The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-23


years. He studied evenings, and all the
time when not at work, during VACATIONS
By incessant devotion to his books
through those three years, be was able
to master all the textbooks used in that
institution. For the last two terms Of
his course. he was member Of Jennie's
classes. He graduated when she did ;
and, in most of their joint studies, was
marked several points above her.
How did Jim think he came out ?
Going home with Jennie that last day,
after school had closed, he repeated the
words Mr.. Long had spoken three years
before "Y'aint nowhere side Nv her )"
and thought they were truer now than
ever.
Had the "want ter git ter know "
which he began, given place to a
"want" less likely to be satisfied?
If Jennie had been aware that her own
views concerning the result of their
rivalry-if it was conceded with
Jim's, she probably would not have
expressed herself as she did to her
mother, that evening, when they two
were alone. 81 suppose" said she,
"he thinks he's done wonderful thing !;
but I don't. If I had studied and
studied and studied as he has, I should
have been far ahead of the great-great
giant. But of course don't care a
fig about it, mamma"
Whether Jennie's remarks Indicated
q happy frame of mind or not, might be
9 question. But without question she
used happy word when she spoke Of
Jim as a giant, for he was mighty
youth. Jennie was really petite. She
knew it but it did not trouble her that
those girls who were familiar with her
called her "Little Jennie Long"
Jim knew that he was OF great stature
for his age; and was little sensitive on
that point. l don't think he fancied
being called "Big JIM" Aud 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 a stanza on the blackboard
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 hastened
to erase as soon as she discovered what
the scholars were laughing at:
"But one dares write-what every one knows
That several little fellers fret,
Because chance they never get
To walk and talk with Jennie Long.
Who hiuders them? Big Jim-the strong.
He comes with her: and with her goes;
And thinks she wants him to, s'pose.'
When Jim's eyes caught that, his face
turned very red, as red as-Jennie's.
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's
play" but Jim felt that he was near
enough to being man to look at it from
mans d.point. And looking 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 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 sanguinary
purpose. Not easily, however, but by
arguments made in an earnest manner,
and urged more and more strongly, un-
til he was conquered.
Without meaning it. perhaps, JEANNE
said some things, before they reached
her fathers door, that we're 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 any
thing she had ever before said to him.
OF course it must have been uninten-
tional, 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 hopeless
ness of any attempt to make himself her
equal in any respect, and then acted as
u youth in his circumstances 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 kind
ness to HIM.
For the first few months Of those two
years, he was apparently quite self-pos-
sessed in his association with Jennie.
But that is all that can be said to his
credit. He broke down-utterly sue
cumbed-beiore six months had passed,
proposed; and-told Jennie he did not
blame her for not caring for him, and
hoped she would forgive him for Offer
ing 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 lie did know.
Jim had discovered Jennie the evening
when he asked that question, sitting ON
bench under the great maple, back of
the house. There she left him, and
went into the house; and there for
long time he remained after she hsd
gone, sitting in her place, with sensa-
ton at his heart unlike anything he had
ever before experienced. Not contented
to let "well enough" alone, he had
gone from the negative comfort of con.
lecture into the positive pain of GER
tainty.
The next morning he entered upon
his labors with less encouragement than
Jacob did upon his, after I'aban'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 merrier than she had
been for some time. Early in the day
when she and her mother were engaged
in the labors of the household, she sur
prised the latter very much by 4" sea-
son" of laughing - a season of very
violent laughing.
"Jernie !" exclaimed Mrs. Long, at
last, dropping into chair, "What does
all yous"
"Why, mamma, it's the funniest
thing-I've been proposed to-"
Proposed to- By whom'"
"By jim"
"By our Jim, Jenuie2"
"Our Jim, mamma.
"The foolish boy! OF course You told
him, kindly, that you both were too
Young to think of marriage. Your