New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-07-06
ELLEN's CHOICE.

after graduating at Yale and visiting
the land of his fathers, old Scotia, had
now como down to have the grand old
mansion made inhabitable as summer
residence. Young, rich, handsome and
naughty, his advent naturally stirred
up tho village into state of excitement.
It was at a May party that he first met
with US.
Nelly was our queen, and never shall
I forget the startling impression which
her first appearance, in all her grace,
gayety and blooming beauty, made up
on Grahame. He gazed awhile with
eyes dilated, and then pressed eagerly
forward for presentation. It did my
heart good to see the imperious, travelled
aristocrat kneeling humbly, blushing
like very school-boy, and timidly kiss
ing the rose tipped fingers of our laugh
ing little Nell. But my triumph gave
place to slight feeling of apprehen-
sion, Us remarked the eyes of her ma
jestic pro tenn, fixed with evident inter-
est on the glowing face of her courtier
like admircr. I saw it was all over
with him, but did not wish the heart
of our sweet Nelly to prove so easy q
conquest. But what availed my wish
es All through budding May and lcafy
juno was Greenwood cottage honored
by tho frequent presence of Grahame
the admirer, Grahame the friend, Ora
hamc tho lover, Grahame the adorer.
and Grahame the af1ianced of our dar-
ling Ellen.
The bridegroom elect was boyishly
proud of his betrothed, and seemed to
exult in having won the beauty of M.
To others he was as imperious and fas-
tidious as ever, but deferential and
fondly attentive to Ellen. And She
how gloriously the woman awoke with
in her! How she trusted in him; how
she cared for him; how proud she
was of him! How she poured her very
soul out in grateful worship! She sang
and danced, and laughed and TESTED
with him, and her own beautiful and
with his that they could not be separ
rated. ".~-,~,. ~
At last, with much t.pomp and cir.
cumstance," tho female part of the
family of Grahame came to NJ, and
Ellen was honored with an invitation,
to spend week at Grahame place. She
returned before the visit was completed,
sad and i'll. questioned her, and che
0aid she was an ignorant country girl;
that she found she could not sing and
play Italian like Miss Euphemia, or
speak French and paint in oils like Miss
Margaret. "And then,' said she, while
her face grew crimson, II was dressed
go plainly"
"But surely" remarked, their
manner did not make you feel this !?
Were they not kind?"
"No; cold and ncglcctful.
"But James was he?''
She threw herself on my breas: with
q gush of tears, and murmurcd: "He
was like the others
At last she told of many things he
lad said and done which had cruelty
grioved her heart. One circumstance
now recollect: an excursion on horse
back was planned, and Grahame col.
lected considerably party.
While showing off the PAGES of his
horse, the vicious creature suddenly
threw him. Grahame was but slightly
hurt, but dreading the laughter Of his
friends, lay for moment as though in
sensible. Ellen, half-frenzied, sprang
from her palfry, raised his head on her
knee, chafed his temples and called up
on him wildly, tenderly. He opened
his eyes, poured upon her look of an
cry pride, flung her hands rudely from
him, and exclaimed, in harsh under.
tone-"Good Lord! Miss Montgomery,
do not render yourself and me ridicu-
lous!"
In the afternoon, Ellen pleaded ILL.,
ness and came home.
Three days of terrible suspense passed
before she saw the face of her betrothed.
At last he came, and, all in tremor Of
fealfulness and love, she received him.
In a short time I saw him pass down
the avenue, but for more than an hour
Ellen remained alone where he had left
her.
When she gave me leave to enter,
found her extended on the sofa, her face
hid with her hands and the long, gold.
en- curls which had fallen over it, her
breast heaving with quick, convulsive
sobs. She could tell mo nothing; her
anguish. was too intense for words. All
night long she wept and moaned within
my arms. Just at dawn she fell asleep
and remained in tranquil slumber for
some hours. When she awoke and
found me watching beside her she turned
her sorrowful eyes upon me and said:
"How good of you to show such kind.
ness to poor, forsaken girl
''Forsaken!' I exclaimed. HAS
James Grahame dared to forsake YOUR
HE said we had better part
he was convinced We were not suited
to one another, and he has left me for
ever.''
''And thank God for it!'' cried.
'tHe never truly loved you. You never
reigned over his narrow, little soul. II
he thought less of you for your being
portionless, let him now see with how
rich scorn you can look down on one
SO poor in heart and poor in honor.
Learn to despiso and detest him as the
embodiment of faithlcssness and cruel.
ty. Let Thin shrivel beneath the scorch.
ing contempt Of proud and injured
wOmanr'
She looked up mournfully for mo-
ment and only replied, II love him!'
despair of having my heroine ad.
mired by young ladies of spirit. She
was, indeed, no tragedy queen-she
Was'but meek, loving, constant, child
| like woman.
All through the winter Ellen dropped
daily, and spring found her but the pale
shadow of her former self. Then came
O new era in her existence. An uncle
! OF her father, Bostonian of wealth
and family, having married off his last
daughter, wrote to his little unknown
niece" cntreating her to accept home
with him, and thus make glad the
heart Of lonely old man."
"She went, and two years passed before
we saw her dear face again. She then
came to spend q summer with us-the
came, and yet how changedl ...z>--r
All, she was magnificent creature
in her full, ripened loveliness, with the
patrician carriage of her exquisitively-
nodded head, tho serene dignity which
slept upon her brow, the womanly pur-
ity which looked from her eye, and the
winning softness which waited on every
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