Nellie

“ Nellie's was plain, plump, and happy-looking. They had been sitting silent for a long time. Nellie was half asleep; her dark head with the straight hair cut short all round it lying against Ralphie's curls of silky gold. Ralphie's dreaming, dilating eyes were fixed upon the clear flaming fire.
"Nellie!" said Ralphie suddenly, "I should think that lady in the picture woke up!"
"What lady, Ralphie?" said Nellie, opening wide her sleepy brown eyes.
"The lady that's asleep, and that the angel boys are flying down to with a cross," said Ralphie. ”

“ She was arranging real roses with unsparing hand in the mantel vases, on the little toilet-table, wherever she could find a spot for a vase to stand. Then came Nellie and stood in the door—herself a vision of beauty—in flowing curls, and spotless white garments, made after the latest and most approved fashion for young misses of thirteen, and with a flutter of blue ribbons about her, from the knot fastened in some deft way among the curls to the dainty bows perched on her slippers. ”

“ Nellie soon answered, Daisy's sacrifice losing nothing of its merit in her telling; while Carrie, feeling more and more uncomfortable, but neither caring nor daring to run out of hearing, and so excite questions, stood idly rubbing her finger over the bars of her bird's cage. The contrast between her own conduct and that of her almost baby sister was making itself felt more and more to her own heart and conscience. If Daisy deserved a bird because she had been loving and considerate for mamma, surely she did not deserve the same. How she hoped that papa would give Daisy one! ”

“ At last the rumor reached Tom Jenkins, awaking him from the sweetest dream he had ever known. He could not ask Nellie if it were true, so he came to me; and when I saw how he grew pale and trembled, I felt that Nellie was not altogether blameless. But he breathed no word of censure against her; and when, a year or two afterward, I saw her given to William Raymond, I knew that the love of two hearts was hers; the one to cherish and watch over her, the other to love and worship, silently, secretly, as a miser worships his hidden treasure. ”

“ This is quite a different Nellie from the one who went over this same lawn in her first long dress. More beautiful if possible: the shining hair and dewy, long-lashed eyes, the clear colouring, and slim, straight figure are just the same, but there is a deeper look in the young eyes, a sweeter, graver expression about the young mouth. She will be that gladdening thing, an exceedingly beautiful woman; she will be more, a good woman and a noble. ”

“ Nellie was a good girl, and I think had a sort of quiet respect for old Fagg's unobtrusiveness. But her fancy was already taken captive by Rattler's superficial qualities, which were obvious and pleasing. I don't think Nellie was any worse than you or I. We are more apt to take acquaintances at their apparent value than their intrinsic worth. It's less trouble, and, except when we want to trust them, quite as convenient. ”

“ Ada had turned her back and dropped her work in her lap, and now sat with her arms resting on the table and her face looking out into the square, of which, however, she saw nothing.
"Nellie dear, you must comfort papa. You must remind him that the time will be very short before we meet again. You must do all you can to cheer him. Not at first, dear—" She paused; then gathering breath again, "But after a while; not by forgetting, Nellie, but by remembering—remembering how happy we have been, and how soon we shall meet again. We have not tried to forget your own mother, have we, Nellie?" ”

“ Nellie at times well-nigh fainted under their difficulty. But when things seemed at the worst, words would come back to her, and the blessed Spirit would remind her: "When my heart was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path;" and the thought that God knew, and was ready to help, was sure consolation, and Nellie took courage again.
"There cannot be a need greater than He can supply, dear," her father said to her one day, when he found her mending a great heap of stockings, and looking lonely and desolate. ”

“ Is it not so?"
"I dare say you think so, papa, after to-day," answered Nellie, with quivering voice; [47] "but I can try not to let myself be so taken up again with my lessons, and then there will be no harm in it, will there?"
"Have you felt very well, quite like yourself, during the last few days, Nellie?"
"Well, no, sir," said Nellie, reluctantly. "Not quite. I feel rather tired every morning when I wake up, and my head aches a good deal 'most all the time. And—and—I don't feel quite like myself, for I feel cross and hateful, and I don't think I usually am very cross, papa." ”

“ What covered the towel-protected top of the stand, was Nellie's looted treasure.
There were the fragments of the pink cup and saucer; the leaf-green and brown majolica bits that had been the pickle-dish; the iridescent curved sides of George's wife's [Pg 91] lemonade-glass; Aunt Em's shattered souvenir pitcher; Abbie Carter's cracker-jar with its smashed wheat-heads. Myra only looked bewilderedly; but on Nell's gaping face apprehension succeeded stupefaction and dissolved in its turn into a great brimming tenderness.
"Scold you, Mother? Oh, Mother—what must you think me! ”

“ Nellie went straight over to the baby, and took him on her lap, and then drew Dolly to her knee.
"You've been crying," said Dolly, looking anxiously in her face.
"Yes," answered Nellie quietly; "but I want to tell you all something. Come, Netta and Isabel, darlings, come close to me."
"Is mamma worse?" asked Isabel.
"No, dear children, she is better; she is gone to be with Jesus."
"Gone?" said Dolly, with such a wail that Nellie's calmness almost gave way.
"Yes," she said, steadying her voice again; "her spirit is gone to heaven to be with God. ”

“ CHAPTER V. AUNT RUTH.
"NOW, Nellie, my dear," said Aunt Ruth, as they were seated together at work in the drawing room the next morning, "tell me all about them at home."
Nellie looked up in her aunt's face—a face still young for the actual age; a face that had lived through seas of suffering, but which was the index of a heart that rested now, and ever had rested, on the Rock of Ages.
"How can I begin to tell you, dear aunt?"
"Anything will be welcome, darling; but first your dear papa."
"I think he is just as usual," answered Nellie. "He always is just the same." ”

“ Nellie's eyes filled. How wonderful it was that, all the world over, the words of the blessed Book comforted those who sought its aid:
"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever."
"And you have good news from Walter?"
"Oh, yes!" said Nellie, brightening. "He is very well, and working hard, and longing to come home."
"It will be a great change for you all, if he settles in England."
"I think he will, Aunt Ruth. Christina does not like India very much; and then, again, Walter wants to be near papa. It seems hard that papa should lose his eldest son altogether." ”

“ The contrast between Millie and Nellie is extraordinary. For Millie scents to go through life, making difficulties; Nellie goes through life, smoothing difficulties away. Millie is never happy unless she finds herself a centre of attention: Nellie is never so happy as in the background. ”

“ Just then some one tapped her on the shoulder, and, turning sharply round, Nellie found herself confronted by a woman not many years older, probably, than herself, but with a face upon which, beautiful as it was, the early indulgence of wild passions had stamped a look of premature decay. ”

“ Elliot, looking along the lane in a hopeless kind of way that made Nellie's heart ache.
Maude sprang up, and went to peep round a bend, to look for the others, and Nellie put her hand softly on Mrs. Elliot's. "I would rather trust Him!" she said gently, looking with full eyes into the careworn widow's face.
"I do not know, my dear; life has been a long struggle with me, and I have had but little joy, and now my best is gone, and I have nothing left but an empty chair and an empty heart." ”

“ Nellie stopped. It was a woman, sleeping.
There, under a leafy tree, whose flat branches shielded her somewhat from the rain, slept the outcast. She had dozed off into slumber, sitting there alone. She was not lying, only sitting there, her arm flung over the back of the seat, her head fallen on her shoulder, her face upturned to the pitying night. It was the face of a street-walker, bloated and purplish, the poor pretence of colour gone, the haggard lines showing, all the awful life of her stamped upon it ”

“ And now, Nellie, I must tell you about the Elliots. They are very nice people, and Hope is the greatest comfort to us. I can hardly fancy ourselves living without her now. I am sure you and she will be happy together. But, you know, Nellie, they all need the one thing. ”

“ The next morning, when Nellie came in to take away her breakfast tray, she was already half dressed.
"Ada!" exclaimed her sister, astonished. "Can you, dear? Are you well enough?"
"Yes, Nellie, I am getting on very well; you go about your business. When I am dressed, I shall go into the nursery. I'm afraid I've been very selfish."
"They will be so glad to have you," said Nellie, thankful that her sister was so far recovering. ”

“ Hair of bright and golden hue,
Like her eyes, her heart is true,
My Nellie my own!
Never reigned a queen more fair,
Who with Nellie could compare,
By her side my life I’d share,
My Nellie my own!
Ne’er was culled from nature’s bower
Half so sweet or rare a flower—
With my Nellie hour by hour,
My Nellie my own!
Chorus.
My Nellie’s blue eyes,
My Nellie’s blue eyes,
Bright as the stars that shine above,
My Nellie’s blue eyes.
* * * * *
The above is part of the original song which inspired Mr. Charles Coborn with the idea of one of the most popular parodies of modern times, Two Lovely Black Eyes. ”

“ She knew a man that was."
"Hannah had no business to tell you such stories as that," said Nellie. "Mamma wouldn't like it at all, Daisy."
"Then I'll tell her she mustn't do it," said Daisy; "but, Nellie, do people that kill mice have to be took to prison?"
"No," said Nellie, "mice are very troublesome and mischievous, so it is not wrong to kill them. But it would be very wicked to tease them or hurt them more than we can help."
"I'm glad of that," said Daisy, "'cause I wouldn't like you and Carrie to go to prison." ”

“ Nellie was much impressed. Fancy the Queen bowing to her! What lovely tales she would have to tell to-morrow!
"What are you going to do with your new sixpence?" asked her Majesty, when she had seated herself again.
"I thought I'd buy a lamb, and then I could make a pair of socks for Pa with the wool."
The Queen smiled. "Very sensible indeed," she said, patting Nellie on the head; "and you might make me a pair too, you know."
Nellie's eyes sparkled. "And will you really wear them?" she asked eagerly.
"I always wear stockings," said the Queen in an offended tone. ”

“ O Carrie, Carrie!
"I am afraid it is Carrie who is a little cross and fretful," said Mrs. Ransom, who had noticed that this had been Carrie's condition all day. "Well, perhaps bed is the best place for you. Try to sleep it off, and be pleasant and good-natured in the morning."
"Everybody seems to think Nellie and Daisy are quite perfect," murmured Carrie to herself, as she sauntered slowly through the hall and up the stairs. "No one ever says they do any thing wrong; but always say I am cross, and every thing else that is horrid. ”

“ There was a short pause, and then Nellie said, with determination: “Bob, I am to a certain degree responsible for your being here at all.”
“You are entirely responsible.”
“I feel the responsibility. I feel it is my duty to make you behave rightly while you are here. It is not behaving rightly to try and acquire an influence over an inexperienced child like Louisa Overton.”
“My dear Nellie, how women jump to conclusions! Is an evening visit a sure prelude to acquiring an influence?” ”

“ They all turned; for entering at the moment, with almost noiseless step, was Nellie's invalid aunt.
"I have just come to give you one kiss, darling, and to ask you how you have travelled, and how they all are at home?"
"Oh, very nicely, thank you, dear auntie! And I have had a very good journey. It is so sweet to be at dear Fairleigh again."
"You must be tired," answered her aunt, "and so our dear Hope will take you upstairs. Hope is quite like a grandchild here, and is a great comfort to us." ”

“ Carrie sat a moment silent.
"And I suppose," she said at length, "that that was the reason you said you would not have time to make the bracket for mamma?"
"Yes," said Nellie, quietly.
"O Nellie!" said Carrie, "how much better you are than I am. You are a real, true help to mamma: you think of and you do what is really useful to her, but you don't talk about doing such great things. And Daisy, too; when I think about her giving up her white mice that she really had a right to keep, 'cause mamma said she could, I do feel too ashamed and mean for any thing. ”

“ And, Nellie, I'm going to tie you in your chair; it's necessary, because I can't lock the door, so you mustn't cry; nothing will hurt you, and I want you to be a brave little girl and help sister all you can."
Nellie, too sleepy and dazed to understand very clearly what Mary Margaret was about, submitted to be wrapped up in quilts and bound securely in her chair. Then Mary Margaret tied the chair fast to the wall so that Nellie couldn't upset it. That's safe, she thought. Nellie can't run out now or fall on the stove or set herself afire. ”