The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-12-23

Nor thinks Of cold. or hunger more.
FOR az the tides OF being set
Springfield CMdssJ Republican.
NINA,S NEW YEAR. .
One might think, who saw her life,
that few people led q lonelier one than
Nina Prentice did. An orphan, with
narrow means, keeping up her dead
fathers house, there was little visible
excitement in such an existence. Yet
hers was temperament that did not
require excitement and that found hap
piness where others would not dream of
looking for it Her garden and her
flowers were like a household to her;
the poor all over the little hill-town
afforded her occupations; she visited
somewhat among few wealthy ac-
quaintances; and, for the rest, If she
had such day-dreams as other young
girls are wont to indulge, no one was
any the wiser for them. Nobody knew
that her friends, father the wealthy
Mr.. Barnes, had made her a standing
offer of marriage any time within the
last three years; nobody knew from her
that Bryce Hanscom went out to
Mexican rancho because she had no
smiles to give him; nobody knew
whether Harold Hartley's face ever
glanced out of the windows of her
castles in the air; nobody knew whether
one New Years Day she looked forward
to the next with any wonder as to what
it might bring her of sorrow or joy. She
was so sweet, SO silent, so gentle that
people in general knew no more of her
emotions than of those of the statue of
:v.$ - A. ohv IL Vat
was only ON the last New Years even
ing that, if any one had been able to look
behind her curtains, they would have
seen her on her knees before the low
blaze of her fire, crying as If
face in her hands, and longing for the
night when "this fever called living
should be over at last. "New Years
and New Years!' she sobbed. "Ah!
how can bear another so alone?" Per-
haps Mrs. Hartley, her mothers old in
innate, had some idea of the fire that
Mrs Hartley was not entirely impartial
in her Judgment of the girl. and it was
her morning and evening prayer that
Nina should at some day stand in .
closer relation to her than she did at
present But, as that would be impos-
sible without her son Harold's inter-
vention, she left no stone unturned to
that end. Mrs. Hartley thought she
knew . great deal better what was good
for her son than he did; and when she
had made up her mind that he had
better marry Nina Prentice, it was be-
cause she consulted his best welfare
possibly without complete regard to
Nina's. She knew that Harold, al
though % -affectionate, was of a high
temper; and that Nina had inexhausti-
BILE stores of still patience, and that that
still patience would await the time
when he should come back to her, no
longer the knight-errant, spurred by q
restless nature, but q quiet and digni-
fed gentleman. ready to take his faith
er's honored place in the community.
Her approaches in the question were
exceedingly gentle; yet not SO gentle
that they did not put Harold on his
guard, 20 that he was like the hunted
deer. snufing the gale afar of. "Well.
Mother, l thank goodness" he said.
with light laugh. on detecting her
meaning, ''that we do not live in
France, and that you can't 90 and in
quire Nina's dot and settle the
1T is q very good dot. Harold. just
. snug little income to keep the wolf
from the door and satisfy reasonable
wants; and it would be vastly better
for any husband than launching out on
the tremendous fortune of Miss Barnes,
with palaces. 50 to say. and yachts and
racing-horses."
"Just give me the chance to see If it
il. Go to Miss Barnes, mother" cried
Harold, gayly. ASK the amount of
her dot, and If your scapegrace of q
SON ID worth it. Yachts and racing
horses! i like the idea"
"Oh, Haroldr'
"But Miss Barnes Is . beauty, too,
mother; and very sweet and gay. The
man that marries her needn't marry
for her money at all. She would have
lovers IL she hadn't penny in her own
right Don't ee marry fur money; but
90 wheer money be-" quoted Harold.
Excellent advice that old Northern
farmers. And I'll 60 'wheer money
be- tonight" as he drew on his gloves.
"Dont talk 80, Harold. Don't talk
20, even in. Jest. Miss Barnes may be
well enough for all I know; but her
money would destroy you, who were
NOT born to money. You would do
nothing and come to nothing. But as
for Nina Prentice, as l said. she's a
saint"
"Wouldn't do at all for wife, then.
Wives mustn't be too good for human
natures daily food Think of reprov-
ing . saint because the buckwheats
were nat, or the linen stiff. or the but
tons OH Adios, you managing mann
ma" and he was gone.
II was misty summer night. 80 thick
one could hardly see . star. But those
ringing steps needed no guiding star to
direct them; for, to tell the truth, Har-
old Hartley suspected himself of being
already moro than half in love with Miss
Barnes. Undoubtedly. there was some
thing in her superb surroundings that
added to her own charms; and she
seemed. too. a. entirely at home in them
- the flower that blossoms in the rich.
moist air of the hot-house. That velvet
lawn, set with its flaming exotics and
beds of flowers, with the lofty porchea
and wide halls behind it, the dimly-ii
drawing rooms, and the dining-room,
with It's generous sideboard-an the
consciousness of ease and comfort and
delight of the senses about the place
made visiting Miss Barnes very pleas
ant way OF passing time; and then
moreover. ~ her father was q promi
nent man Of affairs among the politi
clans Of the country. one metthere peo
pie who enlarged the mental horizon
and made . man think for himself and
think more Of himself Miss Barnes
father also booked with favor on Harold
His Congressional life told him of the
dangers his daughter ran, with her in
dependent fortune and pretty face; and
he preferred for her . husband in tn,
nei9hborhood of their home, who. If no
Altogether perfect, WA. at least, Q re