Nelly's Silver Mine A Story of Colorado Life   By: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

The Beacon Hill Bookshelf

Nelly's Silver Mine

A Story of Colorado Life

By

Helen Hunt Jackson

With Illustrations in Color by Harriet Roosevelt Richards

Boston Little, Brown, and Company 1926

Copyright, 1878, BY ROBERTS BROTHERS

Copyright, 1906, 1920, BY WILLIAM S. JACKSON.

Copyright, 1910, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I CHRISTMAS DAY IN NELLY'S NEW ENGLAND HOME 1

II A TALK ABOUT LEAVING MAYFIELD 18

III OFF FOR COLORADO 48

IV A NIGHT IN A SLEEPING CAR 71

V FIRST GLIMPSES OF COLORADO AND A NEW HOME 96

VI LIFE AT GARLAND'S 125

VII A HUNT FOR A SILVER MINE 141

VIII THE MARCHES LEAVE GARLAND'S 156

IX WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY 187

X ROB AND NELLY GO INTO BUSINESS 208

XI HOW TO FIND A SILVER MINE 227

XII NELLY'S SILVER MINE 250

XIII "THE GOOD LUCK" 270

XIV AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 292

XV CHANGES IN PROSPECT 311

XVI "GOOT BY AND GOOT LUCK" 323

ILLUSTRATIONS

All that morning Rob fished and Nelly stuck grasshoppers on the hook for him Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

Nelly sat on one side, with all the dolls ranged in a row against the wall 20

He would ring out such a "jodel" that the people would stop and look up amazed 132

There she saw the very place she recollected so well 256

NELLY'S SILVER MINE

CHAPTER I

CHRISTMAS DAY IN NELLY'S NEW ENGLAND HOME

It was Christmas morning; and Nelly March and her brother Rob were lying wide awake in their beds, wondering if it would do for them to get up and look in their stockings to see what Santa Claus had brought them. Nelly and Rob were twins; but you would never have thought so, when you looked at them, for Nelly was half a head taller than Rob, and a good deal heavier. She had always been well; but Rob had always been a delicate child. He was ill now with a bad sore throat, and had been shut up in the house for ten days. This was the reason that he and Nelly were in bed at six o'clock this Christmas morning, instead of scampering all about the house, and waking everybody up with their shouts of delight over their presents. When they went to bed the night before, Mrs. March had said: "Now, Rob, you must promise me not to get out of bed till it is broad daylight, and the house is thoroughly warm. You will certainly take cold, if you get up in the cold room."

"Mamma," said Nelly, "I needn't stay in bed just because Rob has to, need I? I can take his presents out of the stocking, and carry them to him."

"You shan't, either," said Rob, fretfully. "I want to take them out myself; and you're real mean not to wait for me, Nell. 'Tisn't half so much fun for just one. Shan't she stay in bed too, mamma, as long as I have to?"

Mrs. March looked at Nelly, and smiled. She knew Nelly had not thought Rob would care any thing about her getting up first, or she would never have proposed it. Nelly was always ready to give up to Rob, much more so than was for his good.

"Nelly can do as she pleases, Rob," she answered. "I don't think it would be fair for me to compel her to stay in bed because you have a sore throat: do you?"