The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-06-12
MISS, PURCELL,S DIARY.

T.
l-Susan =. Wallace, in Atlantic.
-~--
MISS, PURCELI,S DIARY.
JANUARY S.-They say it is a piece of
egotism to write in diary, because
you can't help writing as if you ex-
pected somebody to see it. But if
write mine in Spanish, / can't be &C
cused of writing it for anybody to see.
l must have somebody to talk with, and
Miss Julia can be allowed to think it
my Spanish exercises. This is-let me
see--the how-manyeth l have begun?
Never mind; it's begun; and l hereby
solemnly record that the weather is
fine and the wind southerly, and if we
don't have the January thaw, it's be-
cause nothing could thaw in Mrs.
Whyte's presence. She, received me
when came as if she were the Grand
Duchess of Mangel-Wurzel, and she
looked at my little trunk as if it were a
servants bandbox, and presented me
to her Prince Mangel, otherwise her
brother-in-law, MIR. Gervais Whyte, as
if she begged pardon for reminding a
Whyte that such worms crawled the
earth. But she found this worm cup
on end" She was about presenting
me to some more of those about her,
when remarked, with my head at its
highest: "Pray, don't take the trouble
II am not accustomed to promiscuous
introductions. will 60 to Miss Julia
at once" l enjoyed seeing Mrs.
Whyte's eyes open then; they let some
light in on her brain, l fancy. "By
George" heard the Prince say, as we
swept out of the room together, "Greek
meets Greekp' And then the music
went on. and we threaded two long
velvet-fioored halls before arriving at
Miss Julia's door in the wing. On our
way we met the Duchess husband,
Mr.. Gyles .Whyte, a long and solemn
man, as becomes him. He said he
knew me from my resemblance to Miss
Julia. Well, well!
AS for Miss Julia, she is a sight A
misshapen little creature not up to my
shoulder; she is very short, she is very
stout, she has almost hump; take any
view. and it seems that her head is set
on wrong side before. But her face
ah, that is nearly heavenly, except
when she gets angry. She can't walk;
but she has crutch. with tap of which
she recalls you if your mind wanders,
and her own mind wanders most of the
time. 1t is dreadful. They all told me
not to do it. But remembered man.
mas injunction not to forget that Miss
Julia had once passionateIy loved my
father, and had hidden it all when she
found that by the terms of the will if
he married cousin he would he penni-
less, and to 60 to her, if she ever needed
me, as if she were my mother. She
went hundreds of miles away, and we
never knew these Whyte relatives of
hers. / don't blame poor little Miss
Julia-papa was sosplendid: ones very
ideal! To think of the romance in this
little image! But she has magnificent
eyes, for all. So has that young Prince
below-stairs, Mr.. Gervais. Something
about him minds me of papa-the
grand air, perhaps.
"a whole week gone. But there's no
time. miss Julia is very peculiar"
She says she is dying of lonesomeness,
that she hardly sees anybody from
morning till night, unless Mr.. Gervais
comes in and reads the Bible to her.
And don't want to hear the Bibler'
she cries. 'As if were an old woman
with one foot in the grave. want G
good roaring love story. Find me one,
my dear" One? have been here a
week, and l have read her six. She
talks them all over, and has mixed
them all up, so that she has Guys
sanity Amy. in the Heir Of Redclyfe,
in love with Ouida's Chandos, and
wonders what Shakespeare saw in that
Romola. The Grand Duchess opens
the door and says good-morning; Mr..
Gyles Whyte does the same, and adds,
gently, that he hopes his cousin is we'll;
nobody else comes, except Mr.. Gervais.
He sits an hour with her, and I take
that time for my afternoon walk.
don't know how long shall be able to
endure it. don't know that I've any,
thing better to do. l 70 down stairs
only to dinner, where there is always
company. slip into my seat after the
Others are placed, and am, of course,
never introduced. If Mrs. Whyte is
obliged to mention me, she says, in a
poor-relation sort Of way, "Miss Pur-
cell, the cousin and companion of Miss
Julia" However, Miss Julia sent
word that if I came she would pay my
board, SO that I would be perfectly in
dependent. Mrs. Whyte is too fine to
take board money from me; she has to
take it from Miss Julia. She takes q
good dcal, first and last, from Miss
Julia-I wonder why; she must know
about the property. -.sF
January 76.-I can't keep this thing
up in Spanish; it's too troublesome.
So here goes in English. 1 get chance
on Sunday mornings, when Miss Julia
goes sound asleep over her prayer-book,
feeling very devout, to think where
am. Once, when l was romantic,
thought of going East as q missionary.
Well, have gone. It makes me shud.
der to think OF the life this Door Miss
Julia lived without mo. Mr.: Gervais
is the only one who has seemed to think
of her as anything but an animal that
must be fed and clothed. L have beer
reading hersbuAdles sof old letters .tha1
she has had me rummage out. Wher
l came from my walk the other night
Mr.. Gervais was still sitting there, and
she was talking of the letters. He wa!
bending forward in an animated way
and Miss Julia's big eyes were spark
ling, and her turban was twisted, ani
her tongue vas fyiag; and it was {
picture, she 50 weird ana quaint, ant
ne SO dark and superb and gentle
" You 'see," he said, in q low tone
rising 70 60, you have raised the dead
January 23.-Another week. Or
let me see,. is it . yearP Or do W,
reckon correctly? and are not sever
days eternity in Mangel- Wurzel Place
Miss Julia interests me, though. Some
times she praises me; the other da,
she slapped me. took her hands anS
said, miss Julia. if you had been my
mother, couldn't all0w~that. ~. AM
she dropped her crutch and threw he
old arms round my neck, and sobbe.
out, "Oh, II I had beenl If I has
been! Oh, my dear, don't You ever b
fool, and let love 90 by for / whimr