Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-07-29

COme up 10 MIN IN learning rreuCn aux
singing; but it is of no use. The town la
dies can paint and draw, play the piano, ant
some of them even write poetry; but they
can't make such cakes as you can, Nellie
or keep house SO nicely. shut my eyes
when | was in town, on their fine dresses
and pretty ways. and kept my heart true te
you. Nov, won't you have me, Nellie! I've
been court:ng you Iore than year, evsi
since your sixteenth birthday; and yot
know love you truly"
Poor Henry had chosen a most inaus-
picious time. The little heart he covetet
had not had time to cast out the image ol
the first man who had ever really touched
it; andas Nellie sadly pictured Georges
+ graceful manners and eearszy address,, and
turnedto the simp lie pedagogue beside her,
the contrast was too striking. Georges
dress was so different from that of the viii
layers, who. living miles from any town OF
fai.way, dressed in the fashion of their
grand parents. Henry and Nellie. as they
sat on the old stile, would, could they have
moved at once into a fashionable drawing
room. have been admirably costumed for a
fancy ball, as country people Of fifty years
ago.
Nellie gave Henry most decided refusal
and taking no notice OF lis surprised, dis
mayed face, left the old stile and hurried
homeward. AS she went, she pictured in
her mind the accomplishments of the town
ladies'. This explained Georges silence on
the love subject, which bad SO puzzled the
little country girl, accustomed to the plain
courting of the farmers sons. Of course,
she argued, George, with his fine education
and talents, looked for accomplishments in
his wife; and she determined to have these.
Father she said, coming into the kitch-
en-, where the farmer was enjoying his
pipe, 81 want to go 10 boarding-school for
two or three years"
"Gracious sakes!' cried he- mother, drop
ping the plate she was washing. "Whatll
you want nextl"
This was the first mention OF the subject
Nellie was more than two months per-
suading and coaxing the old man before he
consented. He was rich. Nellie was the
only child; and at last the unwilling con-
sent was wrung from him; and Nellie was
taken to the best boarding-school near town.
The poor child was at first much discouraged
by the ridicu.e OF her schoolmates. 1t was
hard to hear her dress laughed at, and ter
ignorance despised; but the girls own good
taste in investing the money her father sup
piled literally IN neat and fashionably made
garments, and her fine talents, which soon
displayed themselves, were not lohg in pla-
cling her on an equality with Der comPRn-
ions. There was one grief she suffered =
George Lawton had left town to travel on
the continent: and when she arrived, think
ing Of the pleasure her unexpected presence
would give him, he was Car away. The two
letters he had written after leaving Tower
vile had made no mention of this intention,
for, argued the gay young man, sit is of no
use to break the poor little beauty's heart.
Pity she's so countrified. My heart was in
real danger; but, allons, she'll forget me in
a month";
Two years passed on, during which Mel
lie applied her whole mind to her studies;
and on her nineteenth birthday she left the
school, and, at the earnest solicitation o.
Georges mother, went to pass some weeks
at her house before returning TO Towerville.
George was sill abroad; and his mother
thought it would be good time to return
Mrs. Greyson's hospitality to her son when
he was not at home, and there was no dan
ger OF his falling in love with country
farmers daughter, even though that same
farmer was the husband of her second couS-
in; and Mrs. Lawton's grandfather was a
country farmer, too.
Now, Nellie said Mrs. Lawtoh, coming
into her room one morning, 81 want you to
look your loveliest this evening for my
Soiree. There will be most distinguished
company. Count L. is coming this af-
ternoon-Mrs. Jay promised TO bring him
with her. He only arrived from Germany
the day before yesterday. George thought
of coming with him: but he wrote to me not
to expect him positively; and of course he
is not with him, or he would have written
to me-"
Mrs. Lawton's drawing-room was crowd
ed tina. evening with the elite of fashion,
Nellie was at the piano, singing, when two
young men came into the hall. They stop
ped there, listening with delight to the full
rich notes of powerful voice, which SEEM
ed flooding the room with melody.
"Bravo!" said one OF them, as the song
concluded "Let's see this cantatrice."
"George!" cried Mrs. Lawton, as they
care into the room.
Or course, there was q rapturous meeting,
and explanations of how he had written to
her, but that the letter must have been de-
tanned; nd, while he was saying all this,
George was looking at the singer. She was
changed, and he did not recognize his cous-
in Nellie. As she stood under the light,
leaning gracefully against the piano, chat
ting with u group Of admirers, her Glue elk
dress fitting her small but beautiful figure
TO perfection, her rich and abundan. hair
falling from jewelled comb in profusion
of curls on her white, uncovered throat and
shoulders, Jewels glittering on her arms and
bosom, she certainly looked most unlike the
little country lass whose hair was confined
by hat or handkerchief, and whose close
kerchief came up to her throat.
"Who is that, mother-the lady in blue"
asked George.
THAT! Oh, that's Nellie Greyson!" sht
replied. "She is hsre on visit. Ther' =
Mrs. Jay has introduced Count L. al
: ready. Well, she can speak German beau
tifuIly; so she is about the best person her'
TO entertain him."
> Nellie, the accomplished, singer, talking
German to foreign count-Nellie, who,