Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-08-22
Somerville and Son.


again?" said Mrs. Somerville, looking
up as her daughter entered the sitting
room, dressed for walking. II de-
clare, Nellie, you might as we'll be a
boy as a girl, for any pleasuse I have
in your society. Every day you are off
to the factory, leaving me alone"
II will come back soon if you want
me, mother, but I promised father to
come down and give him my opinion of
some patterns for molding that are to
be sent in to-day"
Gas if the opinion of girl of your
age was of any value. You need not
hurry back on my account. can bear
the sorrow of having masculine tom
boy of Il girl, instead of a gentle, re-
fined companion. Co."
Nellie Somerville pressed kiss upon
the fretful face pettishly turned to
evade the caress, and then went out
very grayely. Her step, strong and
elastic, was usually slow, as she walked
toward the factory, where her father
waited for her, and for the hundredth
time her face was clouded as she de-
bated III her own mind the vexed ques-
ton of her duty. Not her inclination
that pointed steadily one way-but
her duty.
From the time when, grasping her
fathers strong finger, tho little girl
toddled by his side, Nellie Somcrville
had been her fathers pride, and the
cross of her mother. Child after child
had been taken from the home of John
Somerville to fill little grave in the
churchyard-the victims of an over
anxiety to guard them from every
breath of air; to fortify their constitu-
tions Ivy incessant dosing; to force
health by combating imaginary weak
ness.
When Nellie was born, the father as
serted his authority, and the babe was
brought up almost in the open air, and
found perfect strength and health in
constant exercise, good food and total
deprivation of all cordials and narcotics.
If she cried, she was not dosed on sup
position of pain, bit cot,iforted by
ride on papa's shoulder, or race in the
garden.
When childhood was passed, school
days over, the girl came home from
seminary in distant city, and shocked
her mother anew. A good scholar, a
fine pianist and promising linguist, she
was averse to embroidery and worsted-
work, fond Of riding and walking, and
while essentially refined in thought and
action, had no alfectations or fine lady
isms, such as Mrs. Somerville consid-
cred the crowning charm of woman
hood. She entered into the details of
housekeeping with a hearty zest,
though her mother declared she beat
eggs like ploughboy, and stirred cake
like a milkmaid.
"You see, papa" Nellie said, cohf.
dentially to her sympathizing parent,
81 can't half do anything, and mamma
thinks am awful unfeminine. If
eggs are to be beaten, beat them, not
dab at them, as if was in decline. I
do try to please mamma, and l sat all
yesterday morning working upon hor-
rible combination of zephyr and canvas
for n foot-stool. But mamma says l
stab the work; and between you and
me, papa, I did wish the foot-stool was
in sufficiently advanced state to war;
rant me in kicking it. 1 wish I was
boy; then could be at the factory all
the time"
John Somerville could scarcely look
at the handsome, healthy face raised to
his own, and wish it different in any
way; yet the hidden grief of his life was
that there was no son to inherit the
name upon the factory-sign for three
generations. Somerville & Son" were
known for miles around the village
where the great factory was located
and their names were good in many of
the leading cities of the country. John ,
had inherited the business, from father
and grandfather, but his own sons,
three dark-eyed boys, lay in the church
yard, and Nellie alone remained of six
children.
More than once the thought had
crossed his mind, eff she was only
boy" as Nellie followed him over the
great building with the keenest interest
in every department there.
The business was the manufacture of !