Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-13

II was not with equanimity that Emma
viewed these successes of Rosamonds. "I
WONDER" she would bemoan herself, "why
every body loves Rosamond and nobody
loves mep
"My dear" exclaimed doesn't Rosa
mond love your doesn't your cousin Maui
rice? don't ?"
'Oh, dare say Emma moaned again;
"but want TO be the very first to some
body. You love Cousin Maurice better
than me, and he loves you better than me,
and Rosamond is all ready TO love any
body better than me. Oh, bother that sort
of lovop cried Emma, between laughing
and crying. at would be so delightful"
said the poor little simpleton, "to be loved
the way people are when they are engng-
edp
While Emma held forth in this way, Dr.
Randolph was looking down Rosamond's
throat with the handle ofa spoon-the only
thing that ever kept down that littio tongue
of hers, l thought. The doctor, who had
just taken our family physicians place
Partisan education, talent, and every sort
of recommendation pronounced Rosa
mond's illness not serious, but ordered
confinement to her room, and came twice
day for some thine, and then he came
once day. And began 10 bethink my
self, as l saw the long calls young DIR. Ran
delphi made, and heard the conversations,
turning on any thing but symptoms, and
| looked at Rosamond, with her returning
color, her smiles and dimples, her blue
wrapper, and all the dainty appliances OF a
Gipl nj hat
her; and / observed that this seclusion
kept other lovers off, And perhaps the lat
ter clause struck Rosamond's perception
also, for one day, while the doctor still con-
tnucd his visits, aud without having re-
ceived any permission from him, she de-
scended to the pnrlors, and there, when he
camein, he found her, with young M'Creery
turning her music on one side, and young
Waterman listening on the other.
"Whatw cried DR.. Randolph-"in this
d-~-Pht A-d yss ..Vt auenpting to
singw
"Sing" she said, turning or him, as the
only thing TO do don't believe 1 ever
shall sing again. Your wicked diphtherias
and potashes and things have ruined my
voice r. And she was so charming as she
sat there on the piano STOOL with her high
color and her poutlng lip, that didn't
wonder the doctor seized both her hands in
his. He pretended he was only feeling the
pulse.
"What is this?" said he. ~ beg your
| pardon Miss Rosamond you must bid
these young gentlemen good morning, and
| go to your room directly, unless you want
a relapse, which will be worse than tho
| original illness !" and he half lined her by
her hands, and led her TO the foot of the
stairs, she hanging back like naughty
child, and looking unutterable things at
the two lovers, who were looking unutter-
able things at her, and still moro unuuera-
be things al this independent yourg doc
tor who had them at such disadvantage.
But DIR. Randolph had his way, and he
| staid long hour TO make sure of keeping
! II and by that time Rosamond. thanks TO
| her contumacy, could speak only in whs-
per, and was growing more and more Ian
guild; and he gave her some drops worse
| than any thing she had taken yet, bofore
he wentaway.
We had 10 send for DIR. Randolph again
at night-lall, and he had hard work that
evening 10 keep the breath in her; but we
| pulled through. The next morning she was
safe, but weak, and he gave her d.ops,
and sat talking about the new things in the
origin of diseases, and impeTsoIating the
| little imps that caused them, so that she
had no idea how time was passing till he
handed her the drops again. Now" said
he, rising, "you are 10 go on taking the
drops every hour till come again. Your
imprudence has nearly cost you your life.
Are you not ashamed, by your willfulness,
to have kept me all this time from poor
Mrs. Prout, who need me?"
"You needn't talk to me so" whispered
Rosamond, inextingushably. "Tve no
doubt she's better off without you, fright
ening her TO death. Yes, you are frighten-
ing me to death! !" she cried, hoarsely, at
his exclamation OF regret. "And it's just
as well TO die by the sword as the famine.
And l believe you doctors carry round
diphtheria and things in your pockets /;
and, oh, do you know, l think my throat
is burning upr And then the doctor had
TO get out his vial-case again, and stay
another hour. But the ruling spirit was
strong in Rosamond still. "The Chinese
way is great deal better than ours" she
croaked, as he bent over her to hear, while
l rinsed medicine cup at the sink "when
you're sick they stop the doctors pay"
perhaps" said he, in low tone, with a
flush mounting TO his forehead, ~ shall
ask for different sort of pay |"
When DIR. Randolph came in again he
was quite ccol and quick and professional,
and was off TO see Mrs. Prout very soon. On
his way he met young Waterman and
M'Creery, aud he told them they had near
ly been guilty of murder aud so scared
them that they did not come near us for
half year.
1t was some days before Rosamond had
voice enough for more than dozen words;
and it was sad cross, for without her
sauciness she was without her best friend,
and all her shrugs and pouts and smiles
and dimples would not answer half her re-
quirements. But as soon as her voice re
turned, and she began to feel little more
life, she was restive with the upstairs cap
tlvity. 1t was rather lonesome, for Emma
was so afraid of the diphtheria she kept out
of the way, and after Rosamond had quite
recovered, and tried out of puro mischief
10 kiss her, she screamed and ran from the
: room. "It's abominable in DIR. Randolph
to shut me up So" Rosamond said. "Cous'
in jane" said the surprising little crea.
turc, "he's just doing 1t to keep me out oI
, the way of other people. For, do you know
believe the mans in love with mel r.
, "Rosamond, l am ashamed of you p
said.
"No, you're not" said she. "You'd
, have cried your eyes out-you know you
5 would-ifI had died, and you wouldn't