The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-10-11

1 found myself laughing in spite OF
me. She kept it up, too. far into the
night until L dropped asleep-too at
Quent question: ''Gone to sleep.
Rue?"
1t was FIVE o'clock when l was
awakened next morning
'.Ruei Ruei It's time to get up.
Here is dress and pair OF shoes l
want you to put on and come right
out with me"
She would not let me lie a minute
longer, and had to obey; so i slipped
on the gingham dress, which was a
surprisingly good fit, and the thick
soled shoes, and folio wed her out into
the garden.
Now. Rue. there is any amount of
work to be done 'mong the flower-beds.
and I've got to take mornings to do
II In mostly, and / must have your
help. 1 got these yesterday just for
you TO work with They amt heavy,
and we'd better get right to work for
a pansy bed first thing. I've got seed
enough for a big one, and they are
beauties, too. You dote on pansies,
you know"
She had opened a neat box of light
garden tools as she talked and now
handed me a rake. / did dote on pam
sizes. and urged on by her example and
CHEEKY talk l raked away in the mel
low earth until breakfast time and
went in absolutely hungry
Day after day she kept up this
course She gave me hardly a min
ute alone and she had me read aloud
to her when l wanted book
81 haven't time and you mustn't
read much, the doctor says; so well
have to carry it out together;" and
she produced ''Huckleberry Finn"
which she alternated with "Rudder
Grange" so that between the remark
able humorous adventures in the
former and Pomona's performance in
the latter / had no time to think OF
love or sentiment except in the most
ludicrous light Then the fiower-beds
needed so much hoeing and scratching
and wedding. and the old pansy bed
opened up in such marvellous beauty
that began to be quite worried for
fear the new one would not rival It
so renewed hoeing and wedding had
TO be kept up. / had TO keep on my
thick shoes, for II was supposed that
the dog had carried of one OF my
slippers, and my hammock came 10
grief and uselessness by the cairs
chewing a big hole in it; so that
really | was obliged TO do nothing but
work out in the garden day after day
and how my flowers grewi
Ny pansies outrivaled the old ones.
and forgot every thing, even my af-
hnity. in the delight of watching for
the new faces which peered up at me
from the velvety blossoms. and was
too tired when night came to moon
over myself. much less any Arabel!a
or Ethelinda, so sound sleep visited me
quickly.
About the time reached this state
and could outrival Aunt Becky in
dressing and reaching the flower
garden In the morning. she found time
10 hx up her own bedstead and leave
me to my privacy again.
1t was late In the fall when she said
TO me one day:
We'll. Rue. do you think you'll last
through the winter2"
''Lastl Why. Aunt Becky. I wouldn't
do any thing else for the wor.dr' was
my convincing ans wer, for 1t actually
struck a pang to my heart to think of
dying.
well. I guess your folks want TO
see you home by this time;" and home
went, Aunt Becky with me.
They were all ready to receive me
with pillows IN the carriage and
tender. sorrowing faces; she had done
all the corresponding. as l did not
like to write letters, and had done il
as she pleased So. when rushed in
upon the family with my red cheeks
and face as brown as a gypsy's. they
could not have been more astonished if
/ had risen from the dead.
81 said you could cure her II any,
body couldr' father exclaimed, in de-
light, that night.
But what did you give her. Becky"
my mother anxiously asked.
''Toolsr' was her sententious an
swer.
''Whatr'
anu LOG anu SDauG anu
trowel!-gingham dress and thick
soled shoes;-took away the cloves
and pencils she was eating till she
looked like tallow candle;-hid her
love-sick stories and death-wishing-
for poetry and gave her something to
laugh at instead-let the calves eat up
her lazy hammock and broke down
my old bedstead so't she couldn't be
alone minute to cry and take on over
her sentimental fol-de- rol l;-turned
her right out into the open air and
let the sky and the breeze and the flow
ers help me out in it
WAS that all. Becky7" Mother was
so surprised that she could not find
any thing else to say.
Wasn't that enough, as long as 1t
cured her?''
And do you mean to say that she
was not going into decline at all?'
mother urged.
Yes, and no. She hadn't any dis
ease that's down in the books, though
don't know what eating that stun
would have done in time. But she
was declining fast into a foolish. senti-
mental, romantic simpleton, with all
her ideas of love and heroines and
affinities and death. and she might
have declined by this time into some
thing worse, for she was fast getting
where she could have been most easily
led into something she would have had
cause to regret perhaps all her days
Queer. that mothers can't see such
things"
why. Becky. how you talk! had
never thought of thati" Mother was
Mortified as well as alarmed.
Yes. that's just it You were too
busy with your household affairs and,
1flxa I.