The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-02-27

Jabe 2 Then the long tramps through
the woods were done away with, and tn,
hours Of association cut down, such, fol
instance, as sitting out in tho arbor al
! night until Q o'clock, while Mehy told
him stories about what she had read and
been taught at school.
This was great blow TO Jabez at first,
for he did not know what to do with his
evenings. In the winter he could employ
them in making nets for the fishermen
at the fishing villages on the coast only
nine or ten miles away, but there was
none Of that work TO be done in summer,
and it was not until Mehy suggested
that he should read, and offered TO Dor
row books from her uncle for him, that
he saw his way ont Of the scrape and
gladly accepted her offer. Mehy blushet
up little when her uncle laughed II
the request and asked her which she
would rather have for him, "Mother
Goose" or "Ihe Child's Own Book, but
she gravely chose a History Of the
United States, and when she returned il
unsoiled for another, she knew that
Jabcz had read and studied it, for she
had catechiscd him well on IL daily.
Now came the summer when Mehy
was thirteen, and the great difference
between them forced itself 80 palpably
on Jaboz that he could not help feeling
that the days Of their untrammeled
communion had gone by. For the first
time in their lives they began to have
little tills which sometimes lasted for
days, during which Mehy would seclude
herself from Jabez, to his terrible dis.
tress. Sometimes she would upbraid
him for his careless, slouchy clothing,
and tell him that he had no spirit or he
would make his grandfather buy him
better, for she knew he was n wretched
miser, and fully able TO do it. Jabez
didn't like this, for whatever faults his
grandfather might have, he would not
hear anything i'll about him, and had
twice whipped bigger boys than himself
for that 0ilense.
Somehow, though not like the past,
they got through that summer and
parted very quietly, for Nlehy had
spoken words that had cut deep into
Jabez's scnsibiIitics, let them be ever so
true. She had criticised his personal
appearance and made fun Of his dress
things he could not help, and things he
thought she never should have noticed
and TO cap it all, she had told him only
the day before she departed, when he
had ventnred on some words Of admira-
ton, suggested by the realization Of her
| growing beauty and style, that he was
"only country gawk, and had laughed
dorislyely in his face. Yes, he felt it.
lie VIVA only II country gawk; hc knew
1t, but still the knowledge ranked in his
heart and head all that winter. His
grandfather saw it aud questioned him.
but Jabea had nothing 10 say. All that
winter he worked very hard, and TO the
old mans satisfaction, came OF more
than he had ever earned before, but not
TO his satisfaction when Jabcz insisted
on spending some Of his earnings ON
| books, and becoming n subscriber TO the
Fiicllcy Library, and still worse when,
III the spring, few weeks before the
time for the Hon. Martin Drawback and
family TO arrive at their summer home,
Jabca insisted upon having new suit
OF clothes and II hat. and, being pressed
for the reason Of his extravaganza, told
the old man what Mehy had said. At
this for II while, the old man was silent,
aud then snid:
"You shall have 'cm, Jabc. Tho gal
likes you, and wants you to look nice.
Who knows what'll happen? Shes IL
nice gal, anl'll have bit of money
when she's married. ] know all about
it. copied the will aud all the papers,
and there amt no restriction on hor."
To this Jabez had nothing to say.
He saw what the old man meant
but his thoughts had never run that
way. He simply loved Mohy as if she
had been his sister, and Of late had be-
gun to look upon her ~ he would upon
star which was going farther and
farther away from him every day.
He got the clothes and the hat and
looked well IN them, for he was hand.
some fellow anyhow; and by the time
the Drawback family came down for
Mehys fourteenth summer, Jabe2 had
broken III his new clothes and looked
every inch n natural gentleman. He
could not help seeing that Mchy was
pleased; in fact, she told him that he
was very much improved, and she was
still farther pleased when he got chance
to display before her, and did 80, his
studies of the preceding winter. Still,
she would keep on making little filings Mt
him ON his gauchcricS, aud they fire.
qucntly gave way to small disagree
mcnts, even though Jabcz never openly
resented what she said. Ono thing that
she now especially and continually
twittcd him on was the life he led.
you're almost man." she snid.
You're eighteen years old, and yet you're
leading the same kind of life that You
led MS II boy. It's n shame, and your
grandfather ought to be spoken to
about it. ! shall ask uncle to talk to |
him. What do you expect to be alwaysp |
Why, If were you I'd 60 into II store in
l'itchley, or an office, or anything where
thore was chance to rise. | wouldn't
waste my time like this. Now's your
time for it, too. You've got good clothes
md can face anybody"
you're anxious to get rid of mo,
Mehy," he said quietly.
"No I'm not T. she retorted, "but I'd
like to see You something more than
country gnwk" - that offensive title
again-"hanging around here, year
after year, and letting the people call
you Jabe Brown. That's horrid name
Why don't you make them call you Tiff.
fanyp That's your real name"
makes a hard word, Mehy." And
then, thoughtfully, 81 don't know as
there's much about a name. don't |
think u bit less of you because yonr
name is Mehitable Green, and vet folks
wouldn't say there was much romance
about that"
ooh, n woman's name don't make
much difference" said Mchy, sharply.
Nobody calls me Mehitable, and now
heyre beginning to call me Miss
ireen, and that doesn't sound 80 bad.
'esides, il won't be very long now bn