Year: 1876

AT all OF which smiled, and said some
thing very silly in selfdepreciation, al
though | was pleased all the time--for
really there is something not unpleasant in
knowing that one may still have some per-
sonal attractions. although ones thirty
fifth birthday is thing OF the past.


Then Kitty and walked up to the house
together, and at the hall poor Mercy re-
ceived her, kissing her on both cheeks.
and saying few pleasant. appropriate
words, in that peculiarly happy manner,
that is somehow a speciality of Mercy's,
and one that have often envied her--for,
though | think of all sorts of nice little
speeches to make, the worst of It is that
by the time | have thought of them the
opportunity for making them has gone by.
Feeling little uncomfortable at the
prospect of the reproof that would cer-
tainly follow our childish behavior-for
Priscilla never forgot what she considered
the duties of an elder sister-Mercy and
escorted Kitty into the drawng-room but


to my intense delight, Priscilla yielded
without struggle.


Even she, though she does not pride her.
self on being slow to act, could not resist
| the charm of Kitty's manner; and since
| that day we all of know we'll enough that


we have been that girls abject slaves,


though not for the world would we con-


tess as much in words. Why, bless, me,
she had not been here week before she
decreed that exercise would do fat old


Fido an immense deal of good, and Pris-


ella looked on quite calmly whilst Kitty
| made him wadde round the flower beds
| more quickly and more often than he had
done for many long day; and declare
| | saw her turn over the contents of Mer-
| cy's work-basket and actually do some of


her point lace without Mercy seeming to


mind in the least. am sure / would not
have ventured to do as much.


As for me, / made no pretence of hav-
ing a will of my own as far as Kitty was
| concerned, and with my belongings she
did just what seemed best in her own eyes,
IN return for which, she teased me about
the accumulation OF embroidery that had
hidden away, laughed at Vatican group
that was working for banner screen,
actually decaring-the audacious puss---
that my shepherdess squinted, whilst
my shepherd was inclined to be
knockneed. She politely but firmly in
sisted that should not play the overture
to Tancredi more than once week, and
positively gave me scolding, when she
Out udy Caught Ut my ty tS Out,
over the "Heir of Redclyffe."


But oh, how we three women learned to
love that girl, doing our best to spoil her,
making her, in her fresh, bright youth, an
idol to whom we were content to bow
down Yet our infatuation did harm
neither to her nor TO ourselves.


Kitty, with her keen enjoyment of the


mere fact of living, with her absolute con-
a, - al,
visions for the future. Infused new charm
| into our sober, out-of-the-world lives and
| we-what did we do In return Well, in
| our simple fashion, without saying or
thinking anything about it. we constituted
| her the reigning authority at the Haw-
| thorns; and never had constituted SOW


ereign more loving subjects or more en-
| tire and unquestioned control.
AT first we loved Kitty for being Just


what she seemed to be-a species of child


woman who, sitting on the hearth-rug In


the pleasant idle freight, would make us
| laugh for an hour at her antics with the


two kittens that were her special pets


and then, when her playmates were fairly
| tried out she would rest her head on my


knee, and, whilst the fitful light fell on
| her sweet upturned face, her golden hair
1


about things that few girls of her age


could understand or care ior-wrongs that


were to be made r1ght--rights that were


to be more clearly established in that COM
| ing age of progress in which the girls


earnest spirit firmly believed; and we


three women assented to her propositions,
| listening to her with the pleasant pride


that middle-aged people sometimes feel in
| hp talents n hQlnnn
to them.


| Perhaps we thought it all the more Won
derful because we had lived in such mar


row groove all our lives--for.Leigh was a
sleepy, quiet little country town, the in
| habitants of which, as rule, were well


content to take life easily, in the same
fashion as their fathers had done before
| them, and no small amount of mental
stagnation was the result.


However, before Kitty had been with us
long, we discovered that she was some-


thing more than enthusiastic and clever,


for Priscilla. who was usually so sure.
footed. managed in some way to Slip in


coming down stairs, spraining her ankle


rather severely in doing so; and then it


was that Kitty proved herself one of the


tenderest of nurses, seeming to know in


tuitively all that Priscilla wanted and to


see the quiet, deit manner in which she


arranged footstools or tightened oandages


was as good as a lesson in nursing.
| At first we tried what home remedies


would do, for Priscilla had an exaggerat.


ed dislike of doctors; and when, on the


second day after her accident, the SWELL


ing showed no signs of decreasing. it


needed all that Mercy and could say to


induce her to see Doctor Fleming.


When the doctor did come. she would


persist in her determination to receive him
in the drawing room-which was really


awkward for US, for, as DIR. Fleming very


naturally said, if Priscillas foot was swol-


len it was not right for her to come down


stairs; in answer to which Mercy was


obliged to hint at our sisters scruples, and


after that of course Doctor Fleming said


no more but, unless am very much mis-.


taken. saw the corners of his mouth


twitch into something like a smile, whilst


felt quite sure that he heard as plainly as


| did the sound of Priscilla's slow progress
down stairs.


Although | was little bit vexed with my
Il