Eight Cousins

hile with Sister Peace, my dear. She likes tohave you read while she rests, and we are going to be busy."Rose obeyed, and the quiet rooms above were so like a church thatshe soo

she already loved. WhenPeace was twenty, she was about to be married; all was done, thewedding dress lay r

her life afresh, and livedon a beautiful, meek woman, with hair as white as snow andcheeks that never bloom

oys and sorrows of the young girls growing up about her, and tothem she was adviser, confidante, and friend in all their tendertrials and deli

a stout, brisk old lady,with a sharp eye, a

she was a regular Martha,cumbered with the

alms to Aunt Peace,the other ladies were talki

Aunt Jane, as theyall settled down, and Uncle Mac

d what we thought best while waiting for youto wind up your affairs and get home. I always told George he waswrong to bring her up as he did; but he never took my advice, andnow here we are with this poor dear child upon our hands. I, forone, freely confess that I don't know what to

our aunt thought best toremove her because she complained, and she has been dawdlingabout ever since

that she might wait her guardian's arrival beforebeginning another term at the s

who are to get their own living by teaching, and that sort ofthing; but all she needs is a year or two at a fashionable finishingschool

this unhappy child is soplainly marked for the tomb," sighed Aunt Myra, with a lugubrioussniff and a

goes to my heart, for itshows that she feels the need of what none of us can give her amother," said Aunt Jes

th you to help me, I hope to make thechild feel that she is not quite fatherless and motherless.""I'll do my best, Alec; and I think you will need me, for, wise asy

did not entrust her to me," observed Aunt Myra, with an air ofmelancholy importance, for she was the only one who had given adaughter

ember the perilousexperiments you tried with p

y sainted Caroline is asacred object," crie

e his position atonce, and maintain it manfully if

ay that your success is great, but that is owing totoo many fingers in the pie. Now, I intend to try my way for a year,and if at the end of it she is not in better trim than now, I'll give upthe case, and hand he

horrors. You have put it into herhead that she has no constitution, and she rather likes the idea. Ifshe had not had a pretty good one, she would have been 'markedfor the tomb' by this time, at the rate you have been going on withh

othing. But I predictthat the girl will be spo

woboys as perfectly as you do yours, a man, if he devotes his whole

ely, forit was a well-known fact in the family that Jane's

it will be quite soonenough for her to go to Madame Roccabella's and be finished off,"said Aunt Clara, settling her

ss you think ofmarrying, and it's high time you did,"

and have a cigar, Mac,"

family already," mutteredUncle Mac;

l, she says," was the messageRose brou

ow of her gloomy bonnet fell upon Rose, and the stiff tips of ablack

y will be invaluable byand by," said Aunt Clara,

f the past year. I trust your time will not be entirelywasted in frivolous spo

h a lookof tender sympathy that made Rose cling to her a minute

a brown study. All of a sudden he said, half aloud,as if he had made up his mind"I might as well begin at once, and give the child something new tothink about, for Myra's dismals and Jane's lectures have m

Rosewill be frightened. I must beguile her gently and pleasantly alongtill I've won her confidence, and then she will be ready fo

and, helpinghimself to a generous slice, he retired

at brown bread into neat little pills, which he packed into anatt

ay, but I'll keep the peace, ifpossible, and confess the joke when my experiment hassucceeded," he sa

ace could enjoy it; and all the while he talkedwith the old ladies, Uncle Alec was listen

wanderings over the face of the earth, I have picked upsome excellent remedies, and, as they are rather agreeable ones, Ithink you and I will try them. This is a herb-pillow, given to me bya wise old woman when I was ill in India. It is filled with saffron,poppies, and other soothi

must learn to milk. I'll teach you.""I'm afraid I never can," said Rose; but she surveyed the cup withfav

nxious if she does not have atonic of some sort," said Aunt Plenty, eyeing the new remediessuspiciously

sheesh is the extract of hemp? Well, this is apreparation of corn and rye, much used in old times, and I hope itwill be again.""Dear me, how singular!" sa

d-night to you, my dear," hesaid, dis

al mixture of anxiety and amusement"When I think what I have undertaken, I declar