The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-12-08
ANYTHING ron A caAscE.

Nellie Tyrrcll was very pretty CIR
but very whimsical and impatien
She read novels all day, and felt deel
ly the gross injustice Of fate, In n,
making her life like the lives of the b,
roincs Of fiction. Chestnut Farm wa
miserable place, in Nellie's view, an
not bit like a manor, or = grange, q
castle. Nothing mysterious or trse
&c could ever happen on such prosia
ground, nor could anything extraordi
nary occur to any Of the people VIII,
lived there.
Day after day the same monotouou
drama was enacted. The A trait
passed up in the morning and passed
down again in the aft moon; but tn,
passengers seemed to be always the
same people, and certainly it was in
variably the locomotive and train Of
cars. Here was breakfast, dinner and
supper; twice a week John Mortimer
paid a visit; occasionally some one else
dropped in, and this set of incidents
comprised the entire history oflife.
Nellie was ennued to death. This
lovely autumn afternoon she sat in the
doorway Of her uncle's pretty farm
house, a book in her lap and rebellion
in her heart. The wind was sweeping
the red leaves from the trees, and the
long, tedious summer was fast coming
to an end.
"How much all this reminds me of
my life!' unused Nellie. 81 am grow
ing old without ever having been
young. From the instant we are born
we begin to die; but some of us more
rapidly than Others. Good heaven,
will there never be changef"
Nellie said little boy making
sudden appearance from the interior of
the house, "Aunt Mary says you
mustn't sit here, because it is too chill
". You will catch cold"
II hope not" answered the young
lady with infinite scorn. 81 may come
in presently"
"But she wants you to come in now"
persisted little Frank, her miscbievous
brother.
II shall come when it pleases me-"
"That's rude, Nellie, and l daren't
tell auntie that. There's company in
the parlor, and she told me not to tell
you, and she wanted to surprise you,
and they will be gone away soon if
you don't come in," said Frank, with
that defiance of grammatical proprie-
ties which is the pleasant privilege of
childhood.
Company Some bore, l dare say;
but anything for a change. Nothing
could be duller than sitting here"
So Miss Nellie went in. She found
Aunt Mary conversing with the hand
soonest young man possible to imag-
ine-tall, dark, slender, rather pratt
cal looking, but on that account only
the more attractive. He might have
sat for Lord Byron's "Corsair" or La
ra"-in fact for anybody very wicked
and very splendid in appearance. Aunt
Mary rather stiffly introduced him as
Mr.. Lionel Chelmont. Nellie could
hardly speak for embarrassment. Here
was her beau-ideal at last
1t presently appeared that Mr.. Chel-
mont was an author. He was even
now engaged upon book, and, being
iesirous of rural solitude until he could
inish it, he had called upon Aunt
Mary to obtain board and lodging with
,er, ifpossible, or TO obtain informa-
ion where such accommodation in the
'icinity could be had.
at is so quiet here" he said in a
thrilling modulated voice; "and quiet
5 what seek. / have lived in such
! whirl OF excitement during the sum-
ner, that l am bent on trying the OPP
'osite extreme. Sick with pleasure,
e almost longed for woe,' as the poet |
avs, and really the sentiment express
ed my own feelings exactly"
ut is very dull in winter" said
AUNT Mary.
The duller the BETTER" laughed
fr. Chelmont. 81 don't have time
Or anything but my book. should
70 under load OF obligations if you
onld accommodate me, and shan't be
a the way at all and as for the price,
nything you like to ask will meet my
Jews exactly"
He had such a careless, scornful /,
ay If speaking, that Nellie already .
alf-loved him. This inference about !,
hat he was to pay was so romantic, :
nd in such contrast with Aunt Mary's !,
ideas, and John Mortlmer's
reedy countings up Of the shillings
nd pence And how admirably he :,
as dressed-at Chestnut Farm he !
oked out of place. His proper |,
here would be mighty castle of some !.
ind-one OF these amazing structures 8
in stories-with slaves around
i'm, and all that sort of thing. Il
Aunt Mary finally decided TO take a.