Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-30
NELLY'S STORY.

5lt1
50 used to ask my sister Alice, day
after day. as we took our drive to the
park or sat 1T our window in the hotel,
where, in Truth, ! spent the greater
part Of my time, idly watching the
bnsy, restless, ever-increasing, ever
changing crowd that surges through
the great city Ikea mighty wave, seem
ing To ingnlf and hurry all before il.
They tire me 90, these people.
Where do they come from, and where
can they iii 10 going2 And don't you
suppose that, among them all, there
must lie il few we should like to know"
Very probably replied Alice,
laughing, Int how are We 10 impress
those few with Il wish to know Us Are
We to send iii advertisement to the
daily papers stating that Two, ladies,
possessing many agreeable qualities,
hut very few acquaintance, would like
To enlarge their circle, and will receive
applicants lwhO must bring undoubted
references as 10 character and posltiOn(
III such and such time. No, Nelly,
TINT would hardly do. How shall we
accomplish it2 | am quite ready; TO
telI tile honest truth, this hermit life of
onr begins 10 weary me just little.
have Welded to your wish TO be in per-
feet 4eclusion; hut | can see that the
inspiring atmosphere of New York has
done you good, Nelly, dear, ii spite Of
yourself, and now, the sooner we come
ont OF our shell the better. Let us
look around the hotel, though we
should never have the courage to make
any advances to strangers, even if ut
trlcted hy their appearance; and on
the whole, think the matter will
rcglllate itself We have been alone
IL crowd long enough, now, and
want til see my little Nellie i'll her
proper sphere once more"
And then NC wandered oil into dis
cliasion, Or rather 4 long rambling chat,
about the kind Of .people we should
really like to have.
The daylight died away and we
looked out nj the beautiful city under
the gaShght,o and specialized afresh on
tie probable dcstinies Of the crowd still
tramping under our windows, and with
the evening papers and our many be-
loved books We ended the day.
Ours was II strange position. We
were both comparatively young. Alice
WIS now -, and ! Two years younger.
Without being, by any means, regular
beauties, We were sufficiently good
locking I'd have been known III our ma
i've town, away down among the Hamp-
shire hills, rs ''the pretty Longdon girls
We were thoroughly well educated, had
more money than We knew what To do
with, and were absolutely alone in the
world. Cur parents and only brother
bad died some years before the time of
which ] nm writing and Alice was a
widow Poor child Fer story is brief
and sad enough The man she loved
and married nj Is, proved in every way
unworthy, and for three miserable years
her Young life was Il burden to herself,
and II cause of ce;,seless SORROW to me,
who watched her lovingly, hut was
powerless 70 help or comfort III such
grief NJ Tins At the end of three years
she was released 4 fall from his horse
while riding home III state Of intoxi-
cation caused the almost instant death
~ her husband
After this Alice was anxious to leave
the aid house where there were SO
many sad associations; where we had
hcen happy children and dcsolate or
phaus, and where my darling Alice
had tasted i bitterness worse than or
phanagc, But where should we go? II
was 1T the close Of our short New Eng
land summer thai We held many CON
sultation If u where we should pitch
eur tent. To me it was matter of
utter indifference, for AZ that time all
places were alike "a me- We knew
something 81 Boston, and my chief
pleasure during the memorable winter
spent there was the recollection OF
that first day III the Music Hall 1t
was, IN more senses than enc, Il marked
day, for from il dated my intimate
friendship with Henry West We had
met n several parties: each had recog-
med i'll the other kindred spirit: and,
rs he WAS an habitue Of the house in
Which ! was visiting il became mat
ter Ut course that lie should escort me
t. the various places Of amusement and
show me the lions" | loved music.
Int had enjoyed few opportunities Of
hearing il; no stars ever wandered SO
far out.of their accustomed orbits As our
little country town. and there was very
little native talent there When there.
Mr.. West invited me, soon after my
arrival III Boston, IL attend one Of the
"Wednesday organ c 2neerts. | con-
scented. little knowing what awaited
me.
When the first piece was over re-
member Il was the "rannhauser'
overtnrel sat quite still, the tears
rained down my face, but no words
would come Then il was | knew in
MI instant how perfectly sympathetic
We're my companion and myself: if he
had Il that moment uttered one of the
commonplace of conventional crit
cisms one hears So often, should have
hated him forever. But he did not;
he only said very quietly after | had
recovered myself i little, Il am 50
thankful vou heard it first with me,
and replied, IF only il might last
forever"
From that day our friendship ripen-
ga fast, and during the remainder Of
that memorable winter the world was
very bright To me. Every week we
went TO the Music Hall, and then l
studied ont with his advice and assist
ance the music We had heard together.
When the spring came, and Alice be
gan to beg for my return to her, it was
bard for me To think of ali from which
going home must separate me. And,
70 all appearances, he felt ii too.
could not doubt that he had very
great interest in me-he had given SO
many proofs Of ii. Would he, Won
derea, speak some decisive word before
| ieft2 Would not he ask permission
to visit me in my country homer So
dreamed until the last evening came.
For hours the drawing rooms had
been crowded with guests, assembled
TO bid me adieu. Many kindly greet.
ing was spoken-many q wish express
ed that We might soon all meet again.
But not until very late, when almost
every one had gone, did Mr.. West APP
pear. knew at : glance that some
thing was wreng, and my heart sank
within me. | talked on, however, as
merrily rs before, giving to each a
bright word, gay good-by, wishing
oh how earnestly, that it was all Ger.
At last we were alone. Nv hostess