Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-02-22
LITTLEST SISTER
BY AGNES c. BRoeAN.

The child looked gratefully into the
face Of the young woman bending
above her. A Madonna-like face 1t
was with tender, brooding eyes, yet
eyes which q sudden sunny smile
could transform into dancing merri-
ment.
SIT is lovely to have you here" said
the child, sbefore you came, 1t was
so lonely. That's what it means,
guess, to be the littlest sister, Special
~ when you've had different mother
from the rest. They were all quite
grown up you know, when my mother
came, and they didn't need her. P'raps
that's why she went away to Heaven.
Daddy did not like to be bothered"
."The biggest sister had said Mercy
me! the child's too old to have
nurse and going to school, will not
need a governess, whatever shall we
do with her?' And told her to adj
vertise for "a sort. of sister. Some
one to fix my clothes and read to me,
and stay in at night when everyone
else was away. Oh! you don't know
how dreadful it is to be the httlest
sister,
The young woman nodded. Il do
know, darling" she replied, Il was
lust like that There was a sudden
catch in the sweet voice. 'sThey closed
the doors,' she went on dreamlly,
land went their different ways, and
was left alone"
sTor all Of the EVENING"" asked the
child.
s'Toreyer." answered the girl.
"And they did not come backs"
The young woman sadly shook her
head. "There were so many things
IN the world to keep them busy" she
said.
The child leaned forward eagerly,
ssThen, whatever did you dor
into the somber eyes danced the
sunny smile, "Why came here" the
girl replied. "Your advertisement
seemed just written for me. to make
little sister happy was so exactly the
thing I wanted to do"
"You might have been secretary,S
the child suggested shrewdly, sand
have made more money! Again the
companion smiled.
ssI was very stupid she said, about
making money. Perhaps had forgot
fen all that / knew. IN caring for my
invalid father"
sWell,s the child answered cheerful
", 'sthat was a good thing for me.
I'm so much In the way, they all tell
me that, and they never did want me
at all. Now, the biggest sister Is go
ing to be married and the other Is go
Ing abroad. THE brother is going
abroad, too, the one who calls me that
kid and"
The young woman turned about,
"Not,s she asked breathlessly, "the
tall brother with the deep true eyes,
not, the brother with the kind voice
which makes you feel that somebody
cares-he-is not going aWay?"
The child regarded her companion
perplexedly, then shook her head. "Oh,
nor she said, shat is the Oldest broth
err who has always been painting pic
lures somewhere far away. He came
back not long ago, and yesterday he
came up here to my big room. He
was so very grave and so very cross,
that was afraid. 'So,' he said, you
are the little one2 Where. Is sheY
I s'pose he meant the biggest sister,
and I told him and he went away"
The girl caught the child Ia her
arms. "He asked like that?" she
questioned eagerly. quickly, anxious
IT, like that7"
Bewildered the child nodded, then
raised startled face. "What was that
noise. back there among the shad-
ows?" she asked.
"You are fanciful," the girl replied,
"a log broke in the fire. Let me hold
you close and will tell story:
"Once upon time great artist
came back to his native land to see
his own, and perhaps to we'd Won
drous lady. The hearts Of his sisters
was her influence in the world Of let
terS, and very great was her wealth..
TO marry her, would be to bring to
the artist all those things for which he
had struggled SO, the sisters told
humble maid Of their dwelling. This
maid had but dared to raise her eyes
to the man, as he passed her upon the
stair, or-in the garden. Had but
dared, meeting him upon the road, to
ride home at his side in the great au-
tomobile. Yet the sisters seemed to
know of the dream she had dreamed
alone in her own little room with the
stars for company. And so the mai
den found that she must go away be-
cause the kindness of his eyes grew so
akin to love,-because the gent1eness
of his voice thrilled to tenderness"
Didn't she care-for-hin?" the
child asked drowsily.
ut was because she cared so very
much" answered the girl, shat she
determined to go away-that he might