The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-02-27
LEARNING A LESSON.
CHAPTER 1.

"Oh, what have donei What have
done!' exclaimed Nellie, under her
breath, as sad and dismayed she hur-
ried up the garden path. He will
never be kind to me- any more. How
could I have said sucA. a thingp"
And her hands tremblod so that she
could scarcely lift the latch of the old
fashioned door, and she turned away to
| quiet herself little before going in.
The garden was lovely and luxuriant.
and heavy dews, weighing down the
heads of all the beautiful blossoms,
made it still more lovely in the calm
clear light of the moon which shown
so brightly overhead. But with sigh
Nellie erept out of the glory of silver
light, and paced to and fro beneath a
row OF rugged elms, whose far-spreading
branches Cast fretwork of shadow over
the fowery borders and neatly gravel
ed paths below.
Nellie glanced up at the rambling old
farmhouse which had been her home
for SO many years. How she loved it!
Every nook and corner that it contained
was dear to her.
Il have it, and all in it. left to me, y
she said, in soft, sad tone; land dear
father and mother, too. A happy, happy
home it has always been, and | am
thankful for it! But, oh, Edward, how
could you be so unkindp Oh! how
could youP"
She listened, fancying she could hear
his departing footsteps yet. And per-
haps she might have done SO.
With lofty looks and disdainful curve
of his rather thin lips, he was on his
way home along the winding lanes. He
was man of e-and- thirty, while Mel
lie was scarcely twenty. She was sim
pie and innocent as child; but he had
learned many lesson in the school of
life ere this. Yet another was in store
for him, and probably another and
another = for while we live we must
learn and we will learn--so foolish are
vein the most costly and laborious
way, for the most part. Experience
keeps dear school," says the proverb,
but fools will go to no other"
And are we not all fools until hard
and inexorable experience has knocked
and kneaded wisdom into usP And one
lesson which Edward Melville prided
himself on having learned was the value
of money. He was bachelor, and SO
he made up his mind he would remain
until he could find woman with
money who would be his wife. He
himself was a country doctor. and, with
IL very small and not increasing practice,
it would never do to marry and have
nothing but that to depend upon, he
told himself.
He had generally escorted Nellie TO
her own door, alter their evening walks,
but this evening he had left her just out
side the gate. He was her aunt's step
son. She had known him all her young
life, and had always called him
Cousin Edward, all unsuspicious of the
feeling which was steadily gathering
strength within her heart, till this even
ing. And Edward, tor his part, had al
ways treated her as mere child.
"a glorious nighti' he murmured, as
he leisurely pursued his way; and as ho
looked rolnd at hamlet and trees. and
wayside brook, and picturesque farm
houses dotted here and there. all sleep
| ing in the moonlight, the disdainful
curve lefs his lips, and pride and haul
teur smoothed themselves away from
| his brow.
Poor little Nellie!" he said again,
with something like complacent smile
Il suppose, then, that she cares little
more for me than | deserve. 1t is $
great bore, for, of course, it is out ol
the question that | should-that
could"
He paused, and began humming g
tune, and switching the dew-lader
hedges with his walking-c cane.
No." he presently recommended
lone must have enough to be comforta
BILE. And Nellie has got nothing, and
have got next to nothing. One may
put up with the want of little senti
ment, | should imagine, if one has a toi
erable settlement in life. At all events
l mean to try it."