The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-09-19
with which he began, given place to a


mighty youth. Jenny was really petite.
She knew it; but it did not trouble her
that those girls who were familiar with
her called her g Little Jennie Long,
Jim knew that he was of great stature
tor his age. and was u little sensitive
on that point. don't think he fancied
being called Big JIM And it may
have been his aversion to that name
that accounted. partly, for his blushing
SO deeply one morning Of his last term,
when he had taken his seat at the OPEN
ing of school. Some mischievous youth
had written 4 StanZa on the black board
which was on the wall that faced the
seats-and written it in such large
hand that every scholar could read it
from where he sat. This is copy of
| the lofty verse that the teacher hasten
ed to erase, as soon as she discovered
what the scholars were laughing at:
But one dares write-what everyone knows
| That several little tellers fret,
| Because Il chance they never get
To walk and talk with Jennie Long.
Who hihders them? Big Jim the strong,
He comes with her; and with her goes;
And thinks she wants him to, spose.'
When Jim's eyes caught that. his
face turned very red, as red as-Jen-
MICS.
The youth that wrote that poem
"dared' to write it; but he did not dare
to make himself known.
| Of course it was nothing but boy
play" but Jim felt that he was near
enough to being man to look at it
from a mans standpoint. And look
ing at it in that light he thought it
proper to tell Jennie that night when
they went home that he was very sorry
that some mean fellow had annoyed
her in such way; that he would find
out the puppy who wrote the stuff and
give him a sound thrashing.
But Jennie, to the surprise of Jim,
| could not see wherein she had been in
jured to an extent that demanded any
such course as he proposed to take.
And she dissuaded him from his SAN
culinary purpose. Not easily, however,
but by arguments made in an earnest
manner, and urged more and more
strongly, until he was conquered.
Without meaning it. perhaps, Jennie
said some things, before they reached
her fathers door, that were calculated
to mislead Jim as to the place he occu-
pied in her thoughts. 1t was nothing
positively encouraging; but something
that came nearer to being that than
| anything she had ever before said to
him. OF course it must have been un-
intentional, for nothing in that line
was repeated during their walks to and
from school the remainder of the term.
And when the term closed, as was said
| before, Jim felt that she was farther
from him than ever. He saw with the
clearness of vision that is characteristic
| of young men in his state of mind, the
hOpelcssness of any attempt to make
himself her equal in any respect, and
then acted as a youth in his circum-
stances usually does. He intended to
remain with Mr.. Long until he was of
age, for he knew he could be of great
service to the farmer in the two years
that interviewed between the present
and that time. And he wished to repay
the latter for his kindness to him.
For the first few months of those
two years. he was apparently quite
self-possessed in his association with
Jennie. But that is all that can be
said to his credit. He broke down
utterly succumbed-before six months
had passed, proposed, and-told Jen-
ME he did not blame her for not caring
for him, and hoped she would forgive
him for offering such poor creature
as himself to one like 'her; that he
could not help it; that he felt he must
know what he was to her, and now he
did know.
Jim had discovered Jennie the even
ing when he asked that question. sit
ting on the bench under the great ma
pie back of the house. There she left
him, and went into the house; and
there for long time he remained after
she had gone, sitting in her place, with
sensation at his heart, unlike any
thing he had ever before experienced.
Not contented to let 'swell enough
alone, he had gone from the negative
pain of certainty.
The next morning he entered upon
his labOrs with less encouragement
than Jacob did upon his, after Laban's
second promise. Less by as much as
refusal is less than promise.
And Jennie? If her nights rest had
been less sweet and refreshing than
usual, she showed no signs of it. She
appeared to be nlerrier than she had
been for some time. Early in the day,
when she and her mother were en-
gagged in the labOrs of the household,
she surprised the latter very much by
season. of laughing-a season Of
very violent laughing.
"Jennier' exclaimed Mrs. Long, at
last, dropping into chair, "What
does all you?''
"Why, mamma, it's the funniest
thing-rve been proposed to-
Proposed to? BY whom?''
"By JIM
"By oar Jim, Jennie?''
Our Jim, mamma"
"The foolish boy! Of course you
told him, kindly, that you both were
too young to think of marriage. Your
father was twenty-six, and was twen-
| ty-two when we were married. What
did you tell him. Jenniep''
II told him--nor'
"That was right; only I hope you
did not hurt his feelings any more than
was necessary. trust he will forget
all about it sO0n."
"What, mammaP'
ST mean, Jennie, that I hope he will
see how foolish he has been, and for
get all about you before he goes away"
20, certainly II hope he will
will forget-and-see how it is, before
then. He'spoor, you know-very poor.
1-1-told him so. l wanted to-help-
him for-forget. as you say, and SO 1
said in case married, in the course of
twenty or twenty-five years, should
probably wed very rich man; and
then I shouldn't be any trouble to nv
|-hus-husband; but that l shouldn't
do for q poor man at ALL
"Well, Jennie, do sincerely wish
that he may soon care as little for YOU
as you do for him.
As the months passed away, Mrs.
Long, watching Jim, concluded that
he had not suffered much by the rejec.
ton he had received. The kind-heart-
ed woman was glad to think it was SO.
Considering al things, the less attrac-