The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-14

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and I'm sure l don't mean youi.an harm,
Ruth" Fl, 90
He paused in his declaration of belief, but
Ruth made no reply, so he went on again with
his moselogus. ,.o ; - 10 ISL
@Idon't zee Why she should beet to NV walk.
ing with you at all Why, am sprotsction to
you" said he, grandiIoquently, while Ruth gave
utterance 10 o sly laugh. q lt.al q
! "Oh, you may laugh now, but suppose there
were to be bull or mad dog in the road -
what would you do then, if didn't happen to
be alongf"lT .EstL sar
! Il would have my young lady readers observe
that Ruth did not blush when Jasper used the
word "bull"l
"Pd drop my books, and get on the fence,
Mr. Jasper"
t-'~ Rdfr Why, you show, y6u'd b 700 much
scared to move step and suppose it was in
the woods farther os, where there is no fence? ?"
SWELL, but what good would your being with
me dof Both of us would be bitten then, and
that would be great deal worse-besides,
people would say you were bit on my account"
"But if were along you wouldn't be bit.
Id kill him with my pistol"
al expect you'd run away, and leave me to
take care of myself" said Ruth, provokipgly.
Jasper looked at her moment, and then
said, with the tones of responding lover
I" thought you knew me better than that"
swell, the mad-dog hasn't come yet, so don't
let us quarrel about what we would do; but
don't think you ought to expose me to scold
ing every day, Jasper"
81 don't intend to. tell you what I'll do
Ruth. will 60 and see Miss Mary about it
l walk in this road every day, you know-Mr
Classic says walk every morning and evening
is necessary to persons health, and she
wouldn't have me pass You without speaking,
hope. Besides, like to walk with you, and
I'll do it, and tell her. so too, in spite of her
frowns. All she says is not Gospel, by grea,
} DEAL"
This seemed to them a sufficient basis, q
competent "Four Points and Protocol
upon which to settle finally, or at least to com
promise, the issue between the schoolmistress
and themselves; and, the subject being dismiss
J ed, they walked on, amusing themselves with
chat about matters interesting enough to them
but scarcely worthy to engage the readers atten
ton, who, if he have not children, is very apt
to despise their pratte, and, if he have children
is likely to fnd his whole interest locked up il
the talk around his own hearth.
As they came to q bush full of the ripe black
berries, tempting in their jetty glisten, Jasper
! turned to pluck handful, and gave them Il
Ruth, who turned those tender orbs of hers W
to look in bis face as she took them, and muir
} INJURED
"Thank you, Jasper"
He walked on in silence then, while she ate
her berries in silence 80 signi6 cant that Ruth
looked at him askant from under her bonnet
and caught his eye watching her. Confusedly
: they both dropped their eyes, as if consciou,
that they read each others thought-and, as
they walked, gradually got apart from each
other, upon the extreme right and left of the
: road. He was coursgeless to attempt some
; thing which he seemed DESTROYS to express; and
che, with the true womanly intuition, had
|; guessed his thought, and shrunk maiden like
: from its utterance.
Nov, my dear young lady and gentleman
| above appealed to- no,c make them seven and
eight years old, and put pinafores on them, and
make them place finger in mouth, and they
will accurately convey to your minds the idea
of whipped school-boy, and reprimanded
schoolgirl, going home in Disgrace.
} Then Jasper culled another choice handful
of berries, che walking on ahead while he
stopped, and called out to her to wait and ge,
them. She did not want any more, she said
bat Jasper told her, Nonsense !" and abe
waited for him by the roadside, patting her
little laced shoe in the dust, and with a switch
tracing letters there-a ], and an A, and, when
he was near, adding very hastily an N and an
e, composing thus very innocent-looking
JANE, but of very unequal chirogrsphy. When
he was come quite alongside of her, he said
"Ruth."
SWELL" she replied, but without looking al
, him. The sly puss knew exactly what he meant
, and was sedulous not to give him any encour.
agement. He held out the berries towards her
! but as she took them, he caught the little hand
3 berries and all, in his own, squeezing it unit
the purple juice dropped upon the road, care
less of the infinite injury he did the nankeen
mitten, and of the more serious detriment &c
his own elaborate wristbands, and asked in a
low, tremulous voice, but very earnestly
"Ruth, do you love me?"
} But Ruth only tried to get away from him
laughing in that forced hysterical fashion usus
to most very young ladies in such trying emer
gencies las the author, at least, is credibly in
formed,) and
} "There now-just see what you've done
} ruined my mittenI I'll be bound you sham
walk with me any more"
: Nevertheless, he still retained hold of th,
stained hand, clasping it very tightly, talking
very rapidly and earnestly Of this love of his
; with which, sooth to say, she was long ago &C
: qusinted-talking in manner that surprised
himself and pleased her, so that she no lopge
struggled 80 violently to release her hand
telling her of his love, and how he would pin,
away in bitter despair, and do innumerabl'
other very desperate things, such as the livel,
fancy of youth enabled him to bring to mind, i
his love were not returned in fine, giving her. i
not new, at least a very pretty version of tina
old, old story, which man has told, and woman
has hearkened to, ever since the groves of Elder
were planted. And, finally, when, dropping
books and basket-on the strategic principle
! of neglecting all save the main issue and the
ey.position-he seized fast upon her othel
hand also, and asked her imploringly to say
eyes" or he would then and there grow ravine