"Try it!" Gertrude often said.
That was the principle by which Gertrude Harris was always acting. If she
had flowers, fruit, books, pretty gifts, or money, her first thought
always was, "How can I make somebody happy?" With such a generous soul,
part nature's gift and part acquired by self-sacrifice, the life of
Gertrude was as buoyant and happy as the birds in a flower garden.
The decision of Gertrude's father to take her and meet his family in
Europe was not known in Harrisville except to a few. Most of the
colonel's friends supposed that he was busy planning some new business
adventure, in which he might employ his surplus capital and his undoubted
business abilities. Because of the recent calamity, and the hardships of
the employees in connection with their strike, he thought it unwise to
make public mention of his future projects.
The more Gertrude meditated upon her father's plan, the more dissatisfied
with herself she became. The idea of going to Europe and leaving George
behind was unendurable. He needed rest more than she. True, he was to
follow later, but she wanted him to cross the ocean on the same steamer,
and she earnestly desired that the one she loved best should share all of
her enjoyments.
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