The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-07
Kate's Prince-A Love Story.

VIC llItG-1llY OlOSJ anu q lObB
discussion about cousin Kate, who was
coming on visit to us from the city and
we all felt what dreadful little ragmufflns
we should seem to her, for am afraid we
had been running wild though papa only
used to laugh about it, and would come in
to the school room when mamma was busy
with US over our lessons, whenever 1t was
fine morning, aud cry snow, then, girls,
the sun shines and the birds or calling. Out
with you Learn lessons when it rains"
/ knew afterwards why this was. Papa
had horrible nervous dread of our grow
ing up weak and sickly, for his was deli
cate family; and had beard that our cous-
ms were often very i'll.
81 can guess why cousin Kate is coming
to stay with US" said Lii.
81 know why she's coming" | said.
"It's because shes ILL.," shouted Lii, for
fear / should show my knowledge first.
"Sally will take her up new warm milk
and an egg in it before she gets out Of bed
in the morning." said Cissy, solemnly (;
''that will soon make her we'll"
"She shall have all the eggs old Speckle
laye," said Lii, "ard Jennie will take her
every morning to the old garden seat nnder
the trees. She is sure to get well there
And so we did, for cousin Kate came that
Afternoons tall, pale girl, with a sad,
weary look in her face, as she gaZed visit
fully from one to the other.
We three young girls stood back quite
in awe of the well dressed, fashionable look
ing body, who WAS so different from what
we had expected, while mamma went up 10
welcomesher, and took her in her arms in a
tender affectionate way, saying, MY dear
child, we are glad to welcome you"
har nd
mammals neck and burst into fit of Sob
biDg, hiding her face out or sight. We did
not see any more of Cousin Kate that day,
but our young interest was deeply excited,
and somehow, perhaps fostered by dark
hints dropped by Sally, who was bligbted
flower, having been crossed in love affair
with the horsekeeper of neighborng farm
we girls got to think of our cousins illness
as a kind of mystery connected in some
way, how we did not know, with the heart.
Our awe of the sweet, gentle cousin fell
off the very next day, when we took pos
session of her, and led her around our dear
old country home, with it's wilderness of
an orchard, great garden strawberries and
pleasant meadow.
Her coming seemed to mark an epoch in
our young lives, for seeing how weak and
delicate she was, we used to vie one with
the other in being quiet and gentle, waited
upon her in the most unnecessary way,
like slaves, aid always ready to rush off,
most willing messengers, to torestall any
little want she expressed.
This came natural to US but on my part
it was increased by few words which /
heard pass between papa and mamma,
mamma saying that she did not think poor
Kate would ever grow strong again, but
slowly wither away. l gave great gulp
as heard those words, and then burst out
sobbing violently.
"YOu here Jennie, said mamma. swell,
my dear, as you have heard what we said,
it must be your secret too. Never let your
poor consin know what we think, and never
behave to her as if you thought she could
not recover"
| promised readily, and at fourteen the
possession of that secret seemed to make
me more womanly than my sisters, as l re-
doubled my tenderness to the suffering
girl.
The invalid was nineteen-a great age in
our estimatlon-and l tried to look up to
her with veneration, gazing at her soft,
sweet face and wistful eyes, wondering
why che was SO i'll, and what was the great
sorrow that had come upon her like a
upOh WV VI thS iOpSo iOuhu Jul
porch.
Cousin Kate came to us in. the spring,
and the months flew by TIL it was the
height of summer and many 0nd many 9
night had turned my face to the wall, sc
| that Lii should not know, and cried till
my pillew was wet. For / knew so well
| that Kate was weaker, much weaker than
| when she came, a walk across the lawn to
the old garden seat in the shade being as
much now as she could bear.
"Cousin Kate" | said, one day wher
we were alone, Lii and Cissy having rushed
| off to get some flowers, couldn't any doc
tor make you well 7"
| She looked at me with q wild, strange
gaze which almost startled me, before sh(
replied, and then in way that made my
heart beat she sobbed out
| "Only one-one !" and then as If to her
self, in low whisper, she added sane
before he can come l shall be dead-dead.
She did not know heard her last words
and | sat chilled and frightened, gazing a
her till my sisters came back, when, as W,
frequently did, VIC sat down about her
Lii got upon the seat, Cissy sat on the gras
with her head against one of Hates hands
which hung listlessly from the corner wher,
she leaned, and threw myself on the gras
at her feet, so as to look up in her gentl'
face, which had now become calm with il
old weary look.
"Cousin Kate" said Lii, "tell us anothe
story"
mo, no." said l, "dont ask she isn't 81
well to-day"
"Yea," she said quietly, raising her heat
aud looking at me, Il am better to-day.
"Tell us one, them" cried Cissy, eagerly
zone you've never told us before"
There was silence then for few minutes
and as gazed up into Kates face saw he
eyes close and sort of spasm twitch be
lips but the next minute she was quit
calm, and then with the leaves whispering
round us, and the twittering of the bird
coming now and again from the dis
lance, she said in low, sweet, musica
voice
"Once upon time in the days of lonl
ago, when people were very, very happ.
on this earth, there lived prince who wa
young and handsome and true. Nearly
every one loved him, be was 80 manly, an
yet SO gentle" "And no loved beautiful
princess" put in Cissy.
saw the spasm cross Cousin Hates fac
again, but II was calm directly after, an,
she went on.
"No, dear she said, she did not love
beautiful price So, but poor, simple girl
who loved hun with all her heart, and the