'
'Helen is very unlike the others in everything,' said Anne.
'Helen will be the handsomest as far as regularity of features goes,'
said Lady Merton.
'Do you think so?' said Anne.
'Certainly,' said Lady Merton; 'her features are less prominent, and
her colour has not that fixed hectic look that both the others have,
especially Lizzie.'
'But she wants brightness and animation,' said Anne, 'and she so
often looks dismal and fretful, that I cannot fancy admiring her.'
'There has never been much sympathy between you and Helen,' said Lady
Merton, smiling.
'No,' said Anne, 'I never felt as if I knew or liked her. I believe
Rupert and I were very unkind to her in our younger days; but, oh!
she was the most tiresome whining child I ever knew.'
'I believe that, though she was too young to know it,' said Lady
Merton, 'poor little Helen suffered more from your aunt's death than
either of her sisters.'
'How so, Mamma?' said Anne, looking rather alarmed.
'She was a very delicate baby, requiring a great deal of care,' said
Lady Merton; 'indeed, we have always thought that your aunt laid the
foundation of her illness, by sitting up with her while she was
cutting her large teeth, and during your aunt's illness, it was
painful to see how the poor child missed her.
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