The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-06-04
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NELLIE SEATON--A SKETCH
BY CLARA LEE.

BY CLARA LEE.
o how have worshipped talent-hiS
talent But will it satisfy me always !;
Will it make home happy; Will this
alone make him man and respected
among men, Will it keep him pure
aud noble in the site of Heaven May
God help me, for | am very miserable /;
and the question must be decided at
once aud tue young girl arose and paced
tue room with rapid steps
Eight years before this, Nellie Scaton
had engaged herself to Fredric Deleval
1t was during the years of his collegiate
course. 1t bad been his practice, as it
has that of many another, to teach dur
ing the winter months and it was as
teacher and pupil that he and Nellie first
met
She was then only fifteen happy,
light hearted aud joyous girl. And
beautiful she must bave been for when
| first knew her, five years atterward,
she was the most lovely my eyes ever
beheld-lovely both in person and in
mind. | wish | could deS,r'he her to
you; but words would fail to do her jus
tice. Suffice it to say she was beautl-
full, intelligent, aud accomplished. And
she was as good as she was beautiful.
At this time she was my teacher, and
o, how we loved, how We worshipped
her She was but year or two my
senior, and between us there soon grew
up an intimacy stronger than is usual be-
tween teacher and pupil. AS she was
then | never shall forget her. We have
not met since-wc never more may meet
upon earth, but in my memory she will
ever retain a place aud i'll my heart a
home. But few have | loved as | loved
Nellie Seaton.
At the time when | knew her, as ]
said before, she had been engaged five
years. At first Nellie's parents had ia
vored bis suit /; for Fredric Delval was,
or might haze been, noble specimen OF
manhood. He was large well proper
toned, ud-looking and gifted in intel
lect far beyond the usual lot of mortals.
No wonder Nellie loved him-no won
der he SO soon became to her almost u
god.
Talented herself she loved and revcr-
enced talent in another. 1t was her be-
setting sin, if sin it can be, this love and
reverence she cherished for Intellect
10, a I nj
titude of SINS Alas there is many
another like Nellie Scaton. May the
good father love and protect them fol
the steps Of such often 60 wearlly as
tray.
A year or two passed happily will
Nellie. She was constantly in school
constantly striving to make herself wor-
thy of him whom she had chosen to be
her future husband and protector. lu
everything she undertook she succeeded;
and invariably she bore away, almost
without competition, the various honorS
of the school.
But dark cloud was slowly gather.
ing in Nellie's horizon. Rumors came
from the college of dissipation and wrong
in which the name of the beloved one
was often heard At first she could no
believe, but by degrees a portion of The
truth was forced upon her. Her pa
rents reasoned and demonstrated, thcr
commanded. Fredric was forbidden The
house. His portrait, which in earlie'
and happier days had graced the wall o
their parlor, was now removed, aud stood
in an old rubbish room with its face t
the wall. Poor, poor Nellie /! these were
sad days for her, aud well nigh crushed
the life from her heart She bad loveC
him so entirely, so devotedly, how coul'
she change : aud yet dared she to becom
! his wife
This was the one question which agl
tated her day and night. In her con
lversation with him, although with he
, truthful eye upon him he dared not den
all, yct he palliatcd and soltcncd muc