Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-09-21
A KIND HEART.


The woods were payly bedecked with
their autumnal foliage, and the robins
had ceased chirping their sweet lays;
but the brook murmured on, with It's
lulling intonation, beneath the rustling
branches of the trees. ss happily as II
did when its banks were luxuriant with
summer's green verdure. And 1t was
by this tiny rnstlc bridge that spanned
the stream in the shadow Of the trees,
that Netue first met Lennox Vale. He
had been listlessly tempting the speck-
led trout ia the stream with his rod
when she came down from the cottage
near BY, to fetch a pail Of water; and on
meeting the pretty girl he rose frem his
recumbent position, gallantly dotted his
hat, and laughlngly demanded her toll
TO cross the bridge. She blushed pref
tily, and would haye retraced her steps
in dismay had he net reasured her by
a few joking words, and to her astonish
ment filled her pail and carried it to the
cottage fer her.
That was the way they became ac-
1uainted, and 1t was not long before
both were hopelessly In love with each
other, although the sweet words had
net yet bean spoken which would reveal
their psssieu. He was handsome, and
being frem New York, po'rsssed the
polished manners ofa thorough gentle
man, while she, reared in the quiet lit
tie village of Roselle, was as innocent
and simple as country girl could bs.
He afterward called at the cottage
where dwelt Widow Borrowdale-a
graceful little lady, if possible more
beautiful than her daughter, An air OF
mystery surrounded the pretty widow,
which was only apparent to Lenno1
Vale; but be, too, was mystery to
them, as the extent of his confidence
was that he was a New Yorker, rusti-
eating 4 few months fer recreation. He
boarded at the hotel in the village, but
from the day he met Nethe most OF his
lime was spent near her.
And thus the happy days Of summer
and autumn sped rapidly by. and cold,
bleak winter approached in biting gusts
over the Blue Ridge, at the base OF
which the stream wound Its siauous
course. And winters approach brought
terrer to the widows heart, for she had
been unfortunate all summer; the bank
in which she had deposited what little
money she owned had failed and left
her penniiess. This news she eommu-
nicated to Nettis, one evening, as they
sat III the Tiny parlor before the cheer
ful Ere, q tew minutes after Lsnnox
had rslursed 10 his hotel.
Il DO not know what VIC shall do,
Nettie dear, she said, dolsfslly. The
few thousand dollars we're all your
father left Ms when he died, and that
money he brought from England
'Frem England, mammal queried
Nettie, in surprise.
Yes, my dear. 1 never told you we
are English, did II Dear me, how rap
idly time fles! Why certainly am an
English woman, but you were born here
in this house. Aud do you knew,
Nettis, your grandfather Was "a noble
mani?
why, no, mamma replied the as
toushed girl.
We'll, he was, continued Mrs. Bor-
rswdale. The stery ofmy life is an
unhappy enc, but will tell it briefly:
Your father was the only child OF Lord
Borre " dale, ard Was the daughter Of
a London merchant. Ny father and
mother died leaving me destitute, and l
was obliged to earn my bread by teach
ing IN private seminary. Your father
met me, aud falling in love with each
other, we were married. BY this act
my husband incurred the fury Of bis
father, who was an ambitious old man,
aud had chosen the daughter ola peer
for his wife. Considering himself dis
honored by his heir marrying so far be-
meath him IN rank, the old gentleman
disowned his sop, and forbade him ever
to enter the home Of his childhood days
again. Your father, Nettie, was as
proud as his unjust parent, and though
we struggled hard at frat for sustenance,
We finally amassed enough menoy to
carry Us over the broad Atlantic, and
we found comfortable home here
where you were born.
well, 1 declare! calculated the
pirl. This is . revelation to me,
mamma. But my possessing noble
bleed does not alter our situation.
What shall VIC dO?'
L cannot tell replied the widow,
despOndipglS.
The next day Lennox called at the
collage, and Ncttie told him their nl'-
fortune. He tned to comfort her as
beat he could, aud then lett her. he
called several times after that, but
seemed TO grow less afeclisnate as the
time passed by.
He left Roselle for four months. ssd
retured again when the flowers were
beginning to bud into beauty with the
advance Of another spring. by this
time Nettie and her mother were aorely y
pressed for money ; they had lived
comfortably through the winter, ewing
to the klndxsss Of the groceries a. they