The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-21
HOW / ESCAPED BACnELoRDOM

STORY TOLD BY FARMER BROWN.
I have no words for her sweetness
can't describe her: perhaps were l to
| do sol or even could place a picture
/ before you. you might not see her as
did aud do Every eye makes its own
beauty, and to me she was more beauti-
ful than any other living creature. Mel
lie Brodie, I mean lovely Nellie Bro
die, whose father was the sexton of our
church, a good old man, but prosy, and
prone TO tell one or two good stories
about ghosts, proved to be no ghosts af
ter all whenever one found him. Many
and manY a time have l listened to
them, ont of his little porch, Q. sum-
mer's night, with the moon brigS above
US. and mysterious chirps and cries in
the bushes. and the smell of the even
ing primrose growing far sweeter, and
| sweeter, and Nellie. still and quiet AZ
a mouse, sitting with folded hand be-
tween us.
We are busy folks enough by day; gut
we idle away the long summer evenings
together and thought no harm OF it. 1t
is good to be idle sometimes, in that
happy sort of way; and to tell the truth
liked it. No man could say that !
neglected my duty. a better farm no
man ever had. and larger crops none
gathered, and no starved cattle grazed
IN my meadows. AS for my dairy-but
that was sister James doing. A good
house. a pretty bright-eyed girl with
q warm hesrt. and n laugh that seemed
10 be catching. Alone together we two
were, and we We're fond Of each other.
never told her liked Nellie Brodie,
- .rat bi.ss;t - 7,.,ss,s !,
over again I tried to find out from Jen-
ME what she said about me-Nellie /
mean-but the girl would never let a
word slip out. A true woman hides an
other woman's secrets. L knew that and
I built on II.
For, said I to myself, 'sif Nellie
disliked me Jennie would give me a
hint, sister-like, and save me from NOR
tificatinn. Either she knows nothing,
or he knows Nellie likes me"
Af,er that, / may say ] courted Nell
lie. She knew I loved her, I'm sure of
that even if I had said so out and
out, she could not help knowing it.
But there was other young men in
the place, Of course, and many willing
enough to listen TO old Brodie's stories
for the sake of looking at his daughter;
and many jealous pang had in those
days ; for Nellie ha the same pretty,
kindly ways to all, and the same smile
for every one.
I used to think that emo" from
Nellie's lips would go straight Through
my heart, like bullet. and [ found it
hard to risk the hearing of it. She
must say it to all but one of us, and [
was not so handsome as one, and not
so witty as another and not so rich as
third. I think I never knew how
plain was, until had my photograph
taken one day, by a man who had a
gallery in the village. l thought at
first he must have made too much OF
my mouth and too little of my eyes !;
but he showed me plainly that the ma
chine must take a good likeness, be-
cause it was a machine and couldn't
make a mistake. I took the things
home and put them in drawer, and
showed them to nobody but they took
the little vanity had out of me, though
kept saying over and over again,
80 What do looks matter for man?"
meant, you see, to give Nellie one
for hel album, but thought If I looked
like that it was not best. I've heard
othN people speak of the same feelings
since, in regard to photographers ard
am not sure now that they are always
perfect.
Waiting and watching. hoping and
fearing, let the time slip by; and win
ter came with its frost and snow, and
old Mr.. Brodie told his stories by the
fire, instead of on the porch; and the
lamp light fell on Nellies yellow hair,
as she sat knitting, making the pretti-
est picture you ever saw and / made
up my mind'tO put nay fate to the test
before Christmas, and didn't. You see
when u young fellow is in love he loses
courage. But one thing l Vowed-
Nellie should take a sleigh ride with
me.
Tom Armstrong had said--I heard
him-that he meant to drive the pretti-
est cutter, the prettiest pair of horses,
and the prettiest girl in New Bridge.
He meant Nellie by the prettiest girl.
His turnout might be what he chose,
bu1Nellie should never go with him.
She should go with me.
The snow fell fast, and by morning
you could see nothing for miles around
but great drifts, though the sky had
grown clear as though it had been sum-
mer. called for Nelliein the afternoon,
and she was ready, and away we went.
She looked charming, with her rosy
cheeks and bright and sunny eyes and
sunny hair; and was happier than
had ever been in my life.
Going out of the village we met Tom
Armstrong, with a splendid cutter He
looked daggers at us both-or at least I
thought so, and he went as heared af-
terward to invite Sue Nichol to ri1e
with him. AS he drove out of sight I
made up my mind to ask the question
that would settle everything, on our
way home.
Man proposes but Heaven disposes.
Things happened that evening that I
had not thought Of We were going
back, in the moonlight, when q put my
hand on Nellie's, and made her turn her
eyes toward me.
'I have been trying to say something
to you for long time, I said. ''Per-
haps you guess what it is"
But before could utter another word,
my horses became frightened at some
thing, and away they went like mad.
Nellie clung to me screaming. / did
my best to stop them. They left the
road entirely and took their way across
the field, and striking against stump
the snow had hidden, the sleigh was
overturned, and we were thrown out
together.
I was not hurt, but Nellie lay insensi-