Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-03-21
MADGE's COUSIN.

rug, pulling to pieces White camellia
and excusing herself to her kind old
guardian by saying it was "only
Jacks"
"My DEAR said Mr.. Selwyn, walk
ing up and down and stroking his gray
beard in perplexity, II want to talk to
you about Jack"
"Oi please, not now, Papa SelwynH'
She called him Papa Selwyn when she
meant to be coaxing, and that was
nearly always.
but, my dear, that is all nonsense.
| must talk about Jack some time.
Yesterday it was 'Ol please don't--my
head is aching; and the day before,
'Ol please don't-I want to go out with
Gerty.' Come, let us face this affair"
And sitting in the easy chair behind
her hassock, he drew up on his knees
the hand that held the broken flower
and proceeded to lecture his unmanage-
able charge on the endless subject of
Jack"
Madge was a charming charge for
any kind old mans heart to have. No
one could look into her large gray eyes
without seeing the great warm heart,
whose tale they told every moment; and
yet the bright quick glances and the
saucy set of the lips showed that Madge
had a will of her own, and wit and
cleverness enough to carry it out.
This lecture on Jack was the same as
many others had been. 1t consisted of
two parts, the first being devoted to
proving that she ought to throw her
own whims and pleasures aside, and as
:dutiful girl fulfill her dying fathers
equest and marry her cousin; and the
second was n eulogium on the many
good qualities of Jack Hawkesbury.
"Do, Mr.. Selwyn," laughed Madge,
after he had been making out that even
Jacks awkwardness came from an
overplus of good nature; "do throw
him at Gerty's head as you throw him
at mine, and shall make him over to
her, and they will be happy for life. "
Gerty was Mr.. Selwyn's own daugh-
ter, and at the mention of her name
strange expression crossed his face,
which Madge could not read.
Throw him at Gerty's head!-what
words you use, childr' he exclaimed,
his annoyance for a moment escaping
his control. 81 wish you had half Ger
trude's good sense. You fancy Jack
thinks of her-is that itP He is the
soul of honor, and as far as it depends
on him your father word will be kept"
"Oi Papa Selwyn, don't be vexed
with me; am so sorryn' and her face
was hidden on his large rough hands in
a burst of sorrow, quite childish in its
passing intensity.
"Cheer up, my darling girl" he said;
do ntofa un w
one of these days you will forget poor
Papa Selwyn altogether, when you fall
in love with your cousin"
"Then l won'tr' cried Madge, with
all the strength of her hot heart.
All her life, even so far back as her
childhood, she had dreaded the fate
that bound her to marry her cousin.
When Jack Hawkesbury came on the
scene and stayed on visits at the house,
she disliked and ridiculed him without
mercy. Another, one like fair-haired
Gertrude for instance, might have ac-
cepted the Inevitable and been happy;
but Madge's active and independent
nature made her run against fate. And
now there was only one month left be-
fore her 2lst birthday and betrothal.
Often she told Gertrude she wished he
would 90 home and stay there; and
Gertrude would only laugh, with a
deeper tinge of color on her fair face.
The girls went out but little, an ar
rangement against which Madge often
rebelled, believing it was in some way
connected with the safe management of
the marriage with her cousin. But
there were two pleasures in prospect
now, an afternoons boating with Jack
and a friend of his and Gertrude, and
party that the Ponsonby Joneses were
going to give, TO which the Selwyu
family were soon to be invited. First
came boating. All! that tever-memora-
BILE day-how many years it would take
to make Madge forget it! There were
four in the boat that passed, with the
measured beat and ripple of Jack pair
of sculls, along by the reedy shadows
and green wooded banks of the upper
Thames. The two girls shared the
cushioned seat at the stern, their white
woolen shawls guarding them from the
chill of the autumn wind. Gertrude
was watching the shores and the run
ming ripples, thinking in her quiet,
easy-going way. Madge, bright with
excitement, was talking-not with Jack,
but with the dark-bearded, travel
bronzed man, who was resting from his
turn at the sculls. He was charmed
with the way she chatted and listened
to his tales of half the world with a re-
freshing absence of self-consciousness
What would he have said if he had
known the thought that strove for en-.
trance into her hearth o! if Jack
awkward, laundering, good-natured
Jack-could be changed into this stran.
ger that she called timidly Mr.. Fitz.
allen, and Jack and her guardian had
greeted as Herbert!
At last there was pause in the talk.
She gave deep sigh, prompted by q
sad longing TO do right, vague fear, 8
first suspicion of the change that was
coming over her impetuous heart.
care you cold, ,MadgeP" asked Jack
pulling away and bending to his strong
stroke. Keep your shawl we'll about
your shoulders. And, my dear girl,
look to your steering. You have beer
sending the boat into curves like cork,
screw-only did not want to disturb
your tete-d-tete."
Poor Cousin jack She drew the
white shawl closely round her, chilled
not by the wind but by a sudden pana
of remorse, the foundation of which
was very small, but enough to trouble
her peace.
What need TO tell the inner history Of
Madge's life during the next few weeksI
More and more she longed for freedom
Fitzallan was staying in the neighbor
hood, and was frequently at the house
and In the thousand little incidents O
everyday life she knew he cared for her
and honest Jack grew yet more dis