The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-02-25
A TIMID GIRLS COURAGE.

"Are you going in the direction of
the station, Nellie ?" asked Mrs. Will
ton of her sister, as that young lady
appeared fully equipped for walk.
81 scarcely know" Nellie answer
ed in hesitating tone; 1.-THE fields
looked so lovely in the view from my
window, and / was seized with a
desire to wander at will among their
beauties, and so have put on my
broad hat and heavy shoes without
regard to appearances"
Mrs. Wilton glanced at the pure
white dress, set off with cardinal
ribbons the broad hat, with its knot
of wild flowers shading a sweet.
Hebe-Iike face, and, lastly. at the
sInaIl-ieet. whose shapeiy symnstrss
mo shoes could disguise. and a thrill
of admiration warmed her sisterly
heart.
"She is very pretty. and, what is
better, she has true. noble nature"
she thought as she gazed after her
graceful form and all unconscious of
her sisters praise Nellie Ashton ran
down the garden. walk, and once free
Of the grounds and observation broke
into the carol of happy child as
she wandered from hedge to hedge.
seeking and finding new blossoms at
every turn.
Ouccupied in this way, and taking
little heed of the direction in which
she went. Nellie was suddenly
brought to a stand-still by sound
that to her timid city ears was blood.
curdIing.
A great COW, which she had APP
preached unObserved, had, when on
ly few PAGES from her, lifted up it's
head and uttered prolonged-and
to poor Nellie a terrifying below.
d faint answer came back from the
distant pasture fields whereupon
bovine. with satisfied air, began
cropping industriously a few spears
of grass growing in the neighborhood
of stone and-lime wall in the yicin-
ity.
Nellie Ashton's one weakness was
terror ofcows. She looked on the.n
as her natural enemies, and though
heartily ashamed Of the cowardice
this aversion entailed was quite un-
able to overcome it. The sight of
one of these mild animals peacefully
grazing at the safest distance inspired
her with unreasonable fear, and their
presence in the green clover fields in
terfered seriously with her intense
love of nature.
Never before had she encountered
the Objectionable animal in such close
quarters, and fright for Il moment
arrested her footsteps. She drew
long breath and tried to still the wild
beatingS of her heart
eff l run it will chase me-" was
her first thought, and then came the
happy conclusion: II will mount
that wall ; its top is broad enough to
walk on, and, thank Heaven, cows
cannot climb"
A moment more and her resolution
was IN practice. She had gained the
elevation and was in safety. but, not
content till distance stretched be-
tween herself and the obnoxious ami
NAL, she hurried along the precarious
walk without observing it's gradual
ascent, and only paused when she
could look back securely on her past
danger and mediate at leisure on the
perverse.and evil nature of cows in
general.
ut stands there pretending to crop
grass" she thought, as she watched
it moving about In the sparse herb
age. "but l know it is planning how
1t may attack me. Oh, dear! / sup
pose they are very necessary to peo-
ple's comfort, for milk and all that,
but for my part I think such dam
gerous creatures should be confined
somewhere"
She had reached this part of her
soliloquy when, CHANGING to glance
down the road, her eye caught sight
of her brother in-law taking what he
called short cut across the fields
from the car station to his summer
home. Under these circumstances
the presence of this gentleman (who
was much given 10 tease) would have
been quite sufficient. The appear
ance of stranger added to Nellie's
confusion, and she Immediately pre-.
pared to spring lightly to the ground
before they could join her, when to
her alarm she discovered she was ct
least twelve feet above il.
The wall she had been following
in her eagerness to escape from the
cow formed the base of a sloping ter
race. ard rose gradually % it pro-
gressed until its height was some