The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-09-13
AfGREAT5 FOOL.

,A1GREAT- FOOL.
His name was John Holt and, more
over, be looked like his name, or like
the image which the sound Of his name,
in a musical ear, would call up in the
mind. For John should be strong, and
Quiet, and-true, and grave, and Johr
Holt was all of these. His skin was fail
and his eyes blue, but the hair, which
had been tow colored in his childhood
had deepened to brown. Ordinary per
SONS would call him good looking, rather
than handsome, but close observer
would pronounce his profile perfect, and
his mouth and chin models of firm AM
symmetrical chiseling. The brows were
straight Ind strong, though smooth, and
his not very high forehead was broad
and open.
John Holt's characteristics were 8
womanish gentleness, most marvellous
and absurd honesty, and patience which,
to them, looked only too much like
. cowardice. In his family John was
called q great fool.
Johns father had died when the lad
was but ten years old, and left his wife
: 10 bring; up her family of five children
and manage the farm. She was perfectly
capable Of doing it, and even wary bust.
ness men were on tho ir guard when
making bargain with the sharp Yankee
matron. -Four of har, children followed
in her footsteps, and knew perfectly
well which was the best eAd of the bar
gain but John-well, if he was fool
. It was not because she had not warned
and talked to him.
John did not grow wiser as he grew
older, and took upon himself the cares
Of Life. Mrs, Holt had large and
valuable farm just on the borders OF the
town. Streets had crept gradually
about her fields, and surrounded them
on three sides on the fourth woodlands
stretched back toward the east. Why
she should give the control of this place
to John, instead of one his sharper
brothers, was puzzle even to her own
mind. The only reason she could give
was that John was steady and quiet, and
more likely to remain home than the
others we're. But she confessed to her.
self to be in continual tribulation with
him. =
"My DEAR. she said, to crony,
"you know that fifty cords Of wood we
hal, good beech, birch and maple, with
not more than twenty sticks Of spruce
lthrougll the whole2 Well, John must
mention that stovefnl of spruce, and SC
lose five dollars Oh the hargain. never
did see such fol. Iieu he wanted to
hurry off our potatoes Inst fall for fear
of rot. I told John particularly not to
own to n speck but, il you will believe
it, when Thurl"w came to buy them, and
asked if we had seen any signs of rot,
that ninny said /: 'Yes, ittle,' though
I VOW I don't believe there were six
spots larger than the head of pin in the
whole lot. I don't know where the fel-
low got his shiftlessn-ss. I'm sure !
could always make bargain"
- John took all this very quietly, as we
have said. He knew that though his
mother swould say such things to others,
she would by no means have allowed any
one TO say them to her. But one thing
he could not bear was that Nellie Ora
mer SHOULD talk in the same way. Nellie
seemed to delight in torment,ng him
She would follow him into the gardens
and fields, hang on his arm with her
curls blowing across his breast, looking
up smiling and chatting into his face, 80
soft and sweet as a kitten; then sudden
ly, If he Glanced to press those wander
ing curls against his breast, or to bend
too near her lovely upturned face, or to
breathe word of tenderness, off she
2 went wiGh toss of the head aud curl
of the lip, and as likely as not some
such speech as: ~ do wish you would
not be go foolish, John Holt"
he never got angry with her. How
could .he2 But sometimes shadow
would drop over his face, and he
wouldn't have much to say to her for II
time. Then, when she went to him with
her cosxipg ways, and laid hel little hand
on his arm, whispering:
"Nov, don't be vexeI, John; like
you 80 much, but I don't want you to
talk nonsense" he would look down and
smile, though not very brightly, and
. promise to try to avoid nonsense for the
I future, ending bis promise with sigh.
"Dear me! wish you wouldn't sigh
30, john - the grl would say, pettishly.
"It makes me feel melsncholy to hear
you. One would think I had done
something dreadful to you"
: Then John Holt would smile again,
still less brightly, and promise to try moi
to sigh any more.
Such little scenes as this were more
asides, however. Nellie usually paid
but little attention to John, being chiefly
occupied in dancing, flirting, aud quar-
reling with his more showy brother
Frark, or with any other gay fellow who
was 80 nuforturate as to he tsken with
her pretty face. For Npllie was an in.
eorrigible firt. It was only when she
had no one else to talk to. or wanted to
pique some other lover, or wien she
wanted some real service, that she went
to John, who was sometimes pleased
and sometimes hurt to see that she came
to him only when she wanted help or ad'
vice. .... a-
"You are q sort of grandfather, you
know" she said one day, giving his arm
q squeeze. "I have an idea that You are
about seventy-five years old. How old
are you, Johna"
81 am Just one-third Of that, hesaid,
, smiirg. 81. am only month past
t.renty- five. "'@s-- '-' M
"Possible Well, you must have
been very old when you we're born.
Besides, twenty-five is old to me. am
oily nineteen. Now, you come and
hear my sto,v md tell me what to do.
I cane over here on purpose to see
YOU" ... ..-
Johu followed her obediently through
the gard,p, and down to bench under
the shadow Of The beech grorc on the
Lawn; and when she took her seat there