Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-04

She would not be suited to the trials of a minis
tcr's life. But finding that Henry was firm in
his opinion that this sound general priccipe
did not in the least apply to this particular case,
the professor proceeded to touch the tenderest
chords in the young mans heart. He told him
that it would be ungenerous, and in some sense
disbonorabe, for him TO take woman deli
catey brought up into the poverty and trial in
cident to a minister's life. lfyou understand,
sir, how morbid his sense of honor is, you
would not wonder at the impression this sug-
gcston made upon him. TO give up the minis.
try was in his mind to be a traitor to duty and
to God. To win her, ii he could, was to
treat ungenerously her whose happiness was
dearer to him thousand times than his own"
81 hope he did not give her up" said the Doc
tor.
eyes, he gave her up, in double spirit of
MEDIEVAL seli-sacrifce. Looking toward the
ministry, he surrendered his love as some of
the old monks sacrificed love, ambition, and all
other things to conscience. Looking at her hap
piness, he sacrificed his hopes in more than
knightly devotion TO her welfare. The knights
sometimes gave their lives. He gave more.
"For three years he did not trust himself to
return TO his home. But having graduated and
settled himself for nine months over a church,
there was no reason why he shouldn't 90 to see
his mother again. And once in the village, the
| sight of the old church revived a thousand mem
cries that he had been endeavoring to Danish.
The garden walks, and especially the apple trees,
| that are the most interchangeable landmarks, re-
vived the old passion with undiminished power.
| lie paced his room at night. He looked out at
| the new house of his rich neghbOr. He chafed
under the restraint of his vow not to think again
| of Jennie Morton. Ii was the old story Of the
monk who thinks the world subdued, but who
| finds it all at once about TO assume the mastery
of him. do not know how the struggle might
| have ended, bat 1t was all at once stopped from
without.
There reached him rumor that Jennie was
| already the betrothed wife of a Colonel Pearson,
| who was her fathers partner in business. And,
| Indeed, Colonel Pearson went in and out at Mr..
| Morton's gate every evening, and the father was
| known to favor his suit.
| Jennie was not engaged to him, however.
! Three times she had refused him. The fourth
time, in Difference to her fathers wishes, she had
| consented to think about it for week. In
| truth Henry had been home ten days and had
not called upon her, and all the weary waiting
| seemed in vain. When the coonePs week was
nearly out she heard that Henry was to leave in
| two days. In sort of perspiration she deter
mined TO accept Colonel Pearson without wait
ing for the time appointed for the answer. But
! that gentleman spoiled it all by his own over
| confidence.
For when he called, after Jennie had deter.
mined on this course, he found her SO full of
! kindness that he hardly knew how to behave
with moderation. And so he fell to fiatteling
her. and fltttering himself at the same time that
he knew all the ms and outs of a girls heart
he compllmented her on the many offers she had
| received.
land l tell you what he proceeded, there
are plenty OF Others that would lay their heads
at your feet, if they were only your equals
There's that young parson, Gilbert, think they
call him, that is visiting his mother, in the
implanted and notwithstanding little house
that stands behind this one. Eve actually seen
that fellow, in his rusty, muSty coat, stop and
look after you on the street, and every night
when 90 home, he is sitting at the window that
looks over this way. The poor fool is in love
with you. Only think of it'll And chuckle to
myself wren see him, and say, Don't you wish
you could reach so high? l declare it's
funny
IN that one speech Colonel Pearson dashed |
his chances to pieces He could not account for |
the sudden return of winter in Jennie Morton's |
manner. And all bis sunshine was powerleSs to
dispel it, or to bring back the least approach to
spring,
"Poor Jenniel You can imagine, doctor, how |
she paced the floor for all that night. She began |
to understand something of the courage of |
Henry Gilberts heart and something of the |
manliness of his motives. All night long she |
watched the light burning in the room in the |
widows house, and all night long she debated |
the matter, until her head ached. She could |
reach but one conclusion: Henry was to leave |
the day after tomorrow. If any communication |
should ever be opened between them, she must |
begin it. 1t was as if she had seen him drifting |
away from her forever, and must throw him a |
rope. l think such a woman's right man as |
yourself would hardly justify her, however, in |
taking any step of the kiIs."
81 certainly should" said the doctor.
but she could not find a way-she had no |
rope to throw. Again the colonel, meaning to |
do anything else but that, opened the way. At |
the breakfast table, the next morning. she re- |
ceived from him magnificent valentine. All at |
once she saw her method. 1t was St. Valen- |
tines day. The rope was in her hand, Ex- |
eusing herself from breakfast, she fastened TO |
her room.
"Io send a valentine to the faithful lover was |
the uppermost thought But how? She dare |
not write her name, for, after all, she might be
mistaken on counting on his love, or she might |
offend his preudces or his pride by so direct an |
approach. She went fumbling in a drawer for |
stationery. She drew out little pine boat that |
Henry had whitfield for her many years before |
He had named it Hope but the combined |
wisdom of the little boy and girl could not sue |
coed in spelling the name correctly. And here |
was the little old boat that he had given SAYING
often afterward that it was the boat they two |
were going TO sail in some day. The misspelt |
name had been the subject of many laugh |
between them. Now-but | mustn't be senti-
mental.
at did not take Jennie long to draw an exact
likeness of the little craft. And that there might
be no mistake about it, she spelled the name as
it was on the side Of the boat:
'HOAP.'
"There was not another word in the valentine
Sealing it up, she hurried out with it, and drop
ped it into the post office. No merchant, send
ing all his fortune TO sea in one frail bark, ever
watched the departure and trcmbled for the re-
suit of venture as she did. Spain did not priv
half so fervently when the invincble Armada
sailed. 1t was an unuttered prayer-an unut-
terable prayer For heart and hope were the
fading of the little picture-boat that sailed out
that day, with no other wind than her wishes in
its sails.
'She sat down at her window until she saw
Henry Gilbert pass the next street corner on his
morning walk to the post office. Three min
utes after, he went home, evidently in a great
state of excitement, with her valentine open in
his hand. After a while he went back again
toward the post office, and returned. Had he
taken reply2
"Jennie again sought the office. There were
people all around with those hideous things that
they call comic valentines open in their hands.
And they actually seemed to think them funny!
She had reply. 1t did not take her long to
find her room and to open it, There was anoth
er picture of a boat, but the name on its side
read Despair And these words were added:
Your boat is the pleasantest, but understanding
that there was no vacant place upon it, have
been Obliged to take passage on this Slowly
the meaning forced itself upon her. Henry had
fears that she whom he thought engaged was
coqueting with him. think, doctor, you will
hardly justify her in proceeding further with the
correspondence
"Why notP Hasn't woman as much right
| TO make herself understood in such matter as
a MANI And when the social advantages are on
| her side the burden of making the advances
often falls upon her. Many women do it indi-
Tectly and are not censured."
"Wel, you know, Pm conservative, doctor,
but Pm glad you're consistent. She did send
another valentine. / am afraid she strained
| this figure of speech about the boat But when
| everything in the world depends on one meta
| phor, it will not do to be fastidious. Jennie
| drew again the little boat with m;sspelled NAME
At this time she added five words: The masters
| place is Cdcdnt.'
And quite late in the afternoon, the reply
was left at the door: Il am an applicant for the
Udcant place, If you OW take that Of masters
| mate"
Good" cried the doctor; 81 always advo
Gated given women every liberty in these mat
| ters."
But will stump you yet, doctor, said HUI
| bert That evening Cough was to lecture in the
| village, and my friend went, not to hear Cough,
but to see Miss Jennie Morton at distance
Somehow in the stupefaction of revived hope he
had not thought of going to the house to see her
yet. He had postponed his departure and had
thrown away his scrupes. Knowing how much
| opposition he would have to contend with, he