Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-19
KATE's PRINCE.

KATE'S PRINCE.
sThere, now, you're banging that door
again, Miss Jennie. declare to goodness
you children would worry the patience out
Of saint.''
"Oh, never mind, Saily,'' said, painting
after race to get into the house first
race had won, for Lii and Cissy were
yards behind.
S'NeveEmind, indeed!'' cried Sally, ''and
there's your fine cousin coming down to-
day from London. l wonder what she will
say when she sees you racing about the
meadow like SO many wild colts, and your
arms all brown and scratched, and the
hooks off your dress. never did see such
children
''But you like us, Sally" I said, gettin g
hold Of her rough, fat, red arm, and laying
my cheek against it.
81 don tt declare don't, she cried
impetuously; and to show her dislike she
threw her arms around me and squeezed
my nose nearly flat against the piece of
hard wood she used to wear inside 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 I
had so long, was waking at all times to see
Sally's red face waite hing by my bedside;
and ] know she did all cooks work for six
weeks as we'll as her own, when cook had
such an accident and cut her hand.
We three-Lil, Cissy, and had long
discussion about cousin Kate and her WIS.,
it; and we all felt what dreadful little rag
amuffins we should seem to her, for I'm
afraid we had been running wild, though
papa only used to laugh about 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.''
1 knew afterwards why this was. Papa
had terrible nervous dread Of our grow
ing up weak and sickly, for his was deli
cate family; and 1 had heard that our
cousins were often very i'll.
81 can guess why cousin Kate's coming
to stay with u.s. said Lii.
81 knoao why she's coming,'' I said.
cts because she's 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 Speckle
lays" said Lii, land Jennie 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 tall, pale girl, with sad,
weary look in her face, as she gazed visit
fully from one to the other.
We three girls stood back, quite in awe
Of the well-dressed, misunderstanding
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 and affectionate way, saying: sMy
dear child, we are glad to see YOU"
Cousin Kate threw her arms round mann
mas 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, perhaps, fostered by dark
hints dropped by Sally, who was blighted
flower, having been crossed in love affairs
with the house-keeper at the neighboring
farm, we girls got to think of our Cousins
illness as kind of mystery, connected in
some way, how we didn't know, with the
heart.
Our awe of the sweet, gentle cousin fell
off the very pext day, when we took pos
session of her, and led her round our dear
old country home with it's wilderness Of an
orchard, great garden shrubberies, and
pleasant meadow
Her,coming seemed to have marked a new
epoch in our young lives; for, seeing how
weak and delicate she was, we used to vie
one with each other in being quiet and gen
tie, waiting upon her in the most unne ces-
sary way, like slaves, and always ready to
rush off most willing messengers to fore
stall any little wants she expressed.
This came natural to us; but on my part
it was increased by few words which l
had 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 great gulp
as I heard these words, and then burst out
sobbing violently.
"You here, Jennie ~ said mamma
''Well, my dear, as you have heard what
we said, it must be your secret, too. New
er let your poor cousin know what we
think. and never behave to her as. it you
thought she could never recover"
Ipromised readily, and at fourteen the
possession of that secret seemed to make
me more womanly than my sisters, as ! re-