us as other people did,
yet pretended to like it sooner than hurt his feelings. She must be a
good and devoted wife. Furthermore, I got into my foolish head the
notion that it was nice and interesting to have Nerves. I resolved to
get a set of my own at an early opportunity and to work them well. To
this end, I would watch Cousin Nancy's ways and copy them as closely as
a little girl could copy the behavior of a grown-up heroine.

She met us in the porch of the house, crying out with pleasure at sight
of me.

"That's a little lady, not to be afraid to come all by herself to see
two quiet old folks!" she said as she kissed me. "I ought to have had a
dozen girls and boys for you to play with by this time--but I haven't a
single one."

She laughed in saying it, yet with such sincere regret of face and
accent that I answered, without taking time to think:--

"I'm mighty sorry you haven't!" Catching myself up, I blundered on: "Not
that you and Cousin 'Ratio are not company enough for me. But it seems a
pity that, in this pretty place, with so many peaches and watermelons
and flowers--and pigeons--and chickens--and all that--there are not any
children to eat, and to play with them--and keep you company. I've heard
mother say, 'Home wouldn't be Home without the babies.'"

"Your mother is right, child! Your mother is right!"

The words seemed to stick in her throat, and to scrape it as she got
them out. Then, to my horror, she sank into a rocking-chair, and,
throwing her hands over her face, began to cry, with queer little
squeals between the sobs that shook her all over.

[Illustration: A TEA-PARTY IN THE SUMMER-HOUSE.

"Dovey appeared with a large saucer of peaches and cream."]

Malviny, her mulatto maid, ran to her with a bottle of hartshorn, and
Cousin 'Ratio knelt upon the floor by her and put his arm about her,
and fanned her with a turkey-tail fan, and another colored woman rushed
off to the kitchen, and was back in a jiffy with a bunch of feathers all
on fire, and making a dreadful smell, and stuck them under her
mistress's nose. I backed to the door with a wild notion of getting out
of the way, and running back home, yet could not tear myself away from
the unusual scene.

As soon as Cousin Nancy could speak, she laughed at sight of my
face,--the tears still dripping all the way to her chin,--and held out
her arms:--

"Poor little lammie! did I frighten the life out of her? You mustn't
mind my nervous turn