Cousin Maude

now, and her breath scarcely perceptible to the touch, as it comes faintly from her parted lips. In dignified silence the doctor sits by, counting her feeble pulse, while an expression

Dombey had a son. It was a puny thing, but the father said it looked as Nellie did when she first rested th

in disgust; while Maude approached on tip-toe, and kneeling by the cradle side kissed

r life you proved the truth of those low spo

t visited him since his last marriage. She was a proud, fashionable woman, who saw nothing attractive in the desolate old house, and who had conceived an idea that her brother's second wife was a sort of nobody whom he had picked up among the New England hills. But the

t to meet her, accompanied by Maude. From the latter the lady at first turned disdainfully away, but

she entered the parlor. "A piano, and mar

instant on the little curly head, for strange as it may seem, she esteemed more highly a woman w

d as Matty was asleep, she had ample time to examine her face, and also

woke she greeted her kindly, and during her visit, which lasted nearly two weeks, she exerted h

n, for with the falling of the leaf Matty began to improve, and though she never fully regained her health, she was able again to be about t

hing him while he slept, and building castles of the future, when "Louis Kennedy, only son of Dr. Kennedy," should be honored among men. Toward the mother, too, who had borne him such a prodigy he became a little more indulgent, occa

igh, for on her mind a terrible fear was fastening itself. Although mentally as forward as other children, Louis' body did not keep pace with the growth of his intell

aude, one evening when she saw how

wered the child, who t

nother physician, who, after carefully examining Louis' body, had whispered in the poor woman's ear that which made every nerve q

" persisted Maude. "W

aking his brown curls, and tearing in twain a pictur

er side, "I must tell somebody or my heart will burst

dering Maude that Louis was not like other children-that he would probably never have the use of his feet-that a hunch was

ated so much pleasure in guiding her brother's tottering footsteps, in leadi

ng her arms around his neck, as if s

es, and raising his waxen hand he wiped her tear

back to her mother, whose head still lay upon the table, she

and almost cursed the day when his only son was born. He had been absent for a week or more, and with the exception of the time when he first knew he had a son he did not remember of having experienced a moment of greater happiness than t

"Has anything happened to

, she burst into tears, while the doctor looked on in amazement, wondering if al

d thinking it better to tell the truth at once; "has it ne

kly. "He is a thousand times brighte

t," said Matty. "He'll nev

n instant like a drunken man; then, recovering his comp

never observed before how small and seemingly destitute of life were his lower limbs. The bunch upon the back, though slight as yet, was

ished?" he exclaimed, when he was alone with his wife; and then, as he dared not blame the Almighty, he charged it to her, until at last his thoughts took another channel. Maud

answered that "Maude was large enough for that." On some points his memory was treacherous, and for days

n you say that! Do you hate our p

ord again in my presence. My son a cripple! I can

r a second time in his li

off good. He think he'll be in the seventh heaven when he got a boy, and he mighty nigh torment that li

r quite as satisfactory to Louis as if he indeed had been a king and John his loyal subject. Old Hannah, too, was greatly softened, and many a little cake and pie she baked in secret for the child, while even Nellie gave up to him her favorite playthings, and her blue eyes wore a pitying look whenever they rested on the poor unfortunate. All loved him se

band's heart toward his poor hunchback boy, who was not to blame for his misfortune-and laying his head upon the broad arm of the chair which had been made for him, he wept bitterly, for he knew now why he was not loved. That night, as in his crib he lay, watching the stars which shone upon him through the window, and wondering

speak, so full of pain was his little, bursting heart, and that nig

his request upon the ground, where stretching himself out at his full length, he said: "Look, Maude, won't mine be a little grave?" then, ere she could answer the strange q

d Maude, and as well as he could, for the

ple, too. What is a cripple, Maude? Is it anything very bad?" a

lt by his side-his head was pillowed on her bosom, and in the silent graveyard, with the quiet dead around them, she spoke bless

she said, "when he learns how go

mind another truth had dawned, and who now said, "But he don't

, Louis, is not mine-for mine is dead, and his grave is far away. I came here to live when I was a l

uis, his eyes still fixed upon her

on, but she could not say so to the boy, and she replied, "Not as I cou

nt to draw him more closely to the latter, who, after that day, cherished him, if possible, more tenderly than she had done before, keeping him out of his fa

y passing from the world, and as she felt the approach of death she leaned more and more upon her daughter, talking to her often of the future and commending Louis to her care, when with her he would be motherless. Maude's position was now a trying one, for, when her mother became too ill to leav

ved of invaluable service-sweeping, dusting, washing dishes, cleaning knives, and once ironing Dr. Kennedy's shirts, when old Hannah was in what he called her "tantrums." But alas for John! the entire print of the iron upon the bosom of one, to say nothing of the piles of starch upon another, and more than all, the tremendous scolding which he received from the owner of said shirt, warned him never to turn laundress again, and in disgust he gave up his new vocatio

r would almost make me well, and maybe she will come," and on the sick woman's face there was a joyous expression as she thought how pleasant it would be to see

r call, and ere you deem it possible her shadow shall fall across your t