The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-09
4 WGGlMdAANN'SS SYMPATHY,
And What Came of 1t.

'WHERE are you going. Nellie"
1t was woman of apparently some sixty
years, who asked this question of young
girl who stood before small mirror adjust
ing her hat.
"Don't know" was the sulky answer.
You will be to home fore dark. won't
Yer" continued the woman, whom we shall
call Mrs. Melton, as she raised her specta-
cled eyes to the girls face, in gaze that she
meant should be pleading, but which was
decidedly reproachful.
Don't know whether / shall or not
haven't made up my mind bout what sill
do so fur ahead" was the muttered answer,
as the girl gave her head a contemptuous
toss.
"You know I s'l be worried bout ye,
Nellie. if yer not IN the house afore dark. "
To this Miss Nellie deigned no reply, eX-
cept to flash defiant glance at Mrs Melton
through the little mirror. Gathering her
black and white worsted shawl about her
pretty shoulders, she crossed the big, old
fashioned kitchen, and passed out Of the
door, which opened upon the porch, as they
called it. Said porch consisting only of Il
rough board floor and rude bench built
under fine maple tree, which grew in the
angle formed by the ell and the main body
OF the house.
Mrs. Melton followed her, with her eyes,
through the open door, as she moved briskly
along the path running westward through
the green field, to the main road half mile
distant. The sinking sun cast golden glow
over the landscape, toning down distinctive
colers, and so blending the hucs of earth
and sky that the little figure of the girl, clad
in dark contrasting hues, became 4 promi-
nent feature in the near view. This golden
glory also had the effect of heightening and
Identifying her tiny form. Mrs. Melton,
however, saw nothing of this. She had no
eye for the varied pictures that nature was
continually presenting to her careless gaze.
She looked at the grand amphitheater of
hills, and searched the gorgeous clouds piled
high behind, simply to determine what the
weather was to be, so far as it had to do with
her laying plans for farm work. Work,
work. This was the keynote of her every
thought and every act from one years end
to another. At this moment she was looking
simply at the girl, not at what was beyond,
or around her, in order to make sure that
she was well beyond hearing before she freed
her mind to her sister-in-law, Mrs. Dales,
who had heard the collouuy between herself
and "Nel." "Nell'' was what she invaria-
bly, called her, except on the rare occasions
when she was moved to make a pretense of
fondness or solicitude for the girl. Pre-
lenses of this kind were all worse than lost
upon Nell, however, for she held the utmost
contempt for every thing of the sort, and
she did not hesitate in eXpressingi it, usually.
at does beat all how that girl carries on"
began Mrs. Melton, presently. 81 never
thought | should raise up girl to be SO
sassy as she is"
GLOW old is she:''
''Jcst seventeen; an Nell Lynn-he's the
mans son who lives right across the field, in
that smart lookin', white house yonder.
There 'tis-you can see it right through the
winder. See what nice, big barn, all clap
boarded an painted brown. They got it
brimful o. hay, too, this summer. There
Amt better farm for hay in the State o.
Maine than theirn is-'cept mebbe, it's mine.
can't low that mine is to be beat in these
diggin's, eff do live in an old yaller, two
story house with flat roof. rye got Just
as rood barn as old Lynn has got, only it's
shingled instead o. clapboarded, an it's
whitewashed instead o. bein' painted brown.
But I've got good stock o. cattle, an Pve
got money at interest, too, though don't
tell o. that ter every one" and Mrs. Melton
winLed at her sister-in law in patronizing
way, "But, as was sayin'," she continued
''this Nell Lynn-yer see he's the only child
~ the Lynns over yonder, he's been maxim
b'lieve court Nell for nearly year-that is,
he's come here every day, an sometimes
two or three times: am they've sot out on the
porch, under the maple tree, till nine or ten
O'Clock of eyenin's. AM then we'd hear, ar
forwards how he'd be galavantin' with the
girls down to the village every chance he
could ret. AM when the boys that work fol
me would tell Nell ont sh'd be just good fol
nothin', an her eyes would look all red an
swelled from cryin' till she sec Nell, an he'd
palayer her over, an make her believe he'd
never cared jaclI-straw for the rest o. the
"1alh 10 her? | guess I've talked ant
talked ill she lest told me might talk til
doomsday and il woul dn't do any good.
told Der Nell Lynn wouldn't marry cir