Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-11-15
Rainy Days.

NANNY Days.
What pleasure rainy day used to
bring to us children! We were grand
pas pets, Nettie, Bessie, and /, and
did pretty much as we pleased, run
ming barefooted through the woods,
tearing our dresses, and tanning our
faces till we looked like young Indians.
That was in the summer time, when we
ran wild. In winter we made q pre-
tense OF studying with Aunt Rachel,
ana wore very grave, business like
faces over our history and spelling
lessons.
L think grandpa was well pleased
when the chilly, slowly dropping rain
walked him with it's music-for It was
always holiday with us three then. He
liked we'll to have his merry trio around
him all day, and would call out I'D the
stairs: "Susie, Nettie, Bessie, wake
up-it's rainingp' In ten minutes
three laughing chatterers scampered
down in answer to his call and climbed
over him like squirrels, while making
plans for coming amusement. !
We were useful in our play, as the
east garnet bore witness. On it's walls
hung festoons of red seed corn, and
bundles of sumach for dyeing thread,
millet heads and silver-skin onions. It
was sight to please any artists eve
especially if he were housekeeper
as well. Then we picked over beans
and peas and cabbage seed for Aunt
Rachel, and put away all the newspa-
Pers in the big oak split basket, and
the letters in brown paper bags, and
! rags into the barrel for carpet making.
/ When the day was done we would car
ry down fine supply of popcorn for
feast after supper. And how the
white captains flew about the hearth,
and how nimbly we scrambled after
them! 4
There were other rainy days in the
old home that I remember as we'll as
the merry ones. One [ shall never
forget-one after which no rainy day
was ever dear to me, except for the
sadly sweet memories it brought. Even
now, after so many years, when there
comes fearful November day, L think
of that one lying so far back in the
past, and my heart is filled with sor-
/! row.
On just such one our dear little
Bessie was nearing the river of death.
Gentle little Bessie! We had always
loved her more than each other. Her
loving heart twined its tendrils around
ours very closely. and now, when she
was lying so still and white in Aunt
Racheps room, dying, our childish
hearts were we'll nigh breaking with
grief. The rain battered slowly down,
fitful gust of wind whirled the dead
leaves against the window-pane, the
cedar branches bent heavily down, and
the robins sheltered in It's thick boughs
twittered softly. Their loudest songs
would not have disturbed Bessie now.
Grandpa held the curly brown head
against his breast, and looked into the
thin white face with tightly closed lips
as pale as Bessies own. AS the little
figure quivered in the struggle for
breath his own strong frame shudder-
ed, and his eyes turned appealingly to
DR.. Mason, the dear old physician,
who loved our darling, and had been
grandpa's friend since they were boys
together. He put his arm around his
shoulder now, and said:
"Tom, the precious darling will soon
NC Tree from pun, Will Iet lAobilcf Ill
heaven"
- Aunt Rachel sat by, with us at her
knees, two awed little things, too much
frightened to cry aloud, as children do
in trouble. We silently waited till the
frail form grew still, and DIR. Mason
took it out Of grandpa's arms and laid
it gently on the bed, then led his old
friend from the room.
! All, we'll, that all happened long
Bessie now plays throughout the rainy
days. Yet 1 shall never forget tn"
;dfeary day when Nature mingled her
tears with ours, and seemed to mourn
the loss of grandpa's darling.
May, IN Waverly Magazine.
-.. Needless Anxiety.
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