Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-09-12

were alone. 81 suppose" she said. she
thinks he's done wonderful thing; but
[ don't. II I had studied and studied
and studied as he has, I should have
been far ahead of the great-great-
giant. But, Of course, I don't care a fig
about it mamma"
Whether Jennie's remarks indicated
a happy frame of mind or not. is a
question. But without a question she
used a very happy word when she
spoke of jim as a giant, for he was a
mighty youth. Jennie was really petite.
She knew 1t: 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 a 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
opening Of school. Some mischievOus
youth had written a stanza on the
blackbOard-which was on the wall that
faced the seats-and written In such a
large hand that every scholar could read
it from where he sat. This is a copy of
the lofty verse that the teacher FASTENED
10 erase as soon as he discovered what
the scholars were laughing at:
But one dares .write--what every one knows
That several little fellows fret
Because a chance they never get.
To walk and talk with Jennie Long.
Who binders them? Big Jim-Jbe strong,
He comes with her; and W tn her goes;
And thinks she wants him to, l poe
When Jim's eyes caught that, his
face TUNED very red, as red as
Jennie's.
The youth who wrote that poem
"dared" to Writeit but he did not dare to
make himself known.
OF course it was nothing but boys
play" bat jim felt that he was near
enough to being man to look at it from
mans standpoint. And looking at ii
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
jurcd to an extent that demanded any
such a course as he proposG~ to take,
and She disSuaded him from his san
culinary purpose. Not easily, however,
but by arguments made in an earnest
manner, and urged moro and more
strongl y, 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 that than anything
she had ever before said to him. OF
course it must have been unintenuonal,
for nothing in that line was repeated
during their walks to and from school
the remainder Of the tenn. And when
the term closed, as was said before, jim
felt that she was farther from him than
ever. lie 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 youth III 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 III 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 selfpOs-
sessed IN his association with Jennie
But that IS all that can be said to his
credit. lie broke d0wn-utterly sue
cumbed-befOre 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 offering
such Il poor creature as himself to one
like her: that he could not help it; that
he felt he must know what hc was to
her, and now he did know,
jim had discovered Jennie the even
ing when he asked that question, sitting
on the bench under the great maple,
back Of the house. There she left him,
and went into the house; ard there for
4 long time he remained after she had
gone, sitting in her place, with q sen8a-
ton at his heart unlike anything he had
ever before experienced. Not content
ed to let "Well enough" alone, he had
gone from the negative comfort OF con-
lecture, into the positive pain of GER
tainty.
IhencEt morning be entered upon his
la5ors, with less encouragement than
Jacob did upon his, after Laban's sec
Ond promise. Less byas much as 4 re-
l7S3l Is less than q rorND,iSn
And Jennie? II her nights rest had
been less sweet and refreshing than
usual, she showed no signs of it. She APP
peared 10 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 surpris-
ed the latter very much by season"
of laughIng-a season of very violent
laughing.
"Jenniew exclaimed Mrs. Long, at
last, dropping into q chair, "What does
all your
why mamma. it's the funniest thing
I've been proposed to-"
" Proposed to? BY whom?"
By jim"
BY onr 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-siN, and Twas twenty
two when we were married What did
you tell him, Jennie?"
Il told him-nor'
''That was right; only hope you did
not hurt his feelings any more than was
necessary. l trust he will forget all
about it soon"
What, mammal"
q mean, Jennie, that hope he will
see how foolish be has been. and