Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-14
Y.-THE CONQUEST.


"What an indefatigabie knitter you
are ?" and Fred Carleton looked up with
an unconscious smile of admiration.
Nellie sat at an open window, through
which the sweet briar thrust its fragrant
twiggs. A canary, in a beautiful cage
overhead, was singing blithely and wild
ly, bursting out every now aad then IN
snatches of glorious music. Nellie was
at work on a long. blue stocking. nearly
finished, and her fingers few like snow
birds.
"How we'll you knit are you very
fond of it,"
Eyes, indeed /; I love it dearly. like
it better than a good many others, and
can do it better, too,-that is-I-I mean
| can churn pretty well, and make bread,
you know, and doughnuts."
20, you simple little thing !" thought
the city gentleman and do you read
much ?" he asked aloud, for his eyes had
been travelling from table to shelf. and
from shelf to stand, in search of some
book or paper. A yellow old almanac
hung oyer the fireplace, a we'll worn BIZ
BILE stood on the little table, her fathers
glasses in the old red morocco case perch
ed on its baized covered lid.
"Ol yes" replied Nellie, with a self
satisfied glance, II read, to be sure"
"What books, permit me to ask p
"Why, III read the Bible a good
DEAL" she simply replied.
is that all q he remarked, evidently
disappointed.
"Alll of course not ; and yet what do
we not learn from that holy volume 2"
she asked with a soft, subduel gentleness.
:" History. poetry, eloquence, romance
the most thrilling pathos-the sublimest
language then blushing at his look of
astohishment, and rccollecting herself,
she added, with a manner as childish as
it had been dignifed.
As for other books, let me sce-I've
got on my bookshelf, up stairs, a swing
ing shelf that uncle Josh made; first,
there's the primer, Counting on her fin
gers) there's the second class reader
some beautiful stories in 1.-TWO or three
elements of something, history of some
thing, biography of somebody-mother 2
magazine-King Richard the Third
believe that's all. We girls in the coun
try, you know" she added, keeping her
eyes demurely down., don't need to know
much beside making bread, churning but
ter and keeping house."
Fred left her with tingling cheeks, and
more with sentiments of pity than love.
But his visits did not always end with
like result. He began tofeel a magnetic
attraction which he vainly attributed to
Nellie beauty. But the truth was, her
sweet disposition, her artless manners,
her engaging gentleness and her superior
house keeping qualities, won upon the
city bred and aristocratic Frederick
Carleton. There was a freshness, a re.
inement about everything she said or
did. She perplexed, as we'll as delighted
him. Her little quaint songs began to
be called for more frequently-her opin.
ion solicited. Often, as he was wonder
ing how some homely expression might
be received in polite society, a beautiful
sentiment would suddenly drop like a
pearl from her lips. remarkable alike for
originality and brilliancy.
If should love her, thought he. when
he reasoned with himself, / can educate
her. 1t would be worth tying. She
has a splendid mind. 1t was useless to
combat with the passion that slowly gain,
ed on the fashionable maj of the world,
So at last he fell at NeIlie's feet, Ito use
a very hguratiye exrression,) ami con.
fessed his love.
Nellie wasn't a bit astonished-ol
course not. She was a dear. demure lit
tie creature however. wondered if he
would not be ashamed of such q rustic
wife in the great city, among his fashion.
able friends?
Hell never-and protestation upon pro
testation followed. He should be proud
Of her beauty, her loye-her gensIeness
AYE, even Of her very bewitching sim.
plicity. In fact, it was a case of true
genuine love. Nellie saw that she had
won the heart of q very man-one who
knew what goodness was, and could an
preciate something beside the mere ex
~ternals Of loneliness.