Middletown transcript., 1875-09-04
Select Storp,
FARMER BROWNS STORY.
A THRILLING TALE OF REAL LIFE.

have no words for her sweetness;
can't describe her !; perhaps, were l t.
do SO, or even could place her pictur'
before you, you might not see her as
did and do. Every eye makes it OWL
beauty, and to me she was more beau
tiful than any other living creature
Nellie Brodie, I mean lovely Nellie
Brodie, whose father was the sexton o
our church, a good old man, but prosy
and prone to tell one or two good sto
ries about ghosts, proved not to b.
ghosts after all, whenever one met him
Many and many time have l listened
to them out in his little porch. of
summers night, with the moon bright
above us. and mysterious chirps and
cries ID the bushes, and the smell ol
the evening primroses growing fal
sweeter and sweeter, and Nellie still as
quiet as a mouse, sitting with folded
hands between US.
We are busy folk enough by day
but we idled away the long summer
evenings together, and thought no
harm Of it. It is good to be idle some
times. in that happy sort Of way, and
to tell the, truth I like it. No man
could say | 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 warm
heart, and laugh that seemed to be
catching. Alone together we two were,
and we were fond Of each other.
I never told her I liked Nellie Brodie,
but I did not hide it from her. Nellie
and she were great friends. Over and
over again I tried to find out from
Jennie what she said about me-Nellie,
I mean-but the girl would never let a
a word slip out A true woman hides
another woman's secrets. Iknew that,
and I built on it.
For said I to myself. If Nellie dis
liked me Jennie would give me hint,
sister-like, and save me from mortifca-
tion. Either she knows nothing, or
she knows Nellie likes me-
After that, / may say I courted Nellie.
She knew I loved her, and I'm sure of
that; even if I had not said SO out and
out, she could not help knowing it.
But there were 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 a jealous pang I had in those
days, for Nellie had the same, pretty
kindly ways to all, and the same smile
for every one.
/ used to think that mo- from Mel
lies lips would go straight through my
heart like bullet, and I found it hard
to risk the hearing Of it. She must
say it to all but one Of US, and I 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 I was though, until 1 had my
photograph taken one day, by man
who had gallery in the village. I
hought at first he must have made too
much Of my mouth and too little of my
,yes; but he showed me plainly that
he machine must take good likeness,
because it was machine and couldn't
make q mistake. I took the things
lome and put them in drawer, and
howed them to nobody; but they took
he little vanity had out Of me. though
kept saying over and over again,
What do looks matter for man 7
I'd meant, you see, to give Nellie
me for her album, but I thought if I
ooked like that it was best not. I've
leard other people speak Of the same