anywhere on poor NAM
mas small income The effort kept us
continually in bad temper, and it was
by no means surprising that when the
letter brought by the aforesaid post
man was duly considered, we all fOated
into a stormy discussion respecting its
contents.
'YOu ought to be will ng to do most
anything" said my sister Henrietta,
to get away at all. Aunt Buckley's
invitation is only for mother and /, for
few weeks but why can't you write
and say yOu haven't been strong lately,
and the doctor urges a change of air r?
You'd be perfectly snre of an invitation
by return of mail. Then we could shut
mp the house, and 'twOUld be such a
savingi"
l sprang up at this keen proposition,
and, looking in the glass, beheld the
rounded, wOmanly form of a girl of
hazel ewes, soft, waving hair, and not
the first indication of feeble health.
1t won't succeed, Henrietta, said
j, gravely; "but, if it's necessary for
somebody 10 persOnate the invalid,
take the role yourself. and your affec,
tlonate little sister will go along to take
care of you"
Dora, your insOlence is just I'M
bearable, do say. Mamma, would il
do for me to persOnate the invalid 2"
said Henrietta, in a rage.
Decidedly not," replied mamma
"and yOu ought to know, Dora, that
when n young man seconds an invita-
tiOn TO a young lady so cordially as
Harry Buckley has this one, he feels
more than a cousinly interest merely.
l fancy Harry means-well, some
thing
ComPlacent, fat, ndy-haired, sandy
browed, and sandy-colored generally,
Henrietta sat before me and, as 1
looked at her graceless attitude, her in
expressive face, and physique in gen.
eral, my thoughts flew to Harry Buck
ley-taIl, brown-bearded, and aged
twenty-ssven. Henrietta was thirty
three if she was a day-but, feeling my
hot blood rising, left the room to
avoid further snarling.
How intensely / did hate the never
ending and petty deceits TO which man.
ma and Henrietta were always resorting
II order to keep mp appearances. Now, |
II had my own way, / should have |
concluded that merest thoughtless- |
ness, or fancy, perhaps, that l would |
not enjoy s'x weeks at a rambling old /
farm house, had caused my aunt to ex- |
clude me from the invitation sent to |
mamma and Henrietta. And l should |
have frankly written to my fathers dear |
AMI only sister, and said 1 should so
like to visit her at the same time with
my mother and sister. But to go by
any other than fair and open means was
absolutely distasteful in thOnght alone. |
Mamma and Henrietta, however, could |
not appreciate my feeling, and in the |
conversation from which I had broken |
away they chars ed me with abominable |
and m0nstrOus selfshness.
As I sat looking out of my window |
upon parched back yards, struggling |
foliage, and bleaching, blanching kitch- |
en- shutters in the rear of "home," I |
thought perhaps l was too considerate /; |
that even while my soul revolted from |
so many mean subterfuges and petit |
nassos, they were possibly inevitable, |
and | Ought to be resigned to my share.
Perhaps on this very occasion / ought
really to make a compromise, and do as
l was desired. l went at once to the
lOoklng-glass wet my brush, and took
the curl out of my hair as far as posi-
BILE: then putting on my last years
faded gray alpaca dress, I wrapped a
little shawl about my shoulders, and re-
tnrned TO mammals room to personate
the invalid.
"Henrietta,,' exclaimed I. opening
the door, here is my offering on the
altar of sisterlv affection"
els it possible ?" returned my ap.
preciative sister " for once unselfish
Well, if You'll only act your part cor
rectly for fortnight, the country air
will have worked sufficient good for
you to resume your usual appearance"
Something in the expression of my
face, actually hot with disgust and
shame, induced mamma to say, Dora,
dear, people in our circumstances have |
to do such things"
Which remark I interrupted rather |
indecOrously by saying, "Please tell |
me what's to be the matter-gout, con-
sumption, or softening of the brain? I |
positively object to being rheumatic, |
but suftening of the brain might ac- /
count for all my incons istencies.
Henrietta vas provoked again. but |
finally it was decided that l should have |
no disease, being merely " not at all |
strong" A week after we were at Char |
tersville station, and /, languidly lying |
back among the skawls and satchels of |
our luggage, waited while mamma and |
Henrietta attended to our transfer to |
aunt Buckley's residence. Some one
crossed the station-roOm floor, and 10 ! |
],
side.
"Why, Harry -
"Why, Dora - he exclaimed, excit-
edly; I've Just seen aunt Henrietta,
and thov tell ME You are i'll. You
don't look so, though"
" Bat 1 am-worse far than you
dream" 1 replied.
Well, we'll" said the good felloT,
sOftening down, eve must get YOU we'll |
again, # you really are sick; but I de-
clare, will sey / never saw YOU look |
ing better I'm off for a few davs, not
beng aware that you were coming to
Caavters vile, and-hello! there's my
train"
Harry was gone: and Henrietta, rush
ing in. exclaimed, "Dear me Dora
what N the world did you say TO Harry?''
Z" said all could made myself a
liar, and feel just as contemplate as
you might suppose
Dora Lsngdon - exclaimed my fret
ted sister, you're nothing but a sel-
fish thing, and you behave precisely as
/ supposed you would under the cir
cumstances. A broken reed you are to
trust to-" Henrietta raised her sa dy
eyebrows, with a martyred air, and
crept invalii-l Ike into aunt BuckIey's
carriage.
The grand old farm house, made of
cobbIe-stones, with old-fashioned ga
bles, peaks, aud windows, stood upon
sloping hillside at the entrance 10 q
lovely Berkshire valley. Handsome
barns, granaries, and picturesque gray
dairy with Swiss like caves, added to
the landscape, vhile exquisite walks,
flower lawns, and nestled strawberries
made the place most lovely. The ex-
cellent and hospitable relative to whom
we were indebted for our exceeding
comfort left nothing untried to secure