Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-07-27
she might offend his prejudices or

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pine boat that Henry had whitfield
for her many years before. He
had named it Hope but the com.
bined wisdom of the little boy
and girl could not succeed in spell
ing the name correctly. And
here was the little boat that he
Lad given, saying afterwards that
it was the boat they were to sail
in some day. The misspelt name
bad been the subject of many a
laugh between them. Now-but
| mustn't be sentimental.
."It did not take Jennie long to
draw an exact likeness of the lit
tie craft. And that there might
be no mistake about it, she spelled
the name as it was on the side of
the boat-'IIoap.' There was not
another word in the valentine =
Sealing it up, she hurried out with
it, and dropped it in the post of
fee. No merchant sending all
his fortune to sea in one frail bark,
ever watched the departure and
trembled for the result Of the ven
ture as she did. Spain did not
pray half so fervently when the in
vincible Armada sailed. 1t was
an unuttered prayer--an unutter-
able prayer. For heart and hope
were the officers of the little pic
ture boat that sailed that dag,
with no other wind but her good
wishes in its sails.
"She sat down at her window
until she saw Henry Gilbert pass
the next street corner on bis
morning walk to the post office.
Three minutes after he went home
in great state of excitement, with
her valentine open in his hand.
After while he went back again
toward the post office and returned.
He had taken reply
"Jennie again sought the office.
There were people all around with
those hideous things they call
comic valentines open in their
hands. Aud they actually seemed
to think they were funny She
had reply. 1t did not take her
long to reach her room and open it.
There was another picture Of a
boat. but the name on the side
read Despair And these words
were added:
"Your boat is the pleasantest,
but understanding there was no
vacant place upon ii, | have been
obliged to take passage in this"
"Slowly the meaning forced it.
self upon her Henry had fears
that she whom he thought en-
gagged was coquetting with him.
l think, doctor, you will hardly
Justify her in proceeding farther
with the correspondence
"Why not? Hasn't a woman
as much right to make herself
understood in such matters as
man! And when the social ad-
vantages are on one side, the bur-
den of making the advances often
falls on her. Many women do it,
indirectly, and are not censured.
"Well, you know I'm conserva-
tive, doctor, but I'm glad you're
consistent. She did send another
valentine. / am afraid she strained
the figure of speech about the
boat. But when everything de
pends on the metaphor, it will not
do to be too fastidious. Jennie
drew again the little boat with the
misspelt name. And this time
added five words: "The Masters
place is vacant !"
"And quite late in the after
noon, the reply was left at the
door 81 am applicant for the
vacant place if you will take that
of Masters mate y
"Good, cried the doctor; 81 al
ways advocate giving woman
every liberty in these matters"
"But l will stump you yet, doc
tor" said Hubert. "That.'evening
Cough was to lecture in the will
age, and : my friend went, not to
hear Cough, but to see Miss Jen-
ME Morton at distance,-some-
how in the stuperfaction of revived
hope, he had not thought of going
to the house to see her yet. He
bad postponed his departure and
thrown away his scruples. Know
ing how much opposition he would
have to contend with, he thought,
if he thought at all, that he must
proceed with caution. But some
time after the lecture began, he
discovered the Morton family with
out Jennie.-Slowly it dawned
upon him. He was near the front
of the church in which the lecture
was held, and every inch of aisle
was full of people. 20 get out
was not easy. But as he thought