Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-29
MISCELLANY.
AHat Full Of Beans-a Love story.

A Hat Full Of Beans-A Love SteFy.
''WhO is Squire Bligh?" / asked.
"Who traS Squire Bli2h, you mean?"
returned my friend. ''Sit down and-I
will tel, You a story"
So I sat down and he told me as fol-
lows: and have been thinking of it
ever since, and weaving into my
thoughts with the memory OF those tiny
children intent upon their marvellous
picture books.
Nigh forty years ago, there was
widow living in TINS place who had an
ouly son, named Jack.
Yes" / interrupted, ''and he was an
idle, gOOd-fOr-nOthInS lad, always In
mischief, and an anxiety to his mother"
''WhO told you SOP" asked my friend.
''NO one, said |, go on with your
story"
'.He went on doing little or nothing,
until he was great fellow of seventeen
or eighteen, his chief work being TO
take the horses down TO water for the
farmers round-this he did not object
To, as he could ride down to the river.
and ride up again. Que fine evening
IN Spring he was returning with the
horses as usual, when, rs he passed a
certain stile, he heard some one call
him
. 'Jackr
"sHere be-" said Jack, stopping
the horses, and looking IN the direction
from whence the voice came. 'HOyP
lie calculated, in tone of establishment
and qualification, rs his eye fell on the
neat little figure of the girl who had
been tuken to help the dairy.
'''What be you doing here. Nelly?'
- Waiting to see you, Jack
90 That's kind, at any rate, and it's
not many would do it; but I'm Il ne'er-
do well, and no one need trouble about
me- said he, somewhat bitterly.
49, That's Just what 1 come to tell you, >
returned the little maiden.
q 'Then you don't care about me !?
said he, with very little yexation in
his tone.
"'Carol why should /, for a lazy fell
low like you? 1 should think not
- Bat you might, Nelly
- Might, indeedl mightn't do any
thing of the sort. At any rate, L
don't
'''Then what did you come here for?'
TO tell you that you ought to be
ashamed of yourself
There's plenty to do that, returned
the lad
g Yes, but You don't heed them, and
You might heed me, Jack. Won't YOU
begin to work bit?'
'''I don't know what to begin at.
Your mother has a nice bit of gar
den, Jack $50.
"'Pve nothing to put it in, answered
Jack, despOndingly.
Nonsense, said Nelly; what faint
heart you have. I'll give you lot of
beans to begin with. You put up the
horses and I'll be back In IA minute.
$50 Jack put mp the horses aud
waited for Nelly. Presently she came
along with her apron full OF something
"'Here,' said she, hold your hat;
she poured the beans into it and went
home.
''Next day Jack took spade and
worked diligently two hours.
"'What's come to thee, ladY said
the widow, as he came in, all flushed
and hungry, to dinner.
"'Nelly Giles Is a good lass, quoth
Jack; and IL ever / get rich I'D marry
her.
"'Thee get richr said the widow
Bligh; and she held up her hands dep
recatlngly.
''Strange things happen sometimes,
replied Jack; aud he resumed his dig
ging with renewed energy. All that
afternoon he dug away as if his life de-
pended ON it.
''The next day he planted his beans.
He had evidently turned over a new
leaf, and the widow and her ncighbors
thought the lad was bewitched, as per
q haps he might have been. At any rate
he set to work IN earnest, aud soon he
found plenty to do, the farmers being
nothing 10th to give employment to one
who, despite his idieness, was a general
favOrIte
nelly held aloof. Jack was gettine
beyond her patronage; he had suddenly
become more manly, and seemed as If
he bad grown half head taller all at
once; and Nelly turned shy, and il was
all be- could do TO get stray word from
her now and then.
lit was clear that she would have
nothing to say to him, which Jack
thought rather hard after all the trouble
he had taken to please her; and the
more lie pOndered over it the less he
could understand it, Nelly used to be
SO friendly.
{" 'PerhRpsif were rich man, she
might give a thought to me, said Jack
AMI so he determined to go elsewhere
to seek his fortune, and return and
make Nelly his wife.
"When he went to say gOOd-by to
her, he did it IN rather bungling man
ner,