The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-05-14
MARTIN THE
SHEPHERD.
BY Lillias Wasser1nann.

By Lillias Wasser1nann. .5&. X.
Meanwhile the scattered flocks Of
sheep moved in a leisurely fashion
along the steep sides of the fells, and
pair Of lovers fingered in the dene,,
too absorbed in their own Insignificant
portion of the worlds business to pay
much attention to the impending trou-
BILE. ) 49, - &s.
The girl was young, and on her
cheeks bloomed the roses Of vigorous
health, but she was poorly dressed;
while the young man, who was enact
ing-after a somewhat mean fashion
the part of lover, looked prosperous
and well-to-do. ss
= cts hard upon me, Ralph; you must
confess that she exclaimed, with
touch Of bitterness. as her blue eyes
looked wistfully up through mist OF
tears. 1T isn't ma fault that aw can
ma keep him straight, and yet avn
ITO be punished for it, as if it was!"
@ It's to be all over betwixt us, then,
because yer fayther wishes it," the
girl went on, in tremulous voice.
Ralph shuf1ed about from one foot to
the other for minute or two, then he
, burst out:
.sHow can aw say it-what would ye
hev me do, Nelly?. If the aad man
turns me off awe nowt O. my own to
live on. Aw nun stick te the farm
and te him-damn him! Ye wadnt
like to see me hire oot for hind or
a shepherd-me that's been browt up
decently?" " ,.1t.
Nelly knew nothing of the world. In
this remote north country nook had
her whole life been passed, and from
THE larger life that books might have
':opened out her lack of education had
s,debarred her.
Where, in all that countryside, could
her equal be found in looks, manners,
sweetness of disposition, loyalty of
heart? Though she was only the
schild of a drunken, disreputable old
shepherd, she could hold her own
against any of the farmers daughters
. in the neighborhood. It was this fact
of her unfortunate parentage that had
! proved the STUN bling block to; their
happiness. They had been thrown to-
) gether from childhood, for Martin Dag
{ IS isl, the shepherd, had grown old in
Farmer Nv IIsons s employment, and an
attachment had sprung up between
them when Nelly bloomed into woman
hood; but, alas, for, the course of true
love, it had from the first been shad-
lowed by the shame and degradation
~of the girls father. 80
During the course of the year that
was drawing to a close, the drunkard
had made tremendous effort, for the
sake Of his child, whom he fondly
loved, to reform; and Farmer Wilson
had, rather reluctantly, given his con-
sent to the marriage.
That ''if!" A month before this the
shepherd had broken out again, worse
than. ever for his enforced abstinence,
and had become the object of public
scorn and contumely. -F2.- Pa
Then it was that Farmer Wilson: in
terfered with high hand, and with
drew his consent peremptorily. 1t was
all very well to marry poor girl
though even that was foolish con-
cern when capital was required to, de-
velop the resources of the land; but
. to marry a poor girl whose father was
a shame and a disgrace to the neigh
borhood was too idiotic an act to be
!. tolerated without some *endeavor being
made to put a. stop to it. g.
IL Ralph Wilson was weak, though
J, well l-intentioned, and he proved as
4 wax in his fathers hands. L d. =
Before the conclusion of the scene
he had promised to see Nelly, and to
induce her to give him back his
plighted troth. i:
The interview now proceeding was
the result of that promise.
Don't you imagine. that you have
/ the: worst: of it, Nelly, said Ralph, as
he felt again the charm Of her pres
ence; "these things come more hard to
man than woman, because they're
+, not so patient,'.. S-s s<-..,- - -..,:
81 Nelly sighed. ss5.
"B,it. men can 60 away, and forget
all about their. ppointments, They
/ ha' lots to think about. But We women
fol- k-We just ia t6 bide it and say
nothin' though our. hearts be ever