The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-12-28
though l am sure Joe Paulby did not.
That rugged boy never looked so hot


church | am always reminded of the
appearance of restless decorum pre-
sented by Christy minstrel Bones
during the singing of plaintive bal
lad. Joe occupied himself during the |
service in laying the foundations of a
series of pains and penalties which |
usually lasted well into Thursday, for !
Nurse Stark had quick eye for mis- |
demeanors, and every crime had its |
punishment. Poor little |
MIN was too delicate to 60 to church,
and used to sit at home in theological
conference with Jane Cotter, whose
picturesque and highly dramatic ideas
OF future rewards and punishments
had a special interest for the poor lit
tie lady.
For MIN had keen told that even
children die sometimes, and both nurse
Stark and Jane had long catalogue OF
stories in which good little people were
cut off in their earliest years, and bad
little people lived on to an evil old age.
Min was often weak and ailing. and at
such times the recollection Of these
stories came upon her. Nurse Stark s
grim hard manner relaxed when she
was speaking to the little sick child,
and her kindness to MIN, gaunt and
grudging as it was, seemed to increase
with the trouble the child gave her
a never ceasing source OF wonderment
to Joe and myself, who were only in
favor when we ceased to occupy nurse
Stark's attention. Nurse Stark had a
brother, boy of IL or Whereabouts,
Though we believed him to be eight
and twenty at least), who was a page
at doctors in Charlotte street and
nurse Stark, as a great treat, used to
allow this young gentleman to spend
the afternoon with us, and entertain
us with his varied social powers.
Gaspar-for that was his unfortunate
name--was talented boy, with taste
for acrobatic conjuring, killing flies
and putting lop-worms down Minis
back; but Notwithstanding these pow
erful recommendations, we looked
coldly upon him, and, on the whole,
we discouraged his visits. He had a
way of challenging Joe and me to fight
him with one OF his hands tied behind
his back, by way of handicap which
was not what you look for in a visitor,
and, moreover compromised our char
acter tor valor in Minis eyes. On the
whole he was not popular with us, and
evidently he was prescribed by nurse
Stark herself, on charge Of filling the
nursery candle with gunpowder which
exploded and burned poor little Min
eyebrows and eyelashes. Casper
eventually got into trouble about some
original draughts of his own compost
ton, which he supplied to his master s
patients as healing waters, made up IN
accordance with that gentleman pre-
scriptions and spent several years IN
reformatory.
| have dismal impression of the
wretched afternoon that Min and Joe
and used to spend together IN our
great bare play-room. We were locked
Ia by Nurse Stark at about every at.
ternoon, and not released until 7,when
we had supper and as the shadows
deepened and the fire got lower and
lower. we crowded together in a cor
ner for warmth, and told each other
strange stories about princes and
noblemen who were tortured by cruel
and vlndlctive page-boys, with an oc-
casional touch from Joe Paulhy upon
caverns, demons, vampires. and other
ghostly matters, until poor little Min
screamed aloud with terror.
She was a pretty, fragile, sweet
tempered, clinging little soul, far too
| delicate for the coarse, inconslderate
treatment to which she was subjected,
in common with ourselves. So at last
che became seriously i'll, and we no.
ticed that the poor child grew thinner
and paler in her cot, day after day.
day after day. She was very cheer
full, although so weak, and when the
tall, grave, kind doctor came-day
after day, at first, and then toward the
last for she diedl two or three times
a day-she would say, in reply to his
question, And how is our little
Etchel = that she was much better
and hoped in day or two to be qnite
well again. After time she was re
moved to another room. which was al
ways darkened, and to which we were
seldom admitted. and Only one at {
time. An odd change seemed to come
over us all.
Nurse Stark was quite kind now. anC
used to read to her (but now abou
good children who lived and were yer,
happy, and tell stories and make bee
tea Tor her, and turn the cold side o
the pillow to her poor little fevereS
head. And the oldest part OF tn
thing was that nurse Stark was kind Il
us too. and used TO come of her Owl
accord TO tell us how MIN was, tSh
was always little better, and OF tn
messages she had sent to us. and how
she seemed TO take new interest Il
the toy she had once discarded. An
then she would take Us to the sic
room. one at time. and we were al
!, lowed TO speak to her but afterwar'
only to sit on the edge OF the bed Il
was such a big bed now. and hold he
i. little dry hand. Joe Paulby woul
, come back crying 1T was a strang
{ thing TO see him cry an. ii touched m
: as it touches me now 10 see big ma
< in tearsl. and he would spend his halt
| pence-they were rare enough. poo
]. fellow-in picture books for our poo
5 little dying wife. But time cam