The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-06
"Wcll do recollett the time," said


chccriiy up the wide-mouthed chimney
shedding Il cheerful! light upon til,
oId-fushioncu furniture OF my grand
mothers room, and casting llickerins
shadows upon the ceiling, "when crazy
Nell was young and fair Us any girl ii
ali WcstGcla. Yes, young and beauti
fnl--you would hardly believe it now
would you, child? But, dcary me
time and sorrow make sad changes!n
And my grandmother PASSED her hand
slowly ever her forehead, and abscntly
let fall her knitting, and knew by the
kindling Of her faded eye that hen
thoughts were wandering back to that
past when her own youth WAS fair and
bright.
1t was showing fast withOut-a wild
storm-and the driving wind siftcd the
white ilakcs against the window pancS,
into every crcviCc Of the shingcd,
gablcd roof and sometimes Il sudden
gust whirlcd down the chimney and
scut Il shower of sparks out all over the
nicely swept hearth.
| had como down to grandma's to
spend my short winter vacation, with
my scvcntccn-yCnr-o old head filled with
boarding school romance and the pros
pect OF story, where the heroine
promised to be young and beautiful" ,"
seemed at once invested with an in
tcrcst which, an hour before, | had not
thought it possible the poor village
wandcrer could havC inspired. Al
ready imagination had converted her
matted hair, wild eyes and bent figure
into 4 vision Of youth--hcr faded gown
and crooked bonnet, which be fore had
regarded rs antiquities worthy Of a
Museum, into relics Of better days and
fallen fortune.
"Oh, tell mo the story, grandma" |
exclaimed eagerly, drawing my chair
nearer her own, ana disturbing her
iavorite tabby cat AT her fcct, who
purrcd decided negative to such adj
vanccs what. Did you know hcr-
Crazy Nell and is that the reason
you are SO kind to her, and always set
apart food for her? For had noticed
ever since | had been at grandma S, Il
nicely filled basket set out at dusk on
the platform OF tho old we'll at the
back door, which the strange woman
came and took away, creeping back in
the winter mornings twilight to re-
place the basket whore she had found
it, And grandma had told me in an
swcr to my queries regarding her, that
She had never crossed any threshold,
save her own tumble down hut by the
river Sluc, lOr many years.
Tell me the story-do, grandma :"
"Wcll, Isabel, child, commenced my
grandma, "it is near to thirty years
town. Then the boys would follow her
through the streets, calling after her
and rcXinG her, for such Il stra%glcr
was before unknown in our village.
WAS walking over from the store one
day when | first Saw her. y crowd Of
boys were standing 10y the wall where
she had sat down TO rest. stopped
and looked 1T her too, for there was 4
familiar look in her lace: but it WAS a
long time before could bring myself
to believe the poor creature was one
whom | known in my youthful days
Nelly Simpson, the beauty OF our vii
luHc. And when | had looked ut an
old faded miniature which she held,
gazing steadily on it, while the boys
stood by in wonder, then | remembered
something which | had heard since |
was married and left homc--that Nelly
Simpson had gone crazy and been shut
up in a mad-housc. The picture she
held in her hand | remembered too. 1t
was the face of Edward Carey, q hunu-
some Young man who had come to our
village one winter to keep singing
school in the old school house at the
Point.
EDWARD Carey had not been in town
a week before he was Il favOritc with
every onc--and, singing school nights
the old school house WAS crowded with
young folks from far and near, the
country round. Right pleasant il WAS,
child, on moonlight nights to hear the
slcigh-bclls iingling, and by-and-by the
good Old-fashioncd tunes ringing out
from the old school house.
"At liret the new singing school
master seemed shy and bashful-though
all along there was a wicked, hidden
look about him which | never liked,
and your grandfather, dear, who then
first began seeing nc home, used tusuy
that Edward Cary was Il good singer,
but | could never get him to say any
thing better in his favor. declare,
child, it makes INC young again to think
OF IT." And my grandmother's checks
kindlcd with the crimson hush Of
youth.
"Well, all the winter Edward Carey
went round with Nelly Simpson-uuG
one evening she came to party with
his picture around her ncck--thc sam,
which | sa" her looking at that day
sitting by the wall. Wcll, by-und b,
the, were married by Old Parson Az
bott, and Carey took Nelly or to n dis
tant city, where he said his father an
mother lived, and where she shoul
have d beautiful home of her own.
"About that time your grandfathc
and | were married, dear, and move
over to Greenwood, whore we ha,
lived together for so many year
About year after, the strangcst stol
came ont about Carey. Somebody re;
it in ~ paper, that some people h;
come from the South ana arrested hi
fer bigamy! Nobody could believe
till one day poor Nelly came back wi
her baby in her arms, pale and broke
hearted. Her mother HAD Gicd tn
wear, and Farmer Simpson was
Changed man. ana his health was IA
ing fast, when Nelly came home poe
BETRAYED woman. She went a3out u
house pale and melancholy, ahunnil
the NJ iGhbors who came in to see ne
and Il smile was never soon upon n
face. The doctors said she WAS In
hopeless state Of dcspair-and days al
weeks went by yet she was no bette
"rhen the baby, IL little wan Gre
ture who lay and moancd all day Ion
died. Then poor Nell went crazy-tl
blow was too much for her falling min
and Dr.. Williams said it would be n
kl,.,. xVl, .