determined to make a conquest of your youthful affections ?”’
“And pray, Miss,” exclaimed Nathan, roused - at last to righteous indignation, ‘how do you propose to effect that end?”
“How?’’ drawled Nellie. ‘Why, by assur- ance to be sure—assurance, the most new- fashioned of the virtues.”
“Being a plain man myself,” returned Nathan, sturdily, ‘I am so simple in my tastes as to prefer to all others the old-fashioned virtue of modesty.”” |
A reproof so well timed and cutting could not well fail to be felt. A deep blush of mortification flushed Nellie’s cheek, and, for once in her life, she had no repartee ready. Indeed, I doubt whether the totally dissimilar case of the unex- pected development of the powers of speech re- corded in Scripture, astonished Baalam as much as this modern miracle astonished Nellie. She was so taken aback, that she was glad to escape to the house, with Miss Priscilla, who was inquir- ing, in an excited manner, what they were say- ing.
From this time Nathan appeared to Nellie in a new light. That he should have had the courage, in spite of the effort it cost him, to ad- minister so sharp a reproof to her, increased her respect for him. She saw there was something in him besides awkward bashfulness. She saw, teo, that he by no means admired, or even respected her. Of course, under these circum- atances, it was her first natural inetinot, both as coquet, and woman, to change his way of think- ing; therefore, from this time, what had been a mere childish love of teasing, changed into a firm determination to win this scornful youth’s regard, or, at least, admiration.
Her views were aided by a change in Nathan’s habits, for, instead of taking the same pains, as heretofore, to avoid her, he resumed his place in the family as before her coming. He seemed to either despise his former weakness, or to feel a contempt for a foe too mean to demand the vigi- lance with which he had hitherto guarded him- self. Nellie had now an opportunity of seeing him in his true light. She saw him devotedly loved and respected by his family, and the generous warmth with which his affection was requited. She saw his vever-wearied good- nature, with the never-ending calls of father, mother and sister on his services, never ex- hausted. It was, ‘Nathan do this, or that for me,” from one week’s end to the other; and, great as was the demand, Nathan’s kindness and willingness were as great. Sometimes, Nellie,
observing the pumber and variety of these claims, soming, as they generally did, after a hard day’s work in the fields, got up within herself quite a warm, little indignation-meeting about it; but she did not express her thoughts sloud, and nothing of the kind ever seemed to suggest ilself o Nathan, or the others, for thet matter. All seomed to agree that be was to do everything: mend all the breakages, carry about all the heavy things that are eternally wanting moving in every family, bring the wood, pump the water, make up the fires and the sccounts, wheel up his mother’s chair, read the papers to his father, and shout to his sister all that everybody said: in short, such a variety of ‘‘odd jobs” as would have appalled David himeelf. Thie Napoleon of ‘schores,” however, achieved them all with a large, careless kind of ease, that almost made you sorry you could think of nothing more for him to do.
Little by little, Nellie formed such an esti- mate, both of the heart and mind of this country youth, as made her blush wheneyer she remem- pered how she had treated him. She would now as soon have thought of stepping upen the woolsack, and pulling off the Lord Chancellor's wig, by way of s joke, as of attempting to make game of Nathan. And, humiliated by the re- sollection of her past impertinence, ahe grew as modest, at least in Nathan’s presence, ag even his old-fashioned notions on that point could demand.
Women are queer creatures about cortain things. If Nathan had sought her, or appeared to admire her, Nellie would have led him a pretty rig, and then laughed at and despised him. But as he avoided her, and seemed to really have no feeling for her, but one of min- gied dislike and contempt, she thought of him night and day, and often could have cried for vexation to find she could not please him. Con- sequently Nathan ceased to represent to her a bashful, country boy; he represented the man too proud to seek her, too superior to admire.
If Nathan perceived anything of thie change in her feelings, he did not betray any conscious- ness of it; he was consistent, at all eventa, for in spite of her beauty, and grace, and pretty, winning ways, he seldom appeared conscious of her presence. He never talked with her, though sometimes she did think she caught him looking at her, or smiling furtively at some of her merry nonsense with other members of the family. That was her only encouragement, and. the weeks passed by, and the summer was gone, - and the time for her return home at band.
On the evening before she was to leave, she went, about dusk, into the little field back of
