Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-06-07
WHAT CAME OF IT.
BY DINAH sTURGIs.


neighbors said it was, when it became
dloised about that Belle Outhct was going
to Boston
The Outlets lived on what is known
the country round MS the Back Road, but
which is entitled to be called North Kings
ton. 1t lies along the foot of the North
mountain, in the beautiful Annapolis val
ley, mile or so back of the post road,
over which the coaches rumbled along
with their mail-bags and passengers be-
lore the day of railroads. Bellies great
grandfather was an English squire, who
IN his day owned half the country round
about, but much of the land had never
been improved, and the estate had
-dwindlcd in value, until, in Bellies time,
Sonly the Outhct pride and good for
little farm remained to the family.
AT Acadia Seminary, where Belle was
sent to school when she was old enough
to go away from home, she was in the
midst of the poetic Evangelinc land 1t
would have seemed natural enough if she
had fallen TO dreaming under the spirit of
quiet that pcrvadcs the place, or had taken
TO vcrsifying or to weaving stories out of
the legends with which the country teens
But she did none of these 1t was not,
however, until after graduation day, with
its showers OF atulations-showcrs
that never dampcn the spirits of graduates
or gucsts-had come and gone and Belle
was at home again, that the plans that she
mad been brewing for the future came to
right. They were far from being dream
like or legendary in character.
az hear the sauirc's daughters roin' to
Boston to study ut tn Instoot of Techno-
lacy, whatever that is, said Farmer Har-
fis to his wife, shortly afterward This
was more than equivalent TO putting it in
the Weekly Gossipcr, because Mrs. Harris
made seven visits to the Gossi1,e,'s one.
The gossips said: cit does beat all
how people that hewitt an extra sheep in
their fields kin spend so much on ediuca-
ton, now don't it2" And they confessed
to each other that they s'shud think Belle
Outhct d been to school long 'nough."
The squire was perhaps no less aston
ishcd than some of the wives and maid
ems in the village when his daughter
made known her desire to go on study
ing, with n view to fitting herself to take
up some one of the sciences professional
ly. He was surely good deal more per-
picked. AT first there seemed nothing
but objections to the scheme. For one
thing, he did not sec his way clear to af-
fording tho cost of lessons and living in
a big city, and even if he could. what
good would scientific studies do Belle. he
teasoned. Perhaps good, old Doctor
Pierce, Bellies godfather, and the squires
counselor upon every occasion, talked
him over. At any rate, the doctor
thought Bellies idea a brilliant one, and
said if she could make herself proficient
in sanitary science, for example, she
could revolutionizc the country. And
very likely the squirrels naturally gener-
Gus heart prompted him to make an en-
ira effort; ut least, it was soon settled
that Belle was to go to Boston, to study
for something nobody seemed to know
Just what, but something wonderful, no
doubt, as she was going to that remark
able place.
The day came when she had to say
good-by TO father and mother, to her
brothers Ernest and Tremaine, who were
still mere children, to friends and to the
dear, old home, to the valley and to the
mountains. The good wishes of the
crowd, gathered about the ugly, wooden
box that did duty as station, followed
her as the cars moved off, and Widow
Mills nearly lost her bonnet through the
car window in saying: ''The Lord love
you, Miss Belle, and don't you learn so
much you'll forget your ole friends, now
will you, dcarie?"
Through letters to the Woman's Ex
change, the squire had secured home
for Belle and bachelor uncle in New
York had promised to meet her when
she got to Boston, to see her safely set
tied, and to visit her from time to time.
But the best laid plans s'gang aft aglcy,"
in all truth. Illness kept Uncle Outhet
in New York, and when Belle arrived mt
her journeys end there was no one to
meet her. To make matters worse, the
steamer, in which the last part of the
voyage had been made, was late in get
ting into. the harbor, and when the pas
sengers were set on shore it was after
dark, in a driving rain storm. The vow
age had been rough one, and sea-sick-
ness had reduced Belle to state of utter
eyretchedness, and to find herself friend
lass in a strange land was not calculated
to raise her spirits. But the mere act of
stopping off the fitting ship upon mother
earth was joy in itself, and her natural
: presence of mind stood her in good
stead now.
In writing home about the experiences
of that first night, she said she came to
the conclusion there was no need of being
nervous, for there were officials in uni
form standing about on every hand with
apparently nothing to do in the world but
answer questions for just such novices as
she was. She knew where she wanted to
go, and they could tell her how to get
there. The good-natured custom house
officer examined her luggage in what he
called quick metre, and an .obliging
policeman picked out hackman, whom
he knew to be an honest fellow, for her.
And that WIS all. Belle said it was not
much OF an emergency, after all, when
one had eyes and ears and a tongue, and
knew enough not to ask questions of any