The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-03

as he assisted her in placing the dinner
J upon the table; and how Jem,s honest
pride i'm his future wife was kindied by
the exhibition of her domesticity, Joe
felt, after all, that it was but natural
Nelly's young heart should have clung
to seek a frank young fellow as Jem
Duckworth.
And with regard to the meal of which
the trio were about to partake, it was
curious to note how anxious and per-
turbed Nelly was-so full of watchful-
ness with respect to the placing upon
the table of dishes and glasses free from
flaw or crack; so frequent in her apOl-
ogy, that if she had only known visitors
We're to be expected, she would have
taken greater pains and made other
preparations; and was so startled when
her father ventured the opinion that the
beef was very ''hard, IAN opinion
afterwards retracted, when it was dis
covered that the knife Joe was using
was somewhat blunt,-that at last Jem
had to declare he wouldn't have any
dinner at all if Nelly was SO fidgety
about the manner in which the beef
and pudding would "turn ott.n OF
course the dinner was a success; Jem
knew it would be. The beef was beauti-
fully cooked; and as for the pudding,
both gentleman declared it attained the
highest perfection of art.
| / wonder, SAYS the reader, if they
were prejudiced? Well, perhaps they
were Just little. But one fact is GER
tain, none of the pudding remained
after the banquet was over. Ifit was
| not quite so super-eXcellent as Jem de-
clared, they resolved that their opinion
as to its merits should not be disputed
| by allowing any one outside the happy
| little party to have an opportunity of
judging; so they sacrificed themselves
to their opinions, vehemently protest
ing, whilst consuming the last morsel,
| that never previously had such a pud-
ding been placed before rejoicing man
kind.
After dinner, Jem told his future
father-in-law how it was Nelly had not
received any letter for q couple of mails
past. OF course Jem had acquainted
Nelly long before Joe reached home,
and equally of course Nelly had for
given him for his apparent neglect.
IACoNCh OlCSc lkiC lulu WOhlhns OllC
had forgiven him in her heart before
the explanation had been made. How
it happened was i'm this way: When
the vessel was lost in which Jem's saw
| ings had been embarked for despatch
to England, Ia order to pay the sum
advanced by Joe, he resolved to try his
fortune at some diggings just discover
ed. His letter acquainting Nelly of
/ l. Iafa ,ots
there was no hope for it but to wait un-
| til the departure of the next. Ere that,
Jem had made lucky hit. One day
he dug up few nuggets, which he
| speedily converted into five hundred of
her most gracious Majesty's sovereigns,
| and resolving not to stay in foreign
country, and risk losing the money he
| had acquired, as well as his sweetheart
| left in England, he took passage ON
board the steamer which was to have
| conveyed the intended letter. Then,
when he got near home, he determined
to give Nelly aud her father surprise
and this was all.
Jem then produced his money, and
| insisted on paying Joe the seventy-five
pounds borrowed. Ofcourse Nelly and
her father demurred but Jem would
hear of only one other arrangement,
| which WAS, that Nelly should become.
his wife i'm less than month OF fcourse
| Nelly wouldn't hear of that-Oh, GER
| tainly not; so Joe was compelled to
| accept his money, and return Jem his
securities.
Then, this little business over, walk
was proposed, and they set out; Jem,
as in duty bound, and rs incliuatiOn
dictated, cscOrting Nelly, whilst Joe,
who pretended he could get along bet
ter by himself, judiciOusly walked a
little way ahead, whereby the lovers
| were enabled to talk over several mat
| tiers interesting only to themselves, and
which it would therefore be impertinent
to here reproduce. Nelly blushed,
laughed, (it would have done your
heart good to hear Nelly BliInber's
ringing laugh), cried, and was suddeu-
| ly taIkative, and as suddenly as mute
as Fenella; but throughout the stroll
| Nelly didn't meet person happier
than herself. And then Jem was such
a pleasant companion, and had plaus
| for the future. As for Joe, he couldn't
make up his mind as to whether Jem's
return was al event for sorrow or re-
jOicing. He was glad to see his daugh-
ter so happy, and that Jem had turned
out a true-hearted-fellow whilst on the
other hand he could not but think of
the apidly-apprOaching time when
| Nelly's first care would be for her hus-
band. These alterations of feeling
accompanied the whole of his walk, so
that he felt no regret when they again
arrived home. Then Nelly prepared
tea, and during the discussion of that
cosy meal, Jem stated the arrangements
to which ne had wrung an ucquies-
cence from his betrothed. The young
people were to be married in the spring,
when the pantominle season was over,
for Nelly wouldn't hear OF "thrOwing
Over' the cOmplaisant manager. IN
the mean time Jem was to look about
him for an advantageous business to
open "On his own account" then,
when the nuptial knot was tied, Joe
was to come and live with them. Did
that suit JOe's approval? Didn' it,"
What with Nellie's advancement at
the Nonpareil, and the approaching
marriage, there was such brisk con-
versation carried on, that the evening
passed away quite as rapidly as the
afternoon had done; and when Jem
wished his sweetheart goodnight he
left the little maiden's heart i'm per-
feet tumult of joy, pride, and hope.
Joe was prouder of his daughter than
ever, when, the morning after Boxing
day, he saw Miss Blimber's graceful
dancing eulogiZed in some of the
papers, and heard her publicly spoken
of as the clever daughter "of the effi-
cient utility actor, Mr.. Blimber." The
pantomime was so successful that ere
ITS run was over Jem had got into a
nice shop, and had commenced his
trade of carpenter and builder ("esti-
mates given for general REPAIRS" &C.
with such success as to warrant expec-
tations of very satisfactory return for
his investment at the close of the year.
But at last the wedding took place,
and NOego, the manager, exceedingly