Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-22
CHAPTER. VII

The deserted cabin-IIse qatdJriers-A hat3nan
skult-4 mysterious Care-PIblic conster-
in 'fa5b2 p6bafat161i t A aaAf G gpd58{94 p85F8g4s
as emigrants from the old world poured in and
spectators and citizens congregated there and
all showed themselves busy in quest of the
great staple fmen's thoughts and aspirations,
GOLD! The city extended to where the hEm-
BILE cottage of poor crazy Nelly stood, and
some said that the unsightIy hut must fall TO
the ground and give place to palace Of stone
and mortar, to ornament the proud city The
edict was that the cottage, like its unhappy
owner, must perish; but to this Emma Layton
sternly objected, saying it was her property by
legal gift, and she wished tito stand memorial
Of her unhappy friend. This was thought
strangely of by those who made filthy lucre"
their worship and alteration, seeing as they
did how many dollars might be gathered from
rents, if the spot was improved ; and this plea
was urged upon Emma; but she would not
consent to It, and the humble cottage was sui
fered to stand as it was when Nelly left it,
while the lordly palaces and gay mansions shot
up their proud domes and cornices, and pol
ished and painted parapets round about it
and 1hetta5za hett55a tAsut as if it was filthy, unholy
thing Crazy Nelly cabin looked lonely and
| desolate in the midst of its gay neighbors: the
white wreath of smoke that used to wind out
of its wide mouthed chimney and float off in
a curious shaped cloud down the ravine, was
not seen as It had been years ago; the swal-
lows had swarmed in multitudes and built warm
nests in the sooty fabric and reared their
young in unmolested quietude there; the flap
ping bats too were seen to sally forth at even
tide from their secure hiding places beneath
I'll. Il
round the silent cabin busy in catching buzzing
flies and gnats; long grass hid grown up from
the rich soil in the yard and the little narrow
path which Nelly's feet had marked out from
the cottage door to the little white gate had
also grown dim, and the grass in rich tufts were
growing in her footsteps; sapient looking
cat, one that Nelly had petted with her owr
r caresses and a great favorite too, noble crea
: ture of the feline race. marked with shining
+ black and glossy yellow spots, might have beer
, seen basking in the sunbeams on the soutl
: side of the cabin, crouched in the soft grass
quietly awaiting the approach of night whel
: the war AGAINST the rats that built their house
: there might be more successfully waged: tn
4 cat would not leave the desolate home of it
t crazy mistress!
e An old man, crippled beggar, used FIRE
IS quently to sit near where the little white gat
hung on its rusty hinges and beg aims of tn
it citizens who passed-poor old man, he used
% know poor Nelly when she was bit of
n girl" as he said and when the passenger
d were few by his scat he used to look over in th
is grassy yard and Ugh and wipe tears from h
e af blind eyes ana tell TO the children who gait
in cred round him he tale of Ellen O'Rara,
rs answer TO their elger questions why he wep
III All the low and messy cabin really locke
III desolate and sad in the ranks of its gay neig
n. bors overlooking its moss grown roof and hue
h. smokeless chimiey-it looked comfortless,
IS. different from chat it did when Ellen used
.ir sing there TO another, brother and her p
is. birds from the wild mountains! The moth
m was gone-tfe brother was gone-Ellen W
til gone-the birds had long since flown to the
e. green retreat in the hills all were gone al
ce the cottage and the cat were left, and lookir
re SO. cheeEess and gloomy. SC like death char
n Der witR1dleral Grape floating around it
his Wheathe workers in stone came to adorn {
I'M city with polished palaces of shining mart
mi they went to the mountain directly back of t
an cabin crazy Nelly once owned and from
: steep nountain side rolled heavy blocks of gra
II tie to serve their architectural purposes. I
- hill side was full Of huge stones firmly wedg
in there by dame nature, and when the m
'eI gathered there to remove them for more not
les purpose, the sounds of the humping hamm'
ne the ringing bar and the harsh cTeaking OF I
crane was IN strange contrast to the SOUNDS u