The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-07-01

not the honor of your acquaintance, but
nevertheless remain your obedient ser
want"
AS she glided past me, / saw that her
form was noble, her features fine; but
that was not all, she looked as if she were
honest. / had dreamt whole year about
an honest woman-a girl honest to her
self and therefore courageous; honest to
others, and therefore unaffected; passion
ate yet pure: seeking to obtain no admir-
alton under false pretences; without guile
or craftiness; gentle as the dove, yet bold
for the sake OF the truth; ever doing her
duty, quietly, calmly: and thought that
if / could meet such woman,
and l recognize her, | would bow
and worship at her feet, though | should
chance to be in the middle Of Broadway
with two rival omnibusses racing toward
me. But fortunately 1 did not meet
her in such an inconyenient locality for
devotion. / met her at last in the silent
old college-ibrary.
I had no difficulty in finding out her
name-it was Nelly Appleton-and in
gaining the honor of a formal introduc-
ton. She was just what | expected; her
noble face being but the vestibule of a no
bier soul-temple. THE ''sweet influences
of her companionship were as delicious
to me as cold water to thirsty man. l
did not stop to consider whether was in
love, any moro than hungry boy would
stop to consider the chemical composition
ola peach. Ifeasted, asking no questions.
Nelly's father Cher mother was dead) had
taken up his abode temporarily in the lit
tie village over which the college was su-
perjacent. So | saw her very often.-
We soon became intimate, and had pleas
ant little plans, and even condolences of
our own. We rode and drove together
up and down the beautiful valley of the
Oriskany. I did not read the ''Biogra-
phia" any more, for had a pleasanter
life to study.
One day Nelly and / went with par
ty ofa dozen friends on q trout fishing and
picnic excursion. The day was as long
and bright as June sun could make it.
We were all gay and happy and lucky
The trout bit as if they were bent on telo-
desc. The birds over our heads sang as
if they were wild. AS for the party, as
Stunning the fact that they were all young
and free from care, you may imagine the
jollity that dubbed up in our midst
! About noon we reached little cascade in
/ the brook, wien came tumbling through
a great gorge in the hill side; and 10 this
noble dining room of nature our picnic
lunch was laid beneath a wide spreading
beech, and near cool spring. Nelly and
[ were deputed to gather evergreens and
flowers to deck the feast, We strolled off
together to a solemn corner of the glen,
where the silence was broken only by the
music of the cascade, and the darkness
was relieved by single broad ray Of light
which fell through the foliage above, and
was shivered in thousand glittering
fragments on the ripple of rapid. Why
We wandered toward this spot, Heaven
knows; certainly no flowers could bloom
in so dark nook, save one OF hope for
me- Unconsciously, I sat down on a
broad-s slab of moss-grown granite and with
the evergreens and flowers. We talked
for some time quietly of our six months
acquaintanceship; and gradually, in low
er tone, came to tell her that same old
story--you know what it is-which | sup
pose Jacob told to Rachel, and Romeo to
Juliet and Strephon to Chloe, and which
will be whispered by youth in beauty's
ear to the end of time. She turned her
face and looked steadfastly in mine for
one moment, as if she would read the last
letter on my hearts tablet; then bowed
her head with true womanly blush, and
laid her right hand in mine For further
particulars of that picnic, you must in
quire of the rest of the party.
DAYS and days rolled on, and naturally
enough Nelly's father was made acquain-
ted with our loves. He was man l
could not ike--the dear girl must have
inherited her goodness from her mother
and as soon as he heard the story, a
great quarrel blazed up. He thought I
was poor, as indeed / had been, until the
demise of an uncle / never saw, left me
snug little fortune. Ofthis windfall | had
not told the daughter, for, like roman
i. tic young man that was, wished to win
but by her heart; and l was quite too
proud to tell the father of it, when he ac-
cused me of the crime of being penniless.
High words passed between us in Nelly's
presence; and in my madness and cruelty
[ accused her of sordid motives, because
she hesitated between love and fiial duty.
She answered me with indignation - |
liked her better for that afterward-and |
| left the house in a rage. 1t was the old
story again, old as lovers, and one that
will be reenacted half-yearly till dooms-
day. A stern parent = hesitating girl
- foolish boy these elements will
make up little private theatricals, and
enact tragedies thereat, till all the world
melts.
The next morning / woke up with a
horrible suspicion that had been acting
in very silly manner. rushed down to
the village, in a very disheveled state, to
see Nelly and pray forgiveness. The
maid at the door told me, with aggrava-
ting calmness, suggestive of a fee received
at parting, that Miss Nelly and her father
and left town that morning. Whittier
they had gone she had not the faintest
idea, neither had the landlady. They had
simply paid their bills and gone. What
was it to Mrs. Jones or Bridget? They
had got their money. returned to my
room, and occupied half-an-hour profta-
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