The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-13

was over, and Mr.. Ia burn came into the
diawing-room with the coffee. In spite If
mstling rain and gathering darkness the
young gill had dOnned her ulster and
black felt hat and taken constitutional,
coming back wet and muddy, but with the
reSentful CLEAN banished from her eyes,
gray ard soft, and the smile restored to her
rosy lips.
Meta had not ALWAYS lived at home with
the rest; a couple of years of her young life
south of France. From Ethelind Raeburh
she had learned to be patent and self
sacrificing, and she came back to England to
be the conn anton of her father, to relieve
her mother of the duties OF housekeeping.
and to atone to both In some measure for the
intense sefshness of their other daughters.
Still Meta was not perfect. She loved
pretty dresses and gay society, and thought
it hard that she should be SD frequently
Ousted from her place for no better reason
than because Nina, as an acknowledged
beauty. expected to be taken everywhere;
and Mrs. Raeburn's dread OF fuss made
her give way to the demands of the i'm
perious Hattie, and when the day arrived
for the visit to the Larches-Alrs Hislop's
beautiful place-Meta had much ado to pre-
serve her self-contrOl.
If one OF other of them had but said, 1--WE
are Sorry to leave you behind!" she thought
she could have been quite content: but
neither OF her sisters had sufficient gener-
osity for this. They had borrowed her rib
bons, her lace and ornaments: they had
made incessant demands on her services. 1t
was she who had folded Sara's and Mina'S
dresses so that they should not be crushed,
and Sewed on missing hooks and strings for
her mother and Hattie and sought Tor all
the lost articles Tat were inquired fer at
the last moment; and vet it was only Mrs.
Raeburn who had remembered to kiss her
and tell her to take care of herself as well
as dear papa.
81 feel more like Cinderella than everv'
she said to herself, as she stood at the win
dow watching the carriage roll away. But
l don't mean to follow her example in sitting
in the cinders and crying" And Meta
brushed away the drops that had gathered
ON her eyelashes. ITS no use fretting for
what one can't have. SO I'll make myself as
happy as l can under the circumstances;
and, firstly, I'll have good fire lighted to
make the room cheerful for papa when he
comes home; then, as l am too tired TO do
anything else, Pil sit on the hearthrug and
decide how to spend the coming week pleas
antly."
Very simple were Metals plans and very
unsellish. She would have a box frCm Mu-
dies of the books she loved best, but they
should include two uT three lively ones 10
read aloud to Mr.. Raeburn after dinner, she
would drive out daily in the pretty pony
phaeton 10 which Sara and Nina laid claim,
but she would make the Invalid niece of the
cuIate the companion Of her drives She
would coax the housekeeper to assist her in
giving a tea-party, the guests to be the little
girls of her class at the Sunday school, and
she was picturng their shy delight when
size led them through the hothouses, and
gave them leave to romp on the lawn, when
the sound of approaching footsteps made
her turn to greet her father with a smile.
But when the door opened she sprang
from her lowly seat pale with alright. 1t
was Mr.. Raeburn who APT cared. but he was
leaning on another gentleman his face was
so frlghtfully cut and swollen that Meta felt
very much disposed to faint; and though
she struggled against the feeling till she
overcame il, she could do no more.
TO be contilRedl