The old
grandmother was very much disposed to make much of her; but
Ellen shrank, she hardly knew why, from her fond caresses, and
never found herself alone with her if she could help it; for
then she was regularly called to the old lady's side, and
obliged to go through a course of kissing, fondling, and
praising she would gladly have escaped. In her aunt's presence
this was seldom attempted, and never permitted to go on. Miss
Fortune was sure to pull Ellen away, and bid her mother "stop
that palavering," — avowing that "it made her sick." Ellen had
one faint hope that her aunt would think of sending her to
school, as she employed her in nothing at home, and certainly
took small delight in her company; but no hint of the kind
dropped from Miss Fortune's lips; and Ellen's longing look for
this as well as for a word from her mother, was daily doomed
to be ungratified, and to grow more keen by delay.
One pleasure only remained to Ellen in the course of the day,
and that one she enjoyed with the carefulness of a miser. It
was seeing the cows milked morning and evening. For this she
got up very early, and watched till the men came for the
pails; and then away she bounded, out of the house and to the
barnyard. There were the milky mothers, five in number,
standing about, each in her own corner of the yard or
cowhouse, waiting to be relieved of their burden of milk.
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