The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-10-24
Rainy Days.


What pleasure rainy day used to
bring to us children! We were grand
pas pets, Nettie, Bessie, and l, 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 pre-
tense of studying with Aunt Rachel,
and wore very grave, business-like
faces over our history and spelling
lessons.
I think grandpa was we'll 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 up the
stairs: "Susie, Nettie, Bessie, wake
up-it's raining" 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 eye
especially if he were housekeeper
as well. Then we picked over beans
and peas and cabbage seed for Aunt
Rachel, aud 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
~ 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
There We're other rainy days in the
old home tx :. remember as we'll as
the merry ras. One [ shall never
forget-one = iar which no rainy day
was ever de IL to me. except for the
sadly sweet memories it brought. Even
now, after so many years, when there
comes fearful November day, [ think
of that one lying so far back in the
past, and my h cart i filled with sor-
row.
On just such a 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 it's tendrils around
ours very closely. and now, when she
was lying so still and white in Aunt
Rachel's 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 Bessie's 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
be free from pain, with her mother in
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 DR.. 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
ago, and at my freside another little
Bessie now plays throughout the rainy
days. Yet [ shall never forget the
dreary day when Nature mingled her
the loss of grandpa's darling Myrtle
Nag, in WaUerly Magazine.