The Van Buren press., 1879-01-25

promise. Less by as much as refusa
is less than promise.
And Jennie2 II her nights rest hat
been less sweet and refreshing than usual
she showed no signs of it, She appear
ed to be merrier than she had been fol
some time. Early ir the day when sht
and her mother were engaged in the la
bors of the household, she surprised tht
latter very much by "season' OIL
lauging--a season of very violent laugh
ing.
"Jenniew exclaimed Mrs. Long, a,
last dropping into chair, "What does
all youl"
"Why, mamma. it's the funniest thing
I've been proposed to-
Proposed to! By whom ?"
" BY jim"
"By our jim, Jennie 2'
Sour jim, mamma"
"The foolish boy! or course you told
him, kindly, that you both were too
young to think of marriage. Your faith
er was twenty-six, and l was twenty two
when we were married. What did you
tell him Jennie p
81 told him-non
"That was right; only IL hope you
did not hurt his feelings any more than
was necessary. l trust he will forget all
about it soon"
What, mamma?"
81 mean, Jennie, that I hope he will
see how foolish he has been, and forget
all about you before he goes away"
"Oh, certainly II hope he will forget
and see how it is before then. He's
poor, you know, very poor. told him
so. l wanted to help him forget, as you
say, aud so said ia case married, 10
the course Of twenty or twenty five
years, should probably wed very rich
man. then | shouldn't be any trouble to
my husband but that l shouldn't do
for poor man at all"
swell, Jennie, do sincerely wish that
he may as 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 rejection he
had received The kind hearted was glad
to think it was so, Considering all things,
the less attraction her daughter had for
the young fellow, the better
Jennie, also, hoping, as we may sup
pos, that Jim, for the sake of his peace
of mind, would outgrow his affection for
her, after little while, decided that be
had. She was very glad of it, And yet
there was tinge Of melancholy in the
discovery. She was glad for his sake,
abstractedly considered, a very solemn
thought that 50 strong an attachment
was so short lived. Not that she would
have had it last longer in this particular
case, oh, no; but there might come a
time when she should want to know that
the one who had so great regard for her
was to have it forever. But what was
she to expect2 Was Jim fair sample
Of mankind in this respect2
If Farmer Long had been an observing
man, during these days he could have
seen coming into Jim's face something
that could not have failed to remind him
of the time when the Youths mother
and Mrs. Long were girls, and the best
looking ones in the village. The fathers
strength had come into Jim's body and
limbs, but he was getting his mothers
face by installments. These were to be
his possessions when he was of age.
AS his twenty rst year drew towards
its close, he could not tell whether to be
glad or sorry for it. His reason told him
to 90 and forget--hc had not forgotten.
you see-in the excitement OF business
somewhere, his disappointment But
that heart of his kept forever answering,
"stay another year." He was in this
state of mind the day before he was
twenty one After dinner that day he
went and sat on the bench under the
great map.c. He went there that he
might be alone to decide whether he
would follow the dictates Of his reason
or give way to the longings of his heart.
Reason at last carried the day. He arose
from his seat and said aloud, and deci
sively. 81 shall go. 1t was settled. He
had told the family all along that he
should 60 away whey he became OF age.
He was glad they knew 1t and had become
reconciled to (perhaps wished) it. He
was set upon looking straight ahead now,
and determined not to look back.
And he did look straight ahead-look :?
he stared, for just second or two and
then went ahead, straight and fast. Up
the slightly ascending meadow Jennie
was running toward the house, and not
far behind her was the four year old
lime back, pursuing. 1t was fortunate
for Jennie Long then that Jim was near,
and that he was ''big" and strong and
brave, Jim was bent on getting between
Jennie and that mad brute, and he could
not stop to find the weapons. He rushed
past her, and at that moment her
strength gave way and she fell, If jim
had made a mismove--but he did not.
With great dexterity he seized the ami
NAL by the horns as it came up, and put
ting forth all his strength drew its head
with such force and suddenness to one
| side as to throw it down. Then spring
ing to where Jennie had arisen and stood
unable to move, from fright, he caught
her in his arms and bore her to place
of safety over the wall.
When Jennie could speak, she turned
to him and asked: "What if you had
been killed z"
"Oh, there would have been a beggar
less, that's all, said he, and he walked
away.
An hour later Jim, in a deep reverie,
was sitting under the old maple, He
heard the rustling of dress, the sound
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