Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-07-13

milk and an egg in It before she gets out
of bed in the morning." said Cissy, sol.
emnly; that will soon make her we'll.
"She shall have all the eggs Speckle
lays" said Lii, "aEd Jenny will take her
every morning to the old garden seat un.
der the trees. She's sure to get well
there"
Cousin Kate came that afternoon-s
tall, pale girl with a sad, weary look in
her face, as she gazed wistfully from ono
to the other.
We three girls stood back quite in awe
of the well.dressed, fashionable looking
body, who was so different from what
we had expected, while mamma went up
to welcome her, and took her in her arms
in tender, aflectionate way, saying;
my dear child, we are so glad TO see
you"
Cousin Kate threw her arms around
mammals neck and burst into fit of
sobbing, hiding her face from our sight.
We did not sec 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 blighted flower, having been
CTOSbCu III u lVNO huull WlNn NhS hOioO-
keeper at q neighbUring farmi-we girls
got to think of our cousins Illness as
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 next day, when we took pos.
session of her and led her round our
dear old country home, with its wilder
ness of an orchard, great garden shrub
berries 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,
waiting upon her in the most unneces-
sary way, like slaves, and always ready
to rush off, most willing messengers, to
forestall any little wants 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. gave a
great gulp as | heard those words and
then burst out sobbing violently.
"You here, Jennyr said mamma.
" We'll, my dear, as you have heard what
we said, 1t must be your secret, too.
Never let your poor cousin know what
we think, and never behave to her ms If
you thought she could not recover"
promised readily, and at fourteen the
possession of that secret seemed to make
inc more womanly than my sisters, as
rcdoubled my tenderness to the suffering
girl.
The invalid was nineteen-a great age
in our estimation-and l used to look up
to her with veneration, gazing in her
soft, sweet face and Wistful eyes, won
dering why she was so i'll, and what was
the great sorrow that had come upon her
like blight upon one of the roses round
our porch.
Cousin Kate came to us in the spring,
and the mouths flew by till it was the
height of summer; and many and many a
night had l turned my face to the wall,
so that Lii should not know, and cried
silently till my pillow was wet. For l
knew so well that Kate was weaker,
much weaker than when she came; q
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, when
we were alone, Lii and Cissy having
rushed off to get some flowers, couldn't
any doctor make you well?"
She looked at me with wild, strange
gaze which almost startled me before she
replied, and then, in a way that made my
heart beat, she sobbed out:
"Only one--only one" and then, as if
to herself in low whisper, she added:
&" and before he can come shall be dead
She did not know had heard her last
words, and l sat, chilled and frightened,
gazing at her till my sisters came back,
when, as we frequently did, we sat
down about her; Lii got upon the seat,
Cissy sat on the grass with her head
against one of Kate's hands, which hung
listlessly from the corner where she
leaned, and threw myself ON the grass
at her feet, so as to look up in her gen.
tie face, which had now become calm,
with its old weary look.
cousin Kate" said Lii, "tell us an
other story"
No, no." said, "don't ask; she isn't
so well to-day"
"Ycs," she said, quietly, raising her
head and looking at me, " am better to-
day"
"Tell US one, them" cried Cissy, ca
gcrly-" one you've never tod us before" ."
There was silence there for a few min
utes, and as / gazed up in Kate's face l
saw her eyes close and sort of spasm
twitch her lips; but the next minute she
was quite calm, and then, with the leaves
whispering round us'and the twittering
of the birds coming now and again from
the distance, she said in low, sweet,
musical voice:
"Once upon time in the days of long
ago, when people were very, very happy
on this earth, there lived a prince who
was young and handsome and true.
Nearly every one loved him, he was so
manly and yet so gentle"
"And he loved beautiful princess, )"
put IN Cissy.
/ saw the spasm cross Cousin Kate's
face again, but it was calm directly, and
she went on:
"No, dear" she said, "he did not love
a beautiful princess, but poor, simple
girl who loved him, too, with all her heart,
and they were so, so happy. When the
flowers blossomed they seemed to blossom
only for them, and the birds sang their
sweetest songs for them in the sunshine. F"
eyes, and they were married, and
lived happy ever after" cried Cissy. "Go
on"
There was once more that piteous look
upon Cousin Kate's face, seen only by
me; but it passed off, and she went on;
"No, Cissy, they were not, for the
poor, handsome, young prince had enc
mies-cruel, bitter enemies--who SLAM
dered him, and said that he had made
false keys and opened the treasure-chest
of great man and stole aw ay his gold
and precious stones"
ooh" whispered Cissy, now deeply
interested.
and" continued Kate, they took
the poor prince, and there was great
trial, and, though he declared he was in.
nocent, the wicked people who slandered
him and bore false witness against him
prevailed; and the great judge said that