News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-09-10
A Little Coward.
BY ANNA SHIELDS.

GSucn a llUUIe coward
The words came floating up to me
from a group of children playing I'M
der my window and carry me back
two years, to the summer | spent in
Westonville and the little coward -
/ met there.
[ had been in practice as a physi-
clan for several years, when Aunt
Jane, the rich aunt of the Hutchinson
family, wrote to invite me to spend a
few weeks with her. | was rather
amazed at the invitation, as Aunt
Jane had never had the slightest af-
fection for me; but the letter was cor
dial enough to tempt me-
81 have three young ladies visiting me-
she wrote, land you may fall in love with
any of them, with my consent They are all
well-born and Well bred, which is more than
can be SAID of most girls nowadays. Serena
Maybury is just the woman for a physician s
wife, self-possessed, calm, courageous and vet
perfectly wOmanly. She is very handsome,
too. Julia Strong is literary girl and writes
for the newspapers. She is pretty, but abb
stracted, lives in a poetic region above nv
reach. Susy Markham is scarcely more than
a child, eighteen years old, and small as a
girl of twelve, fair-haired, blue eyed, gentle
y
is the worst little cowa rd | ever say-screams
at a spider, faints at a mouse, elings to the
boat when on the water and gets as white as
a ghost if horse prances. But come and
see me and the girls and stop poisoning pa
tients, saving bones and prancing about sick
rooms, for a month at least"
So | went. | had been at Aunt
James in my bovish days, and the
large, beautiful house, With its wide,
high-ceilinged rooms, its broad
porches and airy halls, was quite fa-
miliar to me- Lying near a river and
in the shadow of a mountain, West
onville was a most charming summer
residence, and Aunt Jane had visitors
from the first warm day to the last
one, so that | was not surprised to
find others beside those mentioned in
my letter of invitation.
Pleasant days were the rule in that
sunny July weather, and we boated,
rode, drove, clambered up the noun
tain for picnic parties, played lawn
tennis and croquet and enjoyed life
as youth only can enjoy it in Summer
days free from toll or care.
Aunt Jane gave Ane most cordial
welcome, and the first time she was
alone with me, said:
''1t is time you were married, Har-
ry. | have thought it all over, and /
mean to give you a house well fur
nished as soon as you introduce me to
Mrs. Hutchinson. mol You needn'
gush about it. | can afford it,
and you deserve it! But don't imag-
inefrom my letter that the girls know
ofmy matchmaking intentions. They
would pack up and leave at five min
utes notice, if they suspected it, And
they are all popular in society, max.
ing a sacrifice of other pleasant invi
tations to come tc Westonville. Ser
ena is the wife for your, if you car
win her."
And | cordially admired Serena
Certainly she was the most queenly
self-sustained, beautiful girl | eveI
met. Nothing tiuttered her, or NOV
ed her from Il calm composure. II
was impossible to imagine Serena il
Mysteries, and her health was abso
lutely pure.
/ devoted myself to Serena, anC
found her mind as active as her face
She was well-read, and had a keen in
terest in thecurrent topics of the day
| never met any one who so thorough
ly read and understood a newspaper
and she could converse well on all tn,
political, foreign and domestic af
fairs.
Julia in agOnies of composition
gathering scenes and incidents fo
her first novel, and going about as i
asleep with her eyes opeT.
And Susy. The first time saw
Susy she was in the orchard, dressed
in something blue and thin, all ruffle
and bows. She was standing unde
an apple-tree absolutely paralyze,
with terror, and gazing at hug
caterpillar creeping up her arm
Hearing my step, she raised a color
less face, with stained blue eyes AM
quivering lips, to say:
"Oh, take it off Oh, please tax
it Off"
Another minute found her sobbin
Historically, and with choking wor
! of thanks she ran away.
: 1t all passed so quickly that sh
was gone before | saw how pretty sh
was, leaving behind halfpicture {
| short golden curls and frightene
baby blue eyes. The next time | sa'
those eyes they were full of tearfl
. gratitude for my heroic handling
e caterpillars.
1t was odd how they haunted M
Quite resolved to win Serena, if De
sistent woOing would accomplish i
b | sought her on all occasions, but b.
ing a united party of friends, we wei
not often tete-a-tete. And it was t
me, always, that Susy turned,
hours of peril, when a toad sat upo
: her white dress, when the boat tippe
hairs breadth more than usua
when horrible crawling things crosse
our paths, and cows lifted their heaC
to contemplate us. On all such occ;
sions, two tiny hands, white as mil
d soft as satin, suddenly clasped m
,. arm, and "ohl OIL" called nv O
0 tentiOn to the terror.
! And it was not done for effect. YC
2 cannot deceive a physician to thu
e extent, and my professional ey
noted how the pretty face blanche
Al,