The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-11

the expense of collegiate course, put
owing to some difficulty in pointing
off," it never came out twice alike.
Mary Jane and I performed exam
pies in partial payment together. She
wore a blue merino dress on these &C.
casions. When we were casting up
interest together, her brown euris
sometimes fell against my cheek, and
she put her rosy fingers over my
brown ones to point out mistakes. /
could not understand why all the
class but Mary Jane and | should dis
ike partial payment.
My happiness would have been
complete at this period Of my life, but
for the existence Of Samuel Sloper.
Sloper the elder had been prosperous
in business, and Sammy wore better
clothes than [; he also carried a
watch and chain; still worse, he had
a horse and sleigh of his own, in
which he could take Mary Jane to
ride. He did take Mary to ride.
[ was shoveling snow in front
Of Judge Pettigrew's house, and saw
them go by. 1t was harrowing
Sammy presented her with gold
ring, the design of which was two
hearts united. That was still more
narrowing! Sammy walked home
from singing school with her one
night when [ had the influenza, and
wasn't there. He also walked home
with her from Thursday night pray
er meeting when | was there. When
/ went into Mary James fathers the
next evening, my eyes were greeted
by Sammy and Mary Jane bending
over the same slate. Mary James
curls touched Sammy's cheek just as
they had minel Mary Jane said
there was plenty of room for me. /
accepted it with a melancholy smile,
designed to show that / wasn't jeal-
Gus. l tried to cipher, but couldn't
tell what the cube root OF eight was;
said l had the headache, and went
home. The moon looked like pale,
cold orb, and I believed the next
morning that [ hadn't slept any all
night.
Mary Jane passed me a note in her
grammar the next day, in which she
tenderly asked after my headache,
and said it was too bad to leave her
all the evening with that stupid Sam
my Sloper.
Mary Jane also made fun Of the
ring with the two hearts on it, and
life resumed its customary brightness
of aspect. expended a part of my
boarded savings in plain gold band
for Mary James finger. Her name
and mine were engraved In the inside.
She said that plain ring suited her
taste the best.
Mary Jane and l studied the Latin
grammar together that winter, and re-
cited to the minister four times q
week, two mornings and two evenings.
i enjoyed the evening Rotations best.
We corrugated qn1O together at Mary
James fathers. Mary Jane asked
me to hear her recite the lesson, and
went through all the modes and
lenses with great simplicity. [ asked
her to hear me, and aimed to go
through with them con erpreSSione. /
caught glimpse from out the violet
eyes when the copjugation was fin
ished, and when l went home that
night the moon was calm, peaceful
luminary. | knew the next morning
that L hadn't slept any that night.
We did finely with nloneo, ago,
GndtO aud nltroe, but the evening we
went over to DR.. Prose's to recite the
periphrastic conjugation, Mary Jane
| became confused, mixed up dnldtus
SIM with anlGRdus sum woefully, and
couldn't tell the difference between
'tRrUs esSe and 'tRs fuiSse. DIR. Prose
had been at work on a sermon recon
| Cling the first chapter of Genesis
with geology, and had no surplus of
| patience. Mary James lip quivered,
and finally she broke down and cried.
l went through the cODjugation by
rote, mentally pronouncing DR.. Prose
q hard hearted old wretch, and con-
| graduating myself that | was not go
ing to study theology. After we Left
the study | comforted Mary Jane,
and was moved to q declaration which
was not In Latin, neither was her re-
! spouse in Latin. After that she sent
me note in her grammar every day,
and l inclosed my replies In the SPELL
ing book. felt like patronizing poor
Sammy Sloper.
a year more and l was going to
| college, no matter how-American
boys go to college by great variety
of means. L was going to win laurels
there to lay at Mary James feet. l
was going to afterward win fame, that
it might shed its lustre around Mary
Jaae's head. [ was going to be
wealthy, hat might crafty Mary
James tastes. Mary Jane went to
boarding school. She was very
anxious to improve her. mind, thai
she might be fitted for the elevated
position in which | might place her.
We held our farewell interview
! under a Balm of GiIead tree, in the
rear of Mary James house. 1t was a
very tender little affair. Mary Jane
shed a great many tears, and at Ger.
tain points | studied the veining Of
the Balm of Gilead leaves very
closely. We comforted each other
however. We were very brave, very
hopeful, very confding. The parting
was very much like the parting of al
young and gushing lovers, / suppose
but at the time 1t appeared very pecu-
; liar.
We have exchanged letters four
times a week. Mary Jane had o great
: many little cares and anxieties about
me, or vas In a state of deep sell
abasement. She wrote a great many
, funny things and a great many things
! which she evidently considered just
: little wicked, and which / though
; very smart. Her Sunday evenin!
letters are very god and very pious
and she wanted me to be very GOO
and picus and [ always felt that l was
: for Mary Jane was the divinity
: worshipped.
3 = x
A smooth, rudy face-a face tia
expressed ambition and enthusiasm
mouth little too self-reliant, per
haps clear eye, hair that lay smooth