The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-10-11
NORAR'S DEVOTION.

"Ah, how pretty she isr' be said.
Was there ever such pretty lass, dye
think, Norab?'
Perhaps not" said Norah; and she
look her milking pals and followed
May, going on before with light step
and a gay song toward the meadow
where the cows browsed. But when
she was quite out of hearing of Ned
Wilton, sitting perched uron the stile,
she muttered to herself, "Pre;ty pret-
ty! pretty! All, they ring the changes
upon that, these men, as the old bell
ringer that knew but his one tune used
to do, down in the church tower Pret-
tyl pretty pretty! Its never good :
its never bonest:' it's never 'tiue.' It's
always 'pletty.' Then she stopped
and looked up, and said, with a quiver
of passionate gIief in her voice: "Oh,
I'd give the world just to hear Ned
Wilton call me pretty! What fool
amp and she went on with her pals
toward the cows Brow n Bess and Lily
White and Pretty Polly.
Certainly Norah was not pretty; and
what there was in her face the man on
the stile would have been the last TO
see. Had she been Q queen, many
would have seen something strangely
fair ano regular in her face. Had she
been only a rich gentleman daughter,
some one might have dreamed of those
deep eyes and that pure brow OF hers ;
but red and white, and fat and din pies,
were the recognized beauties of the To-
cality, as indeed they are all over Iie
worla, to such folks as hei lot was cast
among: ana Norah was spoken Of as
"plain.' Two years before, she bad
taken it into her foolish head to like
Ned Wilton very much; and he, the
farmers son, had thought well enough
of the dairy to Say some very
pleasant things TO her. She bad bad q
sweet dream, but May Britton's coming
broke it. Her beauty was very bright
and rare. and Ned forgot The nice girl
he had been 20 fond of chatting wuh
for the pretty one who smiled and
glanced at him.
She was not so good 3s Norsh she
had not ha'f her earBcstpess and con
stancy; but the face WAS all TO Ned. 81
May Britton wore a little plain gold riD;
that he had given her, and had prom
ised 10 be his wife in midsummer am
Norah knew it, and outwardly gave M
sign that she snHered--oniy now ant
then, as nj this moment when Ned bad
her neticc May.
They lived upon the coast Of Lincoln
shire, and it vas years ago. None G
them knew how 10 write more thaI
their names. The farmers deepest lor
was the maket price of grain. Outsid
of them, the great, world rolled on
without giving them any sign of its ex
istence. And none of them had eve
read novel or a poem, or seen play
But they acted out the drama just a
well, and Ned loved May and care
nothing for Norah, and Norsh love,
Ned and hated May. And Msy kne,
the whole, and triumphed over Noraf
and cared little, not much, for Ned
because of his broad shoulders an
brown curls.
The girls slept together in an uppe
room OF the house, and on her weddin
eve May spread out gown and shoe
and cheap white veil, and, dancin
about them, boasted that when th
morrow's sun set she would be mistrei
of the house, and Norah her servan
And Norah, thinking of the old CRANE
mother who had begged her not to los
SO good place, said nothing, but stoe
silent, psie-faced and wan, and felt
otter hate rising in her heart. Ne
was away at the town, and would N
oe BACK until next morning, the NOR
ing oi his wedding. The Old folks wei
asleep below. How easy it would be,
the dead OF night, to do this beautifu
boastlng creature some deadly harm
life!
The thoughts grew so, and were
horrible, that Norah could not be su
OF herself. May, watching her. 50
only deadly whiteness creep over b
lips, and with the fifst touch OF pity
her heart. folded her veil away, a,
sad, unwisely enough, but meaning
kindly:
No doubt the next wedding will
Y yours, Norah" ~
Then Eorah, without a look. turn
and left the room. She sought to
safe from herself, for fendish though
possessed her; and, longing for solitut
abe climbed a ladder that led 10 {
tiled roof, and, seeking the shelter
the great chimney, sat down in
shade, and looked up at the sky. l,s