Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-06-19
MISS PURCELL'S DIARY.
Harper's Bazaar.


see it. But if | write mine in Spanish,
| can't be accused of writing it for any
body to see. must have somebody to
talk with, ard Miss Julia can be allowed
to think it my Spanish exercises. This
is-let me see-the how-manyeth have
begun? Never mind; it's begun; and |
hereby solemnly record that the wealth
er 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 broth
er-in-law, Mr.. Jervais Whyte, as if she
begged pardon for reminding a Whyte
that such worms era Hled the earth.
But she found his worm sup on end"
She was about presenting me to some
more of those about her, when [ re-
marked, with my head at its highest:
pray don't take the trOuble-I am not
accustomed to promiscnOus introduc-
tions. [ will go to Miss Julia at once"
[ enjoyed seeing Ms. Whyte's eyes
open then; they let some light in on her
brain, fancy. "By Georgew [ heard
the Prince say, as we swept out of the
room together, Greek meets Creek"
And then the music went on, and we
threaded two long velvet foored halls
before arriving at Miss Julia'S door in
the wing. On our way we met the
Dutchess's husband, Mr.. Gyles Whyte,
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 a hump; take any
view, and 1t seems that her head is set
on wrong side before. But her face
ali, that is nearly heavenly, except
when she gets angry. She can't walk;
but she has q 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 mann
mas injunction not to forget that Miss
Julia had once passlOnately loved my
father, and had hidden it all when she
found that by the terms of the will if he
married cousin he would be penniless
and to 90 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 Door little Miss Julia-pa.
pa was so splendid; ones very ideal
To think of the romance in this little
imagel 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.
January 10.-This looks like diary
whole week gone. But there's no time
Miss Julia is very peculiar" She says
she is dying of lOnesomeness, that she
hardly sees any body from morning til
reads the Bible to her. And dom
want to hear the Biblel" she cries. "a:
if / were an old woman with one foot il
the grave. want a good roaring love
story. Find me one, my dear" One
| nave been here a week, and | have
read her six. She talks them all over
and has mixed them all up, so that snt
has Guys sanity Amy, In the Her o
RedcIufe, in love with Ouida's Chandos
and wonders what Brakespeare saw IL
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 | take
that time for my afternoon walk.
don't know how long / shall be able tC
endure it. | don't know that I've any
thing better to do. / go down stairs
only to dinner, where there is Away;
company, slip into my seat after the
others are placed, and am, of course
never introduced. If Mrs. Whyte i:
obliged to mention me, she says, in s
poor-relation sort of way, Miss Pur
cell, the cousin and companion of Mis-;
Julia" However, Miss Julia sent wore
that if | came she would pay my board
so that [ would be perfectly independ
ent. Mrs. Whyte is too fine to take
board money from me; she has to take
it from Miss Julia She takes a gooC
deal, first and last, from Miss Julia
wonder why; she must know about the
property.
January 16.-I can't keep this thins
up in Spanish; it's too troublesome
So here goes IN English. Iget a chance
on Sunday mornings, when Miss JulIt
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. 1t makes me shud
der to think of the life this poor Mis-
Julia lived without me. Mr.. Gervai
is the only one who seemed to think o
her as anything but an animal tina
must be fed and clothed. l have beer
reading her bundles of old letters tina
she has had me rumage out. When
came from my walk the other night
Mr.. Geryais was still sitting there, anC
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, anC
her tongue was flying; and it was pic
ture, she so weird and quaint, and ht
SO dark and superb and gentle. I" You
see," he said, in low tone, rising t
go, "you have raised the dead from
the grave"
January 23-Another week. Or, lie
me see, is it year? Or do we reckon
correctly !? and are not seven days
eternity in Mangel-Wurzel Place? Mis-
Julia interests me though. Sometime
she praises me; the other day so,
slapped me. | took her hands an(
said, "Miss Julia, if you had been m,