Year: 1875

plan, papai:. What Springs are we going to
And when will we start?"


II have already told you what made me
think of this charming plan. You are going
to the Virginia Springs, and will start in g
fortnight's time"


"But you are going with US, are you not ?


, "No, it does not suit me to leave home just
now, and your aunt, you know, is an expe
rienced traveller. I will probably 60 on fol
you,. when you are ready to come home
Come; make up list of everything you want
and let me have it at once. You have nc
time to lose, if you are to have dresses made
and all that sort of thing"


"Is the list to be unlimited, papa"


II leave the limits to your discretion"


"Was there ever such delightful father"


did not feel competent to make my ar
rangements without the aid and advice Of
more mature judgment than mine, so LOST
no time in seeking my aunt and godmother
and enlisting her kindly Offices in my behalf
In few moments her ready pencil had jotted
down all the necessary items; and l was q
little disappointed to see my soaring visions
circumscribed to one large trunk and hal
box, and six new dresses instead Of two
dozen.


"Six are plenty, my dear, especially as
three are to be white; white always washes
we'll, and looks prettier than anything else
What in the world would you do with twen
ty.four new gowns when you came back
homer"


Aunt Mabel was little old.fashioned in
some of her expressions, and always said
"gowns" instead of dresses"


"Wear them, of course" said /; but hel
good sense carried the day, and saved the
wits of the village dressmakers. Ellen Vim
cent, who was used to travelling, and took
everything as matter-ofcourse, was rather
amused at my excitement, and my extrava
giant ideas concerning all the circumstances Of
our anticipated jaunt.


AS Ellen is to play somewhat prominent
part in this recital, it may not be out of place
to describe her here. She was not really my
cousin, being the daughter of my aunt Ma
bells husband by his first marriage; but my
aunt having no children of her own, and re-
ceving her step-daughter, as a very young
child, into the depths of her warm affection
she had always been looked upon as one oi
our own family, and we had grown up to-
gether like sisters There was difference Of
three years in our ages, but there might have
been ten years difference, judging from hel
superior wisdom and stability. I was fghty
impulsive wayward she was calm, deliber'
ate, iDfexible. As children, she was forever
pulling me out of the scrapes into which /
was forever falling; but 1 had to testify my
gratitude by enduring with patience the most
tedious lectures imaginable, which she was
sure to infict upon me after each of these oc
currences. She was fond of laying down the
law in small matters, and I, to save trouble
usually submitted to her dictum, though ]
found it irksome sometimes. At school she
always received good marks for her lessons
whilst was invariably imperfect in mine
and as for department, no Quaker could
have been more prim or decorous than
she, whilst unlucky I, with my fondness fol-
mischief and my irresistible sense of fun, was
called up twenty times day for breaking
the rules. "Rosamond, blush for you" she
would say, pointing to the formidable list Of
"black marks" which my weeks report toe
often exhibited. "It's horrid, Nelly, 1 know,
1 would reply penitently, and make a dozer
good resolutions, only to break them again as
soon as temptation offered. If my dress got
torn in romping during recess, she would pro-
duce her work-bag and mend it, carefully
pointing out to me, during the operation, the
extreme improperly of my conduct If
lost my pencil or mislaid book, she would
supply the deficiency, but always with g
grave reproof. Thus I learned, in great
measure, to look up to her and rely upon hel
as support and standby, while at the same
time chafed little under the bondage il
which she held me. My godmother consid
cred her an excellent companion for me, and
often held her up as model whom l would
do we'll to initiate but try as l would,
knew 1 never could become 50 steady, so pru
dent, or go cold, as my admirable cousin Ell
len, and therefore never made the attempt
What we had been as children, we continued
to be when we grew up, except that she lee
tured me schooner, and generally confined
her disapproval of my follies to serious silence
and critical looks But she maintained hel
ascendancy over me, and as she was born
with propensity to rule, and with pro-
pensty to yield, we got on excellently well
together, and seldom had any disputes.


There was one person who did not greatly
admire her, and that was my father. He
thought his Rosy, with all her imperfections
infinitely her superior but that may safely
be set down as an instance of his partiality
He placed great confidence in Ellen in some
respects, however, and never made any OBJ
lection to our intimacy indeed my aunt, who
loved me like her own child, would have been
very much hurt had he done so, and my days
were almost as frequently at her house as at
our own.


Nothing happened to place any obstacle in
the way Of our departure, and on the appoint
ed day we set out, my father accompanying
US to the railroad station, and bidding me
good-by with many cautions to behave with
discretion, and mind all that my godmother
said.


THAT means that you are not to firt, Rosa
mond " said Ellen