MY SICKNESS.
One night as I was lying in my bed, my head began to swim, my lips
were parched, and I felt very sick. After passing the night in great
distress, my mother came to me and said, "Dear little Josey, how sick
you look!" and so she did not take me up. By and by the little girl
who played the most with Emma came in and said, "Why, Emma, you have
not taken your doll up this morning." "No," said Emma, "she is very
sick, and so I did not think it best to take her up." "Well," said the
other little girl, "I will be a doctor, and you must send for me to
come and attend your doll." So Emma sent, and the little girl came
and ordered me some pills and a powder, which I was to take. They made
the pills out of bread and the powder out of slate-pencil dust. I
took these and they quieted my pain some, but still I was very sick.
The next morning the doctor came and ordered me something else, which
I took, as in duty bound, although I must say it did not taste very
good. After two or three weeks I began to get a little better, and then
Ellen came and saw me; but she began to talk in her old way about my
having new dresses, and she having to take mine, (for she and I were
of the same size,) and her having to stay in the trunk while I enjoyed
myself, and then she ended by saying that she was glad I was sick, for
now she could have her own way, as she had before I came. I found out
afterwards that my mother had been telling Ellen about me, and saying
that I was a pink of perfection, and that she ought to pattern by me.
So Ellen hated me heartily, which I was very sorry for, as I had a sort
of liking for her, although she did behave so badly. One evening after
tea, Emma having left the room, her father said, "Wife, I think that
as Emma is old enough to help us, that she had better begin next week
about the dairy and help you. She will have to dispense with her dolls,
and I think she had better give her prettiest doll to her cousin, who,
I dare say, will like it." When Emma came in, her father told her his
intentions, and how she had better give the handsomest doll to her
cousin Celeste. Emma cried very much at leaving her doll, and so did I,
but she thought it better to do so.