Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-09


to Bessie, standing on tip-toe, looking at
herself in the mirror hung over the high
mantelpiec The mirror was decorated
with green's, for it was the day after
Christmas. Two holidays together! Two
whole days in which Bessie had neither
darned stockings nor mcnded Jim's trow
sers, and so had had time to dream.
1t was dear little face she saw in the
mirror, with calm brown eyes, and soft
brow hair, and long brown lashes; little
face, with dimpled, pink cheeks, very
young, very sweet, but very womanly.
twenty-five! Twenty-Five! Twenty
twor' said Bessie.
"Whats" said jim.
81 said l was twenty-five, DEAR" she
answered, returning to the stove.
"What little grandmother More
than twice as old as |, said the boy,
making her sit down and jumping on her
knee. He had way Of returning to
babyhood sometimes when they were
quite alone. She pressed him in her
arms and kissed his forehead. He threw
his arms round her neck, and tried to kiss
her lips; but she turned her cheek to him,
laughing.
'Bessie, why will J OH never let me kiss
your lips?"
''They're not mine to give you, dear"
with a bright blush mantling up to the
roots of her hair
"What do you mean?"
''No matter, jim. Do you know your
lesson for morrow"
"Guess not" and he resumed his seat
by her side and his book, and she her
contemplation of the red Goals and her
sweet, PARKWAY smile.
Presently she got up and put more coal
on the fire; took up stick of wood as if
she would add that to the flame, and then
laid it down again by the side of the
stove.
"Bessie, do you know the wood is al
most out?'
eyes, JIM" with happy sound in her
voice, as if, in some mysterious manner,
the fact was pleasant one.
"Wen have to buy some more, and
hire somebody to cut and put it in"
perhaps so. Do you know your les
son now?"
eyes. viii you hear me ?"
She took the book, and asked the ques-
tons printed there in a mechanical way,
as if she was not thinking of them, and
the sound of the boys voice in answering
seemed not his, but the outspeaking of
her thoughts. So that to her the lesson
was something in this fashion:
Question:" How many States are there
IN the United States 90
Ansecer.-"I have cut and piled wood
enough to last you until I come back
| again, dear Heart"
| Q.-"Into how many sections are they
divided ?"
A-''And you'll know when I'm COM
hg, dear, by the woods being out"
Q-"What States form the Eastern or
New England section ?"
| 40, dear John Two whole years
How oan l let you go 1shall be twenty
two years old when you come back -
you'll be my little wife. dear, when l
come back"
"That's our secret, John. You haven't
told anybody ?"
mo, not even my mother"
| Here Bessie saw a tall figure in the
doorway of the wood-house, against a
gray winter sky and bare branches of the
elm-trees. His arm held her closely, and
he looked into her eyes.
| cit will be u pleasant thought to me,
Bessie. that my work is helping you here
while am working for our future so far
away"
Bessie was dragged back into the pres
ent out of her dream by Jim's voice
"Why, Bessie, I've answered long ago
Why don't you ask me another ?"
And Bessie blushed, and gave herself a
little shake, and began with much appar
ent interest:
Q-"Which are the Northern or Mid
die States 90
A.-"New York, New Jersey, Della
ware and Pennsylvania
Q-''What States comprise the South
ern section of the Union %
A.-"Maryland-"
And here Bessie drifted back into her
retrospective dream. She and the tall
man were walking away from the wood
house, up the little garden-walk into the
back-door, into the little parlor; there
| they sat building aircastles, and conf
off, until they had almost forgotten the
pain of parting and absence that lay be-
tween.
Presently a boy shouting in the village
street made them start made Bessie say,
CHOW, you must go, darling " And with
hurried embrace, and a "GOd Bless
you, little girl ~ the tall man walked
| away, and Bessie went into her kitchen,
where the shouting boy soon found her
cooking his dinner, but not too busy to
kiss his rosy cheeks and bring him to the
fire to warm his fingers and ask him inter
ested questions about his school.
A sudden consciousness of q pause in
Jim's voice made Bessie again become
! school-mistress, and, earnestly hoping she
hadn't missed any questions, she guessed
at her place, and went on:
| g. Which have a sea coast on the
Atlantic 90
And then she was lost again in her
dream. Some one knocked at the door in
the evening when the lamp was lighted,
and Bessie was at the piano singing, while
jim studied and listened in the intervals
Again, in her dream, the tall man entered
the little parlor, and Bessie had two for
audience apparently, though in truth she
remembered bat one, and sang to him.
The tall man picked up a music-book of
her mothers, and turned the pages until
he found one song he liked best, and then
| asked Bessie to sing it. It was week
day, but the song he had selected was
sacred music:
Trust in the Lord; wait patiently for
Him, and He shall give thee thy hearts
! Desires
| Bessie remembered how she had sung
it with the tears rising in her eyes, and
| then had closed the piano; how the tall
man talked to Jim the rest OF the even
ing, or at least until jim went to bed and
| left them there alone.
"Well, Bessie.' this from jim, waiting
| patiently for the next question.
Q-"What States comprise the West
ern section of the Union?'
| And Bessie was dreaming again. She