time to grow up. You don't know how it is making me remember other
things of which I have not thought for years. I was seven years old when
I went that first time. Uncle Jack invited me. I had a new parasol, and
he laughed because I would hold it over my shoulder when the sun was in
my face. He took me into the side-shows and bought me everything I asked
for, on the way home, and we did not get home until twilight. The rest
of the family had dined at four o'clock and gone out for a long drive,
and it was such fun to have our dinner by ourselves. I sat at the head
of the table in mamma's place, and when Bridget came down and insisted
that I must go to bed, Uncle Jack came softly up stairs and sat by the
window, smoking and telling me stories. He ran and hid in the closet
when we heard mamma coming up, and when she found him out by the
cigar-smoke, and made believe scold him, I thought she was in earnest,
and begged him off. Yes; and I remember that Bridget sat in the next
room, making her new dress so she could wear it to church next day. I
thought it was a beautiful dress, and besought mamma to have one like
it. It was bright green with yellow spots all over it," said Kate. "Ah,
poor Uncle Jack! he was so good to me! We were always telling stories of
what we would do when I was grown up. He died in Canton the next year,
and I cried myself ill; but for a long time I thought he might not be
dead, after all, and might come home any day. He used to seem so old to
me, and he really was just out of college and not so old as I am now.
That day at the circus he had a pink rosebud in his buttonhole, and--ah!
when have I ever thought of this before!--a woman sat before us who had
a stiff little cape on her bonnet like a shelf, and I carefully put
peanuts round the edge of it, and when she moved her head they would
fall. I thought it was the best fun in the world, and I wished Uncle
Jack to ride the donkey; I was sure he could keep on, because his horse
had capered about with him one day on Beacon Street, and I thought him a
perfect rider, since nothing had happened to him then."