Year: 1865

thought so--though perhaps / was
not an impartial judge, as ! must
confess ] was deeply in love-and,
IN fact, I don't believe I could re-
member OF time when / was not
in love with her. IL certainly was
not when youngster of twelve /
took her unoer my especial care,
feeling prouder of my curly headed
charge than / could now Of mine of
gold; nor when tall, awkward boy
of sixteen, first yentured to ask
for her company home from church;
or still later; when, after four years
absence, ! returned to my native
town and set up as a surgeon in the
house where DR.. Moor's name had
been since my earliest recollection
| Oakdale was a remarkably healthy
kplace, or else the good people felt a
little afraid o: trusting their lives in
the hands of such a young scape
grace as they had k own me to be,
for somehow my horse and gig found
more employment in carrying Jessie
Hale to ride than any more profita-
| bic business; and it is certain more
OF NY time was spent in Mr.. Hale's
pleasant parlor, than in either study
or practice of Medicine. Some Of
the neighbors silly remarked that
must have very sick patient there
to Octasion such frequent visits; an33
was certain that if l had no pa
tient there; all the patience 1 ever
had was required there at times; for
all the tantalizing little wretches that
ever fas .inat.d and provoked q poor
fellow-=until he could not have told
whether he was in the body or out of
it-Jessie Hale was the worst.


And there was William Ire
Misunderstanding six feet in my
stockings, big enough to have known
better, that is sure, led about by that
little elf, coming and going at her
every beck and call, as if l were a
great simpleton, as in truth l must
have been, for after playing "yours
most devotedly" for six onths, 1
was no nearer winning than at first.
Open hearted and candid she was on
every other subject; but just let me
speak of love or marriage, and l
might as well talk to stone wall for
all the sense l could get from her
No matter how cautiously | might
approach the subject. she was always
ready with some off hand answer as
far from what | wanted as the equa-
tor from the poles, until L was almost
in despair. but more eager after
every failure. "All Is fair in love
and war;" or at least / thought so,
and resolved to try the result OF
strategy on my wilful little lady love.
One fine morning, as we were
about starting for ride on horse
back, and l was assisting Miss Jessie
into the saddle, her horse commenced
rearing and kicking at an alarming
rate; of course .he jagged bits oI
iron l had cautiously inserted be
meath the saddle had nothing to dc
with it. BY the time she was fairly
seated he had become perfectly un
manageable, throwing her violently
from the saddle; of course l caugh
her before she touched the ground
No sooner was she In safety, than
: with deep groan, l staggered bacl
against the fence, my right arm
hanging helpless by my side. L
l. took nicely, for Jessie was beside m,
in a moment.


20 Wills" she said piteously
''that terrible horse has broken YOU
arm; and what will you do? Poo
Will! poor Will!''


How like a rascal / felt at sigh
of her distress, hut l was not going
to give up then; so answered, Will
/, another terrible groan, 1T is moth
ing, dear Jessie; / would suffer {
Thousand times more to feel that
) Lad saved your precious life"


But Oh. am sorry2 What car
be done for your she said, in such
touching accents that / half lfrepented


The enc justifes the MEANS"
thought. The end accomplished GER
tainly dill. Ny answer was in q
voice low and faint, as if 1 was just
diving!


'sOnly tell me that you love me,
Jessie, darling; it Will s0othe my
pain more than anything else in the
world And then like the great
siiHpleton that i was. / put that
right arm around her, and never dis
covered my mistake until she sprang
suddenly away from me. .c


"Wouldn't a little brandy. and
water do as we'll, Mr.. Tremaine7'
she said archly. There don't seem
to be any bones broken; the Injury
was internal, i should think" q
i Wonldn't I have sold myself for a
sixpences But there was no help
for9it so / had to own the trick. and
went home wishing / had broken
my arm, or neck, / didn't care much
which. After that, for awhile, ] was
rather shy of love subject, for ! dad
not fancy bearing Of my last attempts
but .sont of The abundance of the
heart the mouth speaketh," and my
heart was so full Of my love for Jes-
sic Hale, that I could not force my
tongue to keep silence very long So
one morning, after lounging il, my
study until ! was tired Of everything
! myself in PARTICULAR went over
the way, resolved that the matter
should be decided before / returned.
Jessie was sitting by the parlor win