Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-04-19
KATE'S PRINCE.
Cassel's.

lnere, now, you re banging that doc
again, Miss Jenny; | declare to good
ness you children would worry the pa
tience out of a saint
oh, never mind, Sally" | said, pant
ing, after race to get into the house
first-a race | had won, for Til and Cis
sy were yards behind
Never mind indeed!.' cried Sally
and there's your fine cousin down to
day from London. | wonder what she
will say when she sees you racing about
the meadow like so many wild colts, anc
your arms all brown and scratched, anC
the hooks off your dress | never see
such children, never"
But you like us, Sally" | said, get
ting hold Of her rough, fat. red arm. and
laying my cheek against it.
Il don't, | declare | don't she cried
impetuously; and to show her dislike
she threw her arms round me, and
squeezed my nose nearly fat against the
piece Of hard wood she used to wear in.
side her dress.
Sally was our house-maid, parlor-maid
and nurse-maid all in one; and it used
to seem to me that she spent all her
leisure time in quarreling with the cook
and snubbing us; but for all that one of
my principal recollections during the
fever | had so long, was waking at all
times to see Sallys red face watching
by my bedside, and | knew she did all
cooks work for six weeks as well as her
own, when poor cook had such Il sad ac-
cident and cut her hand.
We three-Lil Cissy and had a
long discussion about Cousin Kate and
her visit, and we felt what dreadful lit
tie ragamuffins we should seem to her,
for | am afraid we had been running
wild, though papa only used to laugh at
it, and would come into the school room
when mamma was busy with us over our
lessons, whenever it was fine morning.
and cry: Now then, girls, the sun
shines and the birds are calling. Out
with you. Learn lessons when it rains. .
| knew afterwards why this was. Pa
pa has a horrible nervous dread .of our
growing up weak, and sickly for his was
a delicate family, and | had heard that
our cousins were often very ill.,
" can guess why Cousin kate's com
liz W HidN Will us Sdlt IN.
Il know why shes coming, said.
1t $ because she's Ill, shouted Lii
for fear | should show MY knowledge
first.
Sally will take her new. warm milk
with an egg in it before she gets out Of
bed in the morning said Cissy, solemn
ly: that will soon make her well.
She shall have all the eggs SpeckIe
lays, said Lii, and Jenny will take
her every morning to the old garden
seat under the trees. She's sure to get
well there.
And so we did, for Cousin Kate came
that afternoon-a tall, pale girl, with a
sad. weary look in her face. as she gazed
wistfully from one to the other.
We three girls stood back quite in
awe Of the well-dresscd. 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. affectionate way,
saying: My dear child. we are so clad
to see you.
Cousin Kate threw her arms round
neck and burst into fit of
sobbing. hiding her face from our sight.
We did not see any more of Cousin
Kate that day but our young interest
was deeply excited. and somehow. per-
haps fostered by dark hints dropped by
Sally, who was a bEghtcd flower. having
been crossed in love affair with the
horse keeper of a ncighboring farm. we
girls got to thinking of our cousin i'll
ness 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 very next day. when we took
possession of her. and led her round our
lear old country home, with its wilder
ness of an orchard great garden shrub
oeries and pleasant meadow.
Her coming seemed to mark an epoch
II our young lives. for, seeing how weak
md 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 rush off most
willing messengers to forestall any little
wants she expressed.
This came natural to us: but Oh my
part it was increased by IA few words
which | heard pass between papa and
mamma mamma saying that she did not
.hink that poor Kate would ever grow
strong again, but slowly wither away
| gave a great gulp as | heard these
words. and then burst out sobbing yio-
emily.
You here, jenny" said mamma
We'll. my dear. as you have heard
what we said, it must be your secret
90. Never let your poor cousin know
what we think. and never behave to her
Is if you thought she could not recover"
" | promised readily. and at fourteen
he possession OF that secret seemed
o make me more womanly than my
sisters, Us ! rcdoublcd my tenderness
o the suffering girl.
The invalid was nineteen "a great age
II my estimation-an | used to look up
o her with yeneration. gazing in her
soft. sweet face and wistful eyes. Won
!crin9 why she was 50 i'll, and what was
he great sorrow that had come upon
Ter like a blight upon one of the roses
'ound our porch.
Cousin Kate came to Us in the spring
md the months flew by till it was the
height Of summer; and many and many
, night had | turned my face to the
vail, 50 that Lii should not know, and
,ried silently till my pillow was wet
For knew 50 well that Kate was weak
II than when she came; walk across
he lawn to the old garden-seat III the
shade being as much now as she could
Dear.
Cousin Kate" said one day when
We were alone, Lii and Cissy having
'ushed off to get some flowers, ''couldn
my doctor make you well?'
She looked at me with a wild, strange
,azc which almost startled me, before
she replied, and then in way which
made my heart beat she sobbed out:
Only one-only one! and then as if
o herself, in a low whisper, she added,
and before he can come shall be dead
dead"
She did not know that heard her last
words, and | sat chilled and frightened,
gazing at her till my sisters came back.
when, as we frequently did, we sat down
lbout her; Lii got upon the seat, Cissy
sat upon the grass with her head against
me Of Kate's hands. which hung list
essl y from the corner where she leaned
md | threw myself on the grass at her
'eet, so as to look up in her gentle face,
which had now become calm with it's
I'D, weary look.
s.T.,,.,, Il - II | Il .'+,11