The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-11-17
[From the Living Age.l
MY FAITHFUL JOHNNY.


Then it will never come to an,
d. thing. Can you consent to that?"
said.
He made me no reply. He shoe
his head; whether in dismal accep
ance of the situation, whether in pre-
l. test against it, | cannot tell. This il
It terview filled me with dismay.
% q spent hours pondering whether, an
e how, [ could interfere. My interfer
: ence had not been of much use before
I, And my children began to laugh whel
j. this lingering, commonplace little ro
= nance was talked of. my mother
lovers" the boys called them-"m,
mothers turtle-doves."
The time had almost run on to tn,
length of Jacobs wooing when one
day Ellen came to me, not running
in, eager and troubled with her secret
as Of old, but so much more quietly
than usual, with such still and fixed
composure about her, that 1 knew
something serious had happened. ]
sent away as quickly as l could the
other people who were in the room,
for [ need not say that to find me
alone was all but an impossibility.
gave Chatty, now a fine, tall girl Of
twenty, look, which was enough for
her; she always understood better than
any one. And when at last we were
free turned to my visitor anxiously.
What is it?" | said. 1t did not ex-
cite her so much as it did me.
She gave little abstracted smile.
You always see through me-" she
said. II thought there was no mean
ing in my face. It has come at last.
He is really going this time, directly.
to the Levant. Oh, what little thing
Chatty was when | asked her to look
IN the atlas for the Levant; and now
she is going to be married! What
will you dc" she asked abruptly, stop
ping short to look at me, when they
are all married and you are left
alone?"
L had asked myself this question
sometimes, and it was not one l liked.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof" I said; "the two little ones
OF all have not so much as thought of
marrying yet
Ellen answered me with a sigh,
quickly drawn impatient breath. ''He
$ to sail in fortnight she said.
Things have gone wrong with the
nephew. l knew he never could be so
good as John; and now John must 60
n hurry to set things right. What
! good thing that it is all in hurry! !
We shall not have time to think" =
"You must go with him-you must !
20 with him, Ellen" I cried. !.
"She turned upon me almost with !
everity in her tone. 81 thought you !
new better. I-go with him! Look !
ere" she cried very hurriedly, "don't !
hink l don't face the full consequent =
es-the whole matter. He is tired. !
lred to death. He will be glad to 90 !
and after after! IF he should find =
ome one else there, | shall never be y
ne one to blame him." v
ELLEN! you ought to ask his pardon Z
q your knees-he find some one else! .
hat wrong you do to the faithful n n
st-the truest-" +:
"He is the faithfullest," she said: ~ -
len after moment, "but will new T T
blame him. I tell you beforehand. y y
e has been more patient than ever Il
an was" u u
Did she believe what she was say IL IL
g? 1t was very hard to know. The g.
rtnight flew by like day. The days e.
I'd been very long before in their 81 81
onotony, but now these two weeks 81 81
ere like two hours. Inever quite ;f
lew what passed John had taken T +
S courage in both hands, and had -
arded the father himself in his den; ;S as
it, so far as could make out, it was =, -
1t the father but the mother with e. C.,
T tears who vanquished him. IL ~
When | saw what her life was" he 'n
id to me when he took leave of me,
uch life! my mouth was closed W.
no am | that | should take awav
+ only comfort from her? We love
ch other very dearly. it is our hap
ness, it is the one thing which makes
else sweet; but perhaps. as tn
len says, there is no duty in it. 1t ha
all enjoyment. Her duty is to al
EN-; it is her pleasure, she says, her m
ppiness to be with me-" nj
"But-but you have been engaged W,
r years. No doubt 1t is your happi- F,
surely there is duty to-" en-
'She says not. My mind is rather Sc;
infused. | don't seem to know. ha
lty, you know, duty is a thing that at
is rather hard to do; somethino one W;
S to raise ones self up to, and carry I.
rough with, whether we like it or sh
lether we don't like it. That's her We
[inltion; and it seems right-don't Of
u think it is right? But to say he
at of us would be absurd. 1t is all liz
'asure-all delight" his tired eve ais
rose a little to show CLEAN of Sh
otion, then dropped again with a Wis
h; that is her argument; suppose an
IS true" ah
Then do you mean to say"-I wo
ed, and stopped short in sheer be- he
derment of mind, not knowing sw
at words to use. DO,
1 don't think l mean to say any, wo
ng. My head is all confused. T AM
1T seem to know. Our feeling is wa
one wish to be together; only to da1
one another makes US happy. Can rec
re be duty in that? she says. 1t for
ms right, yet sometimes [ think it for
wrong, though can't tell how" I'm
was confused tool was silenccd. fpa
id not know what to say. 1T de- vii
lds," | said, faltering, ''it depends wo
III what you consider the object of bes
:" =
Some people say happiness; but she
It would not suit Ellen's theory" cor
said. "Duty-I had an idea myself Mr.
It duty was easily defined; but it mn
MS IL Is as olincuit as everything IS. car