The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-18
GrapdGather's Baqk.

11er6 were lour Ol U.s. DUN, w yHldh
and fat little Bunnie, besides me. We all
lived in grandfather's house. 1t had been
a grand place in its day, and the boys and
girls of long ago used to walk out in the
Summer twilight to admire the great
wooden pineapple and its green leaves
carved and colorod over 1he front-door.
In our day it was an old-fashioned house
in shady city street. Mother died when
Bunnie was but baby, so grandfather
took us to live with him. The stage
brought us, under the charge of Mrs
Stocking, and we, scared and wondering,
stood in a row before him. He said:
"Well, well, children! Nurse, take
them in to get some supper!" Then he
rubbed his hands and went out into the
garden to potter about some plants.
While we were eating at small table
in the middle of an immense dining-room,
he came and stood in the doorway.
"Rebecca is the eldest" said he, refer
ring to paper in his hand. "Fifteen!
Want your nurse yet?"
Beckie's eyes filled with tears.
"Tut! tut" exclaimed grandfather;
"don't cry, I can't bear crying"
"sir." began Beckie, resolutely, 81 can
do whatever you think best; but I'm afraid
| do not know enough to take care Of
Bunnie all alone"
"Then nurse must stay till you do know
enough. Learn as fast as you can't
He then made some agreement with
Mrs. Stocking about wages, and our dear
"Sockie," as we called her after Bunnies
perversion, staid year.
There was the great house, nothing
changed for more than half century. A
wide, shady garden ran down to another
street. We had free range without and
within-always excepting grandfather's
rooms
On rainy days, or when we felt particu
larly full of fun, we used to go to the
garret. where our racketing could disturb
nobody; and in that great cobwebby space
we had royal times, till we needed othe
things than play. Here we acted plays
attiring ourselves in the antiquities WI
found there.
Wye and l wrote thrilling drama o
the war, in which he represented a Uniol
officer taken prisoner, and Beck the lovel,
Virginian who set him free. Bunnie wa
a sentinel, l spy. There were scene
with soldiers in which we four appear
ed, and hospital sketches in which Dol
sters laid out made capital sick soldiers
and Wye was a surgeon to cut off arms.
We all felt out of sorts when Becki
grew too old for this entertainment an
used to walk alone in the garden, like
imprisoned princess. We inherited fror
our mother an income of one hundre
, dollars; this was punctually paid to Bee
by grandfather, in quarterly installment'
to be spent for the four. What life W
} led her! How we insisted she should bu
accordions, pistols, dolls, work-bo1es-
forgetful of ragged hats and toes stickin
through our shoes!
r All this time the great civil war WI
r raging, and grandfather, who hated wa
J and thought everybody wrong. and every
: thing going to perdition, talked nothin
= but politics to his neighbors and to l
when we were still enough to listen.
= He particularly hated the paper Gu
rency, and Bunnie once came in glee wit
q a dirty fifty-cent note fisherman hs
;, given grandfather in change. 1t hs
l. fallen to the ground, and he, being irl
n n tated that morning, told Bunnie to tai
l. it away. He had never given us anythir
d before, and we sent Wye out to buy cho
l. olate-candy.
y When Beckie was eighteen, Wyman W
i in his last year of the High School, whe
s. Sockie had told us we ought to send hil
e For long time one hundred dollars h;
,e to be expended on this youth. We kne
r he must have an education, and wear d
,. cent clothes. We looked forward to /
is getting situation some time, and o
a having each new alpaca in consequent
s. He would grow so! One of our me
e. wretched experiences was when he insis
SO ed on having sage-green overcoat th
y, y, faded in streaks, and that he had to wei
re Bunnie's little clothes, even to his cal
Sc we contrived out of his brothers. He "
in i, independent.
Z. Beckie and I, for several years, exerc
ed in the shades Of evening. or. now q