The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-27
SOMERvILLE AND son.

"Going to that dreadful factor,
againl" said Mrs. Somerville, looking
up as her daughter entered the sitting
Nellie, you might as we'll be boy as
girl, for any pleasure l have in you
society. Every day you are at the fac
tory, leaving me alone"
ri will come back soon, if you wan
me, mother; but I promised father t
como down and give him my opinion o
some patterns for moulding that are tt
be sent in to-day"
GAS if the opinion of girl of YOU
age was of any value. You need no
hurry back on my account. ] do no
want to force you to remain at home
l can bear the sorrow of having a mas
culine 'tomboy of a girl, instead of ,
gentle, refined companion. Co."
Nellie Somerville pressed kiss upol
the fretful face pettishly turned away t
avoid the caress, and then went out very
gravely. Her step, strong and elastic
was unusually slow, as she walked to
ward the factory where her father wait
ed for her, and for the hundredth time
her face was clouded as she debated il
her own mind the vexed question of hei
duty. Not her inclination, that point
ed steadily one way,-but her duty.
From the time when, grasping hel
fathers strong finger, the little girl tod
died by his side, Nellie Somerville hat
been that fathers pride, and tho eros!
of her mother. Child after child haC
been taken from the home of John Som
ervillc to fill little grave in the church
| yQr6--tha x-inftnao n n, tnfx g.
guard them from every breath of air
to fortify their constitutions by inces
SAINT dosing; to force health by combat.
ing imag mary weakness.
When Nellie was born, the father as
serted his authority, and the babe was
brought up almost in the open air, and
found perfect health and strength in
constant exercise, good food, and tota
deprivation of all cordials and narcot-
les. If she cried, she was not dosed on
supposition of pain, but comforted by q
ride on papa's shoulder, or race in The
garden.
When childhood was passed, schoo
days passed, the girl came home from s
seminary in distant city, and shocked
her mother anew. A good scholar, G
fine pianist and promising linguist. she
was averse to embroidery or wors.
ted work, fond of riding and walking
and, while essentially refined in thought
and action, had no affectations or fine Ia.
dyisms, such as Mrs. Somerville consid.
cred the charming crown of woman.
hood. She entered into the details OF
housekeeping with hearty zest, though
her mother declared she beat eggs like
ploughboy, and stirred cake like q
milk maid.
"You see, papa" Nellie said, conf.
dentially, to her sympathizing parent
II can't half do anything, aud mamma
thinks / am awfully unfeminine. Il
eggs are to be beaten, beat them, noi
dab at them like / was In decline.
do try to please mamma, and sat all
day and yesterday morning working
upon horrible combination of zephyr
and canvas for foot stool. But mann.
ma says stab the work; and between
you and me, papa, did wish the foo-
stool was IN sufficiently advanced state
to warrant me in kicking 1t. l wish ]
was boy; then could be at the facto-
ry sill the time"
John Somerville could scarcely look
at the handsome, healthy face raised tC
his own, and wish it different In eny
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 &c 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 his 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 eros.
sed his mind, "If she were only boy,r
as Nellie followed him over the great
building with the keenest interest In
every department there.
The business was the manufacture Of
frames of every deception, and Nellie
became familiar with every detail, from
the purchase of the lumber to .he criti
cism Of the finished work. She had 6
nicely of touch that detected the slight
est inequalities of surface, even in pol
ished wood, and her eye was at once
quick and correct. Little by little, al.
most unconsciously, John Somerville
trusted Nellie with much of the decision
in purchases, and the book keeping was
often IN her care for weeks together
when there was pressure of work
Mrs. Somerville whined and fretted
over the strangely masculine tastes OF
her child, but her father became more
and more averse to parting with her in
business hours.
Two years after Nellie returned from
school, and just after her twenty-firs,
birthday, she started, one morning, as
seen in the opening ofmy story, to look
at some patterns to be sent for decision
Such matters were often entrusted en-,
tirely to her Judgment, so she was moi
surprised to find that her father had
gone out, leaving the decision TO her
But after she had given the order, had
answered a lot of letters living upon the
desk, had wandered all over the build.
ing and returned again TO the office, she
was surprised at her fathers long alb
sence.
One of the foremen in the finishing
department coming to the office fol
some last orders about the shipment o.
some goods, said Mr.. Somerville had
appointed TO meet him there at noon
and the proprietor of Somerville &
Sons frame factory was man of rigid
punctuality.
Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, Stephen
Holton waited in the office, watching
Nellie's busy hands, as she folded, seal.
ed and directed lot of circulars, and
thinking that never had he seen face SC
fair, or heard voice so clear and mu,
sical, as Nellie Somerville's. But a,
the clock struck the half hour, Nellie
looked up with startled face.
Something has happened, Stephen, ,
she said; "my father Is never half al