St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-02-16
MISCELLANY.
JACK AND JILL.
Am English Love storv.

glorious sumHcFs sunset was Sllulnt
the topmost branches of the trees il
the old garden with it's last rays, ant
the chimes in the village church towe
rang out eight o'clock. Their sounC
broke long silence which had reignet
in the room, and the young man, fix
ing his eyes on his girl companion
spoke hurriedly.
81 did not know it was SO late !
must be off, or shall miss the train t.
town, and my regiment at Portsmouth
and all my chances of getting on il
the world. But, by Heaven, I'll d,
even that, if you will only say to M
Stay pm
"But don't say Stay, Jack; sa.
Go, Go, and God bless you"
There was a deep tenderness in he
low voice which any man might have
been proud to hear, but, because sh'
would not grant him his wish, young
Marriott found her harsh and cruel.
"And what's the good of that, if you
yourself won't bless me, Jill 7 What
else in the world do / care for bu
your"
Then go and do your duty, ant
prove yourself worthy of me! !"
"But if you will not promise me tina
you will be mine 2" he asked sadly
And Jill went on to answer him in hel
sweetest, frmest way.
81 have told you, Jack, that though
will not promise now to be YOU
wife, will promise it to you in three
years, or sooner, if you come home
and, till then, you and l are both of III
to be free. | know my own heart well
enough, and | daresay you think you
know yours, but how can you tell with
whom you may fall in love while you
are away? You are only one and
twenty now, and L am almost the only
girl you have ever known. How can
you tell what the world may have to
teach you and show youq"
"Oh, my darling! No one else in il
can ever be the same to me that you
arew
"Well, then, if you think so after
three years, | will be your proud wife.
Surely, if we are in earnest, we can be
true to each other without any formal
promise to bind us7 And, if we can
not. then it will be ten times better for
us never to have been engaged. Now,
good bye, jack" she added after a
pause. GAS you say, if you stay long
er, you will be really too late. Good
bye"
"You are so calm and quiet. All,
Jill, if you cared as much as L do %
and he seized her hand and covered it
with kisses.
She was very calm, certainly, but for
all that, when in another moment he
was gone and there was no one to see
her emotion, she threw herself on the
sofa, murmuring between her deep
sobs-"Oh! my darling, my darling !!
And he thinks it is because | do not
love him enough. Am | right to treat
him so 2 Is it wise ?"
Was she right7 Was it wise7 At
any rate she had sent him away from
her. And as he left her that summers
evening, bright, splendid, perfect
knight, whom any fair lady might well
be proud of, she never saw him again.
And yet it was because he was so
splendid that she had refused his
pleadings. Jack was the only child of
the squire of the parish, General Mar
riott; and Jane Armstrong, once nam
ed Jill by Jack and afterward univer-
sally called so, was the eldest daughter
of the rector. The rectory garden was
bound ID on two sides by the woods
aroun'l the hall, and, from their child
hood Jack and Jill had been accustom-
ed to play together during the holt
days like brother and sister.
When she was seventeen and he
nineteen, he passed with credit into
the engineers, and went up te Chat
ham to study, and when he came back
from his first term there, the old rela-
tionship between the two was at an
end, a change in it being unavoidable,
if sad. Jill was shy, and Jack officiOus-
ly polite; wearing his best clothes
when he was likely to meet her, bring
ing her flowers from his fathers CON
servatory and grapes from his winery;
and, in fact, making hot love to her,
which state of things continued until
above.
General Marriott saw it all plainly
enough, but being fond of Jill, he vas
well pleased at the prospect of having
her for his future daughter-in-law.
1t was Jill, only Jill who saw any
hazard in the engagement, although it
seemed to her that their whole happi-
ness depended upon it. 1t was for that
very reason she wished to win, not the
rash, impetuous boyish love Jack could
give her at present, but the love of his
future manhood, of his life. She was
so we'll aware of all the advantages he
possessed; his social position which
would introduce him into the best So
ciety his physical beauty, his winning
grace, his ready wit, which would in
sure him friends and admirers where
soever he might be; was it likely that
he would remain true to the everyday
English girl with no especial gifts 2
Yes, it was likely, Jill thought, because
she knew something of his character,
but it was not certain. Let him be
tried, and then if he proved faithful
he should be rewarded by a love as
deep as the fathomless sea, as strong
as the elements themselves, and faith
full unto death. Little did Jack know
as he left the rectOry gate, that such a
gift was his already, whether he ever
came back worthy to claim it or not.
And so two years passed away while
Jack was in India. They did not write
to each other except on birthdays and |
special occasions, because Jill had for
hidden correspondence as likely to
make him feel less free. From Gener-
al Marriott she heard of him every 9TH
or week, and he seemed to be we'll and
popular and happy.
Of a young curate, who came to the
parish, and after doing his utmost to
win Jill's love, left the place in anger
and despair, it is needless to write
here-his pride was, after all, more
by the utter GOODNESS of her
than his heart smitten by it.
At the end of two years the old Gen
eral, who had been a long while a
widower, died, and Jill learned no
more now of Jacks welfare, for the
hall was entirely closed. AT that time,
.oo tie second Afghan war hrnke ont