The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-21

Longs.
Jennie and Jim.
They went together; but separated
when they got there, for Jennie was in
higher department than Jim could
enter This was the first term the lat
ter had ever begun with a determine
| ton to learn. That he was now so de-
termined is proved by the answer he
gave to his teacher on the first day of
school, when she asked him, among
other things, what he wanted to do; it
was this: - want ter git ter know ez
much ez Jennie Long does"
How did he come outp Well, he
went to school every term for three
years. He studied evenings, and all
the time when not at work, during va
cations. BY incessant devotion to his
books through those three years, he
was able TO master all the textbooks
used in that institution. For the last
two terms of his course, he was men,
Der 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 amt nowhere side
NV her." and thought they were truer
now than ever.
Had the 'want ter git ter know"
with 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 such-coincided with
Jim's, she probably would not have ex-
pressed herself as she did to her mother,
that evening, when they two were alone.
81 suppose" said she, che thinks he's
done wonderful thing; but | don't.
If | had studied and studied ard studied
as he has, should have been far ahead
of the at-great-giant. But of
course | don't care a fig about it, man.
MAJ
Whether Jennie's remarks indicated
a happy frame of mind or not, might
be a question. But without question
she used very happy word when she
| spoke Of Jim as a giant, for he was a
mighty youth. Jennie was really pet
it. 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 stat
ure for his age; and was little sensi-
tive on that point. l don't think he
fancied being called big JIM" And
it may have been his aversion to that
name that accounted partly for his blush
ing 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 it in such
large hand that every scholar could
read it from where he sat. This is a
copy of the lofty verse that the teacher
fastened to erase as soon as she discov-
cred what the scholars were laughing at:
" But one daHes write-what every one knows
That several little fellers fret,
Because a chance they never get
To walk and talk with Jennie Long.
Who binders them! Big Jim-the strong.
He comes with her; and with her goes:
And thinks she wants MIN, to, s'pose."
When Jim's eye caught that his face
turned very red, as red as-Jennie's.
The youth that wrote that poem
g 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 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 oc-
cupied in her thoughts. 1t was moth
! ms Ppoiu'SiJ OiiSoui DuU
thing that came nearer to being that
than anything she had ever before said
to him. Of course it must have been
unintentional, 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 characters
tic of young men in his state of mind,
the hopelessness of any attempt to
make himself her equal in any respect,
and then acted as youth in his cir
cumstances 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 pres
ent and that time. And he wished to re-
pay 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 Jen-
ME. But that is all that can be said to
his credit He broke down-utterlv
succumbed- before six months had
passed, proposed and-told Jennie he
did not blame her for not caring for
| him and hOnad che uould Conceive b;,,,