The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-04-30
1872

'Alas should have none low. but
/ once dreamed that Nellie Phillips
would be to me, what she is now to an.
other
What meaning do your words i'm
ply l asked puzzled by his words.
He saw my pcrplcxity, and after lead
ing me to seat, gave me his confdenc,
and asked me if Nellie was not bctroth
ed to his friend James Leland. | as
sured him that no such event had eve
been in anticipation, or ever could posi-
iblc occur.
What can it mean, ihcn; james
left letter for me, on lis departure, a
few days previous TO my own, in which
he informed me he had made proposal.
of love to the most lovely maiden of the
village, and been accepted Since tha
time | have travelled from city to city
and although | have written constant
to him, | have not received any commu
nication in answer Who else could he
mean, for who but Nellie Phillips recciv
ed any Of his attention, even up to the
very hour Of her accident"
you are wholly mistaken, | answer
Cd, Your enthusiastic friend spent
the last month Of bis stay in Fairfield in
wooing our second sweetest village rose,
Nettie Lee
But Ncllic-whcre is Nellie DO
not torture me longer, by Withholding
any knowledge you may possess Of her.
All Maurice, she is under this very
roof, poor fading flower, with hardly
enough Of strength to hold on to life for
day.
What has brought her to this = cried
Mauoiece. DO not tell me, when it is
too late, that Nellie is dying. She must
not die
Anxiety and a sick heart, united to
fragile constitution, has brought her
where she is. She has grevcd herself
into state that alarms US most fcarlully
for her safety
Now Maurice read the truth. lie
loaded himself with rcproaches, and bow
ed his head in deep sorrow. Never had
/ seen strong, self-reliant nature so
moved as his. 1t would have panied me
to behold it had | not read in it the glo-
lious home Of Nellie's recovery. Here
would be q new incentive to life. What
might not hope for in his love and ten
derness? We parted for the night, and
/ promised Maurice he should see our
darling in the morning.
On the following day I arrayed Nell
lie in the pretty morning wrapper, and
smoothed her hair upon her forehead 4,
weaving in with the braids some of the
wild flowers we had plucked on our yes
tcrday's journey. Our Rose never look
cd lovlicr than when it opened its pale
blossoms that morning, to receive INTO
is bosom the love that was to revivify
and strengthen it into new life. l left
the lovers alone and wandered off by
myself. When returned, Nellie beck
oned me to her.side, and clinging to me
said -
Maurice loves me, and / shall live to
repay your and mothers care Of me. 1t
was selfish in me to yield to the approach
es of death but oh it was SO hard
struggle to live without bis love. Now
/ have it, thank Heaven have it, and
am happy
A year from this time, on the first
day of May, village church Of Faiafeld
stood open. and the young maidens were
adorning it with flowers for Il bridal
The usual May festival was put aside,
but the village was all astir-old men
and young children all fastening along
the road, with garlands and bouquets OF
flowers, to crown the bride, for this is
ihe double bridal of our sweet village
maidens, Nellie Phillips and her bosom
friend, Ncttie Lee. The gossiping viii
layers say, as they pass the cottage on
their way to church, that they we'll re-
member seeing the TWO strangers at the
May festival two years ago, and they
then predicted some. such event as this
10 follow. Others said We shall lose
two of our sweetest lasscs. We could
have better spared them all, that Nellie
Phillips Thus they gossiped, while we
yoye bridal wr eaths of sweet May How
ers to crown our darlings:
Oh, what swce: bride was Nellie
Phillips Her check vas not rosy with
the hue Of health, but her slender form
had somewhat roupded into new grace
during the past year Of happiness. For-
give me reader, but my pen still delights
to linger over her beauty My love ior
Nellie was a passion l could hot control
and to me she seemed
The loveliest flower that ever grew
Beside a cottage door,"
Another year had passed, aud finds
Nellie happy wife. She lives in the
light of her husbands smiles, aud each