Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-06
NELLY's OBSTINACY.

"You are right" began my aunt,
sin thinking Nelly Bruce was lovely.
| have rarely seen girl more so. Her
features might have been more regular
can never especially remember her
nose-but when | recall the perfect
mouth and teeth, the glorious eyes, the
exquisite figure, she seems all beauty
to me. The thing which most i'm
pressed itself on those around her was
her vitality. Yes, Doris, that is the
word. We all live, of course, some Of
us a good deal, others in a dull, de-
pressed sort of way, but every bit of
dear Nelly seemed to live. ! never saw
any one who enjoyed as she did, and
in all the years l knew her | never Ie-
member her out Of temper"
"Was she never dull or in the
dumps?" was my next query. | felt
sure my aunt's love for Nelly made her
exaggerate.
mot in the sense you mean, Doris !;
but though she looked healthy, she was
not really strong; there was, | believe,
consumption in her family. There
would be times when she would be
strangely exhausted as if she had no
real strength to oil back upon, and she
would seem suddenly to run down like a
woIn-out clock. Then she would 60 quite
away from every one, to sulk alone, she
would say smiling cheerily; but don't
think it was sulks, but a curious sort
Of weakness which she preferred bat
Ting against by herself. She never
complained, and we all thought her
quite healthy, though her doctor once
said she would be bad patient for a
severe illness. She lived with an old
uncle who spoiled her; but, indeed,
every one spoiled Nelly, who was so
loved that she never missed the
parents who died when she was quite
young. She often stayed with us, and
it was at our house she met your uncle
Ralph, who was just back from the
Crimea with his arm in a sling and in.
valided. 1t was not surprising he and
Nelly fell in love with one another. II
was a beautiful, noble affection those
two had for each other. No words can
describe the perfection Of the union be.
tween them; it was as If they had a
provision their joy was not to last.
ut was just one month before the
wedding when Nelly, Ralph, and ! &C.
cepted an invitation to spend fortnight
with some people in the north Of Eng.
land. They were a Mr.. and Mrs. Har-
vey; he was Nelly's godfather, and, as
they had mostly lived abroad, they had
neither Of them seen her as yet; so they
not only invited her to stay with them
but also kindly included Ralph and mi
in the Invitation. They were child
less couple, who spent their lives wan
dering about, but had now taken for I
year somewhat lonely country-hous'
about fifteen miles from York.
"Mr. and Mrs. Harvey were pleasan
and kind, but we liked him better thar
her. she being a selfish, spoiled littl,
woman, who had her own way in mos
things. There was q continual coming
to and fro Of guests in the queer ram
bling old Manor House, and time passed
. quickly and happily there. Poticho
mania was all the rage just then
We were mad about it, an,
used to cover everything china W
could get hold of with every sort o
bird, beast, griffin, and flowers, an,
: were never satisfied till we had arrive,
at complete sickness, till everythin
around US was in hopeless mess
: Ralph's wounded arm prevented hi
} handling gun and joining the sports
men, SO he was our willing aid, thong
5 l think but for his love for Nelly
: would not have cared so much for It.
, at was late autumn, the weathe
! very stormy, so we ladies mostly stage
. indoors, spending many an hour in or
, small room, which Mrs. Harvey handle
! over to us To do as we liked in. II wa
called the 0dd-and- End room, becaus
, any smelly, messy, untidy work nigh
be done in il. 1t was strange littl
chamber, not cheerful, but YER
quaint. There was q huge blac
oaken press, wonderfully carved, whic
filed up one wall, and the hideous
ness Of some Of the faces which peepe,
from it, gargoyle-fashion, almost passed
belief. The sculptor who had been adj
to carry out such demonish ideas mus
have been either mad or wicked. Some
old armor hung on the walls, which hs,
. trick Of rafting ghostly on wind.
days., while some dark, indistinguish
able pictures, In which you coul,
perceive nov an eye and nov > moush
were the sole ornaments Of th