The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-11-08
Rainy Days.

WnaC pleasure D rainy Qay used to
bring to us children! We were grand
pas pets, Nettie, Bessie, and 1, and
did pretty much as we pleased, rum
ming barefooted through the woods,
tearing our dresses, and tanning our
faces till w looked like young Indians.
That was in the summer time, when we
ran wild. In winter we made a pre-
tense of studying with Aunt Rachel,
and o very grave, business-like
faces over our history and spelling
lessons.
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 tlen. 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 its walls
hung f~estoons of red seed corn, and
bundles of sumach for dyeing thread.
millet heads and silver-skin onions. It
was a sight to please any artists eye
especially if he were a 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 wa done we would car
~ down q fine supply of popcorn for
q feast after supper. And how the
white captains flew about the hearth,
and how nimbly we scrambled after
them!
There other rainy days in the
old home that 1 remember as we'll as
II merry ones. One 1 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 a fearful November day, 1 think
of that n lying so far back in the
past, and my heart is filed 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 its tendrils around
ours very closely, and now, when she
was lying SO still and white in Aunt
kachel's room, dying, our childish
hearts were we'll nigh breaking with
grief. The rain battered slowly down,
ftful 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 bougbs
twittered softly. Their loudest n
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 s6udder-
ed, and his eyes turned appealingly to
DIR. 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:
TON, 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 DIR. Mason
took it out Of grandpa's arms and laid
1t gently on the bed, then led his old
friend from the room.
All, we'll, that all happened long
ago, and at my fireside another little
Bessie now plays throughout the rainy.
days. Yet I shall never forget the
dreary day when Nature mingled her
tears with ours, and seemed to mourn
the loss of grandpa's darling.-lfyrtle
MnM. in WnneraI Mnnnsio,o