The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-02-15

have stood out IN such gaunt and deso-
late contrast to the other days of the
week. There reigned in our nursery an
unaccountable fiction that Sunday was
holiday, and in Difference to this tradi-
ton we endeavored to cheat ourselves
into belief that we were glad when that
day arrived. Sunday began at very
early hour in Bloomsbury. 1t began to
ring itself in at half past sean, when we
got up, and continued to ring itself
through the day at short intervals, until
1t finally rang itself out, and us into
bed, at half past eight in. the evening.
There were drawbacks, however, to our
enjoyment of the day. think we were
required to tackle more collect than is
good for child of six or seven, and per-
haps we did not quite understand the
bearing of that shorter catechism which
bench of thoughtful bishops has pre-
pared for the express use of very young
children. Even Nurse Stark, high au-
thority on all points of church contro-
versy, never succeeded in placing its
meaning quite beyond all question. But
Nurse Stark had special Sunday frame
of mind which discouraged close ques-
tioning, and on that day of the week she
Ndo SlOll tllNt Ill ilcI
replies. She baffied our interrogatories
by pointing out to us that there was
nothing 50 unbecoming as a tendency to
ask questions, which seemed to us a
little inconsistent when we considered
the inquisitive character of her share in
the catechism.
| believe L liked going to church,
though L am sure Joe Paulby did not.
That rugged boy never looked SO hot or
SO rumpled rs he did during divine SER
vice. AS 1 look back upon Joe in
church am always reminded of the ap-
pearance Of restless decorum presented
by q minstrel bones" during the sing
ing of plaintive ballad. Joe occupied
himself during the service in laying the
foundations of series of pains and pen
alties which usually lasted well into
Thursday, for Nurse Stark had quick
eye for misdemeanors, and every crime
had its apportioned punishment. Poor
little Min was too delicate to go to
church, and used to sit at home in theo-
logical conference with Jane Cotter,
whose picturesque and highly dramatic
idea of future rewards and punishments
had special interest for the poor little
lady.
For Min had been told that even
children die sometimes, and both Nurse
! Stark and Jane had n long catalogue Of
stories i'll 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
cl,
was speaking to the little sick child = and
her kindness to Min, gannt and grudg-
ing as it was, seemed to increase with the
trouble the child gave her--a never
ceasing source of wonderment to Joe a. d
myself, who were only in favor when we
ceased to occupy Nurse Starks atten-
ton. Nurse Stark had brother, boy
of twelve or thereabouts Though we be-
/ lieved him to be eight and twenty al
/ least. who was Il page at doctors III
Charlotte street; and Nurse Stark, as q
great treat, used to allow this yo ung gen.
! tlcman TO spend the afternoon with us,
and entertain lis with his varied social
powers. Gaspar-for that was his un.
! fortunate name-was aTt.alented boy,
with taste for acrohatic coniuring,
killing flies and putting lobworms down
| Minis back; but, Notwithstanding these
! powerful recommendations, we looked
/ coldly upon him, and, On the whole dis
| couraSed his visits. He had way oi
challenging Joe and me to fight him with
/ ore of his hands tied behind his back,
/ by way of Il handicap, which was not
what you look for in q visitor, and
moreover, compromised our reputation
! for valor in MINIS eyes. On the whole
! he was not popular with us, and eventu
ally he was prescribed by Nurse Starl
herself, on charge of filling the nur
sery candle with gunpowder, which ex
| ploded and burned poor little Minis eye
brows aud eyelashes. Gaspar eventually
got into trouble about some origina
draughts Of his own composition, whicl
( he supplied to his masters patients a.
/ healing waters made up in accordance
with that gentlemans prescriptions, ant
spent several years i'll a reformatory.
| have q dismal impression of thu
wretched afternoons that Min and Jo,
and / used to spend together in our grea
bare play-room. We We're locked in b,
! Nurse Stark at about five every after
noon, and not released until about seven
when we had supper and as the shad
ows deepened and the fire got lower ant
/ lower, We crowded together in a corne
for warmth, and told each other strang
stories about princes and noblemen VIII
were tortured by cruel and vindictiv
page boys, with an occasional touch from
Joe Paulby upon caverns, demons, vam
| pires, and other ghostly matters, unit
poor little MIN screamed aloud will
! terror.
/ She was a pretty, fragile, sweet TEN
pered clinging little soul, far too delicat
for the coarse, inconsiderate treatment t.
which she was subjected, in common
with ourselves. So at last she becam
seriously i'll, and we noticed that the poo
little child grew thinner and paler in he
cot, day after day, day after day. Sh
was very cheerful, although so weak
and when the tall, grave, kind docto
came-day after day at first, and then to
ward the last Gor she died) two or thre
times day-she would say, in reply t
his question: "And how is our littl
Ethel?" that she was much better, an
/ hoped in day or two to be quite we
again. After time she was removed t
another room, which was always darker
ed, and towhich we were seldom admitted
and only one nj time. An odd chang
seemed to come over rs all. Nurse Star
was quite kind now, and used to read
\ her (but now about good little childre
Who lived and we're very happy, and te
stories, and make beef tea for her, an
/ turn the cold side of the pillow to ne
poor little fevered head. And the odde'
pert of the thing was that Nurse Stal