Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-07-29
4opuIar Gales.
tFrnm the London Family Herald)
A NEW STORY OF AN OLD
STILE.

That old stilei 1t stood on the outskirts
of The village, and was the ,rysting- place o.
the lads and lasses of Towerville when oul
prandmothers were young. Every child In
the village knew the old stile as a resting.
place when there was tired party of little
ones returning from rutting or berTying.-
Every Young beauty had her own expe-
rier ce of its own experience of its suitability
for trYsting-place. The matrcDs loved it
from old associations and recollections OF
the time when their own hearts, then young
lessed to the music of some loved voice,
and felt the pressure of some manly hand,
as the speaker leaned over them, sitting on
the old stile True, it had been repaired
again and again; for the villagers loved it,
and kept it in order. Still, the old stones
were there, and it was the old spot.
Pretty Nelly Greyson, as she sat there,
one summer afternoon, pulling to pieces the
last hoquet left there by some love-lorn far
mer's son, thought sadly of the many times
sbe had FASTENED to the old stile with her
handsome lover, the guest of the village,
George Lawton. Poor Nellie. George wal
the son of an opulent merchant, a man OF
wealth and influence, and had been sent in
TO the country to recruit his health at his
cousins, Nellie's mother.
1t did hot take lorg for the handsome,
talented young Lawton to win the simple,
trusting heart of the lovely village girl
Nellie had received sound English educa-
tion: but to this was added no accomplish
eDoCo mn fOr-
eign tongue; her pretty " hite hands could
call out music from no instrument; and al
though she could dance the simp;e figures
of the country dances, she knew no rules
for stately carriage, or the most finished
manner of receiving guest. George taught
her French. II was an amusement to while
awar the dull hours in a country village, snd
Nellie was an apt scholar. As they bent
nyer the book in the little parlor, what
wonder that they were tempted out, ant
took the grammar to the old siile TO cor
the verbs, j'aime and j'ddore? Then the ole
style was such famous place to practice
the duets George taught Nellie; and thei1
united voices woke the echoes in the woods
near them, probably very much astonishing
the trees by operate airs.
George had gone home. He had spoken
no word of love to Nellie, though every lool
and action was more eloquent than the
mos, studied speech. He wrote to her; bu
the letters, though treasures to her, did no
6Il up the gap his absence made; and, Al
she village beauty sat musing on the oil
.,;Ie no one would have dreamed that hal
.he male hearts in the village were mad
over to her. Old Farmer Grevson fume'
and fret,ed at Nellie's altered ways, an
w.s half tempted 10 comnsnd her to accep
the son of his neighbor Jenks. who wa
evidently pining away from the troubI
c,used in his honest heart by Nellie's in
difference to bis suit.
.Nellie, lass,"h he had said to her ths
morning, an love you true and fondly;-
viii! YOU be my wife, Nellie. your tow
beau has always besuies around him; he
forget you, Nellie"
And then the beauty, fred by this snee
vowed she cared nothing for her tow
cousin, and would not marry, not 5ecau:
she loved him, but because there was not
man in the village worth having Oh, Ne
lie! Nellie!
As she sat musing on the old stile, 81
saw the village schoolmaster, Henry Spar
coming towards her. Now Nellie, befo
George Lawtou had turned her silly lit
head, had given most decided encourag
ment to Mr.. Sparks; aad he felt fully We
come as he took seat beside her on Il
stile.
"Good afternoon, Miss Nellie" he sa
trying to detain the hand she pettish
drew from his grasp: "Nellie," he addt
in an altered tone, ''don't be cross. 1t is
long since ] have had chance TO see Y
alone, Nellie"
"Cross!" Nellie could get no further.
She was almost ready, the silly little beau
to cry, as the contrast between her ];
visit to the stile with George, and this OIL
struck her.