St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-08-24

never shot anything yet-anything
animate, mean"
"Bnt would you like to -
''Oh yes should like to-"
81 am more and more thankful that
wise dispensation prevented my pro-
ceedlng into your line of vision"
She laughed. ooh, | think my prin-
ciples would have restrained me. |
haven't dared shoot all the afternoon /;
1t seems such Il shame to wake up any
thing
at is delicious. Is it always so
here ~
81 do not know. This is my first
experience. Mamma has been here
before, but without me. | haven't
quite decided yet whether | shall be
perfectly happy or die of ennui in
another week. Which shall it be ?"
"Reasoning from sentiment, world
manners, and the general beauty of
the surroundings, | should say the
former; but from my previous expert
ence Of life, probably the latter. |
don't NOW which is worth the most as
glnund stand upOn."
''Sentiment is always better than
experience" she said dreamily, with
her eyes fixed on the now distant
schooner.
'She has had a disappointment, .
thought Jack. "No, not disappoint-
ment, Il disillusiOnment.-Why? ?" he
asked, dreamily too. 1t seemed to be
her mood, and all his friends said Ev-
ans was nothing unless he was sympa-
thetic.
ave are happiest when we are un-
reasoning, are we not? Experience
forces us to reason"
"Man is reasoning ANIMAL" said
Jack, sententiOusly.
''Ah," she said, with Il laugh. ~ am
not so sure of that. But falling back
on commOnplaces is a shabby way to
withdraw from Il conversation which
bade fair to be quite after the order of
modern literature" and she turned her
gaze full upon him. Her manner was
singularly charming. Her eyes were
ii deep blue, and frank and fearless in
their expression to an uncommon
degree. Evans felt that they, at least,
were suited to the day and place, if
her dress was Il little too suggestive of
in ephemeral eXiStence-of the world.
too worldly. They were deep and
true and calm and shaded, and YOU
felt that you would never tire of them.
Here their restfulness was in accord
ance with circumstances but how
precious would be their charm were
circumstances in bitter contrast. They
would see faults, but forgive them
they would fill with tears, but never
waver. And Jack awoke to the CON
seriousness that he had looked ut them
quite long enough, and that it was
time for him to say something.
81 don't want to talk like modern
literature" he said. al don't want to
he modern, | don't want to feel mod
ern. | want to 20 back hundred
years, and make believe this country
about here has never been touched by
the hand of improvement-that there
are not any cities, or telephones, or bi-
cycles, on the continent
cor hurse-caIS where YOU have Ia
put your own fare in the box" she
added. She was resting her head on
the rock behind her, and watching him
with Il half-Smile, nOwise disturbed by
the unconscious scrutiny with which he
had been regarding her. She went on
after Il moment: "And vet don't
agree with you. never had Il fancy
for Indians that sort of people are 81
hard to get along with pleasantly.
And think soda biscuits are so nm
wholesome. Don't You always fancy
the early settlers rs having soda bis
cults for tea ? | do"
'"Thcy didn't always have tea. II
you will persist in examining me or
early American history, You must par
don the not unnatural pride ! take il
showing how extensive is my infoIma-
ton on such points. They threw il
into the gulf of MeXicO.n
81 shouldn't suggest any correction
if it hadn't to do with Boston an
always afraid of not doing Just what is
right by Boston, especially as regards
colonial history. You're sure to feel i
afterward."
Evans smiled, and slightly raised hi,
eyebrows. "This is malicious -abso
lutely malicious. | told You | wante,
to forget the progress of moderr
thought, and You actually drag Boston
| into the conversation
'But why don't YOU want to be mod
ern ? I'm modern"
Evans smiled again, and she smiled
back, sure what his thought must he
! ayes, you are modern, but not essen
TALLY so; | took all that into consider
atiOn.'
"Oh, but am essentially so,r sh
persisted 81 dressed up for Marth;
Washington tea party once, and
looked like fright"
"We don't 90 to Martha Washington
tea parties. We are sitting here on tn
shore, and that vessel in the distanc
is the Maytlower going back to Eng
land. Now, don't he didactic again
and attempt to prove to me that if
was the Maytiower we shouldn't b
able to see it,"
They were both silent Il few mo
ments, watching the distant boat as
sailed slowly, slowly ont of sight.
elevators save you a great deal q
trouble" she remarked, at lengtl
though, as it might seem, little irrel
evantly. Evans laughed.
81 begin to think that you do hope
lessly belong to an effete civilization.
he said. at should be part of ou
primitive existence that we are fond c
toll and trouble, that we are unhapp
without it,"
''Don'tr' said she. "ParadOxes al
dangerous. One never knows wheI
one is, nor when one is going to stop
81 always know when I'm going t
stop" said Jack, sadly; "when yo
crush me. and make it a positive i'll
possibility for me to 90 on. You
bringing a pistol was work Of supel
erogatiOn."
"You are so easily crushed ~ 81
laughed. "Your disposition is mercU
rial-at least, | think it is. | hay
} never been sure what a mercurial dis
position is"
81 imagine you are right. certain