Gypsy's Cousin Joy

t to recite, when somebody knocked at the do

Cardrew should have a letter, nobody but Delia was capable of seeing; but Delia was given to seeing jokes on all occasions, un

," repeated Delia

ithmetic, opened the letter,

whispering, and there was a

tween her horror lest the kitten she had tied to a spool of thread at recess, had been discovered, and an awful s

rectly home," said Miss Cardrew, in a lo

anybody sick,

s no reasons. You'd bette

d began to gather up her b

ylord. "I had an uncle once, and his house caught afire-in the chimney too

er's dead," cond

Winn

To

think

you s'pos

, I guess I'd

Miss Cardrew,

ack rolled up in a bundle under her arm, and her rubbers in her pocket, she started for home on the full run. Yorkbury was pretty well used to Gypsy, but everybody stopped and stared at her that morning;

clerk, as she flew by the door of her fa

front of a carriage, around a load of hay, and away like a bird down the s

ght you be! I believe you'

Gypsy, "it's a fire or

e! Where's the engine? Vi--ir-r-!" By this time, too, three dogs and a nanny-goat were chasing her; the dogs were barking, and the na

as she came in at the gate

f Church and State on the shoulders of his pinafore, to judge from the pucker in his c

Gypsy?-don't yo

ha

matter.

e Brey

rand Mogul feeding a chicken, "I don't c

eleg

u'd oughter seen the man.

e any bad news? Wher

perior smile. "I s'posed you knew that! It's s

ybody sick? Is anybo

ou wish you'd seen the envelope. It had the funniest li

e at that, and left Win

e ran upstairs. A small trunk stood open by the bed,

da is sick," sai

exclaimed Gypsy, incapable of taking in a greater c

en for us to come right on

sy, penitently

es

se her mother did, and s

children. All family plans which could be, were openly and frankly discussed. She believed that it did the children good to feel that they had a share in them; that it did them good to be trusted. She never kept bad tidings from them simply because they were bad. The mysteries and prevarications necessary to keep

d sober now

w can you? What

ossibility in a hundred, perhaps. Help me f

ed go. She isn't your own sister anyway, and she ne

poor thing, she has no sister of her own, and no mother, nobody but the hired nu

y best of her good sense. And let me tell you, girls, as a little secret-in the worst fits of the "blues" you ever have, if you are guilty of having any, do you go straight into the nursery and build a block house for the baby, or upstairs and help your mother baste for the machine, or into the dining-room to help Bridget set the t

pie, and by the time the coach drove to the door, and the travelers stood in the entry with bag a

e me another kiss. There!-one more. Now, if y

e, and a great many clouds to be in the warm, autumn sky. The three children stood a moment in the entry looking forlornly at each other. I beg Tom's pardon-I suppose I should have sa

he store at night, and, then-you go round, and it's so still, and nobody but me to keep house, and Patty has ju

thizing niece," observed T

ly. "I'm sorry she's sick, but I didn't have a bit nice time in Boston last vacation, and she

t the rather doleful dinner

ha

ffin-tight in-she should be un-deaded, and open her eyes, and

reynton left, Tom came up from the off

, and put out her hand, i

said Tom; "it's to me

in, and

Dear

ay of course. We hope to be home on Monday. There has been no time yet to make any plans; I can't tell what the family will do. Poor Joy cannot bear to be left alone a minute. She follows me round like a frightened child. The tears come into my eyes every time I look at her, for the thoughts of three dear,

lovi

the

a slip for Gypsy, wi

she would be a different woman from her mother, and had then lain still a while, her eyes closed, something-as you used to say when you were a little girl-very sorry about her m

a moment, thinking her own thoughts, as

ow that Gypsy's aunt had been rather a gay, careless lady, well dressed and jeweled, and fond enough of dresses and jewels

it had ended. P

how people could just turn round when anybody dies, and say they were good and perfect, when it wasn't any such a thing, and I can't say I think sh