JAN. 27 
THE RURAL NEW- YORKER. 
THE NORTHERN STAR. 
The Northern Star 
Sailed o'er the bar. 
Bound to the Baltic Sea. 
In the morning gray 
She stretched away— 
'Xwiik a weary day to me. 
And many an hour. 
In sleet and shower, 
By the lighthouse rock I stray, 
And watch t ill dark 
Nor the winged bark 
Of him that's far away. 
The church yard’s bound 
I wander round. 
Among the grassy graves; 
But all I hear 
Is the north wind drear, 
And all I see, the waves. 
Ob roam not there. 
Thou mourner fair. 
Nor pour the fruitless tear! 
Tby plaint of woe 
Is all too low. 
The (lend, they cannot hear. 
The Northern Star 
Is set afar, 
Set in the raging sea; 
And the billows spread 
O’er the sandy bed 
That bolds tby love from thee ! 
JMoni-£cller. 
JAMIE. 
BT MRS. A. B. STORY. 
NO one would have thoughtof calling him hand¬ 
some. Even his mother, to whom ho was as tho 
apple of her eye, woultl have told you there wus 
nothing handsome about her boy; and yet very 
likely she would add, In her next breath, that you 
might “go further and find a homelier, for the 
likes o' Jamie's eyes were hard to beat.’’ 
Now, as ho stands by the old well, ready to lay 
hold of the bucl.-i. which Jake, tho farm hand, 
draws all dripping to the surface, wo are remind¬ 
ed of WrinTiKK's “Barefoot Boy,” and think the 
poet might have drawn bis picture from just such 
a model as .1 amje, only he Is not baretoot, and his 
pantaloons are not turned up, but tucked Into a 
pair of boobs that might be thought were a w orld 
too large for him. If one did not notlco tho hands 
were large, too. Then, too, Jamie was not a small 
boy, but a largo one who did not care to be called 
any longer a boy, but a man; and yet. the sun, 
shedding forth his last rays before dropping out 
of sight behind the western hills, made ruddy a 
face as Innocent of beard as ft bubyls. 
But Jamie felt that he had a right to be looked 
up to and treated as a man, not so much on ac¬ 
count of bis years ns the amount Of work lio was 
able to turn off; for certainly, take It early and 
late, Bprlng-tlme and harvest, no one—not, even 
the sturdy Jake— did more than he. And certain 
It Is, too, that no one ever took more pride In his 
work, or was better satisfied wlLh Its kind, than 
was Jamie up to the t ime our sotry opens. 
Ho could cradle as wide a swath, could rake and 
bind as fast and as well, as any harvest hand 
among them all. If there, was a vicious colt to be 
trained Into subjection, or a kicking cow to be 
dealt with, it was always Jamie who, better than 
any other, could conquer and subdue. Tall and 
strong beyond his years, with a vigorous consti¬ 
tution and a spirit, of industry that looked upon 
all work as pastime, he could toll from morning 
till night, add feel not a bit the worse for It; and 
now, as he dips his hand In the water that fills 
the great trough near tho well, to cool his brow, 
he feels scarcely less fresh than when, at sunrise, 
he ahouldered his rake and went whistling to the 
harvest-held. 
**gupper’a ready 1 Come, Jamie; you must be 
as hungry as a wolf alter the hard day’s work 
you’ve gone through to-day, according to what 
father says!” called his mother from the kitchen 
door. Jamie gave the water on his hands a flirt, 
and obeyed the summons at once. 
“ Hungry enough, mother, that's so; but as for 
the work, I doubt If it's more than 1 do every day, 
and not much harder, either. But where the 
dickens Is Olla t Not about the house, I know, 
unless the cat’s got her tongue.” 
Mrs. Eastman explained, ller daughter had run 
over to see her friend, Alice Bud long, who had 
sent for her, and added, “You'll be looked for to 
bring Olla home; but It you don’t want to go, 
you needn’t. She won’t be afraid after the moon 
rises.” 
" Why, yes; 1 don't know but I'd as lief go as 
not.” 
But you see, Jamie boy, there's company there: 
Alice’s cousin from Peterborough, and a girl she 
brought with her—a 3tra_nger to them all.” 
Jamie looked upwonderlngly. “What of that?” 
he said. “You don’t think I’m afraid, do you? 
They won’t eat me, I reckon." 
“No, but they’re awral Btyllsh, I should think 
by their looks, ’specially the strange girl. I had 
a good look at them wi,.-n they went by, and I 
thought you mightn’t Uke to go; but you can nx 
up a little, and I dare say there’s no better where 
they come from than us hard workers.” 
Jamie looked around at the faces of the group 
gathered about the supper table with a quiet 
smile. Where was there to be lound another of 
his age, or with ten years added to It, lor that 
matter that could outstrip him at a Job of work t 
and Bhould he be ashamed to stand before any 
man or woman living, let alone these colts or 
girls? 
He went, and Just as he was, too, save that he 
put on a collar and touched his mass of ml-brown 
hair with the comb. He made a passable bow to 
each of the young ladles, as Alice presented them, 
and seating himself near the door, busied himself 
In trying to And a place for his hands, which ho 
at last did by thrusting them deep Into his trou¬ 
sers pockets. Why It was he did not know; but 
Jamie did not feel 60 much at his ease as he had 
expected he should. lie tiled to talk and appear 
sensible during his stay of half an hour, butsomc- 
how be was conscious of appearing quite the re¬ 
verse. It was little wonder, perhaps, lie was 
used to talking with men—sturdy farmers and 
their sons—on subjects with which be was as 
familiar as the: school-boy with bis alphabet; 
while here he was expected—or at least he felt, 
that ho was expected—to play the agreeable to a 
lot of girls who acted as If It was their aim to 
! keep as far away as possible from everything he 
| could talk about. 
He was glad enough when at length Olla put 
on her hat to go home, though bo hardly spoke a 
word to her all the way there, and seemed at first 
not to hear her when she asked him how he liked 
Minnie Bun long, and If he didn't think Mlsa 
j Hyatt was “dreadfulstuck-up." 
“No—yes!” he replied to this; "but ain’t she 
handsome?’’ He never ventured an opinion of 
her after that, though be saw her often, and 
Olla, girl fashion, was always running on about, 
her. 
The Budlongh and the Kastmans wore near 
neighbors, and bad always been warm friends, 
so It was but natural tho young people should lie 
a good deal together. The Budlongs’ visitors 
had been with them several weeks when Mr. 
Eastm an— never a close observer—opened his eyes 
to the fact, that there had come a change over 
Jamie. 
“ir *twas the winter season, with a revival 
meeting going on, I should say the boy’d got re- | 
llglOO, for lie seems amazin’ chirpy, and goes 
about as If he's trendin’ on air. Whatever Us, 
he's mighty mum about. It; and how ho does Just 
more than pitch Into the work. lie always was a 
master hand at a Job, but. now he beats every¬ 
thing" 
Sure enough, something the matter with 
Jamie, and what was It,? It was worth some¬ 
thing, any day, Just, to look Into his hrlght, hope¬ 
ful face, from which t he hardest day's toll could 
not drive the look of perfect content, that was In 
It, but rather served to Intensify It. But what 
had wrought the change? 
Mrs. Eastman was beginning to puzzle over the 
question as well as her husband. Slie uttered 
the wonder aloud one day, when alone with Ou.a 
In the great square kitchen, which was dining¬ 
room and family sitting-room, as well. 
“I'll tell you, mother,said Olla, dropping her 
hands Into tho bifans she was shelling. “Jamie's 
in love. 
Mrs. Eastman turned sharp upon her daughter. 
Tho idea was too absurd to be entertained for a 
moment. “Don’t be such a goose, Olla; and 
come, haven’t you got tho beans for the succotash 
ready yet 7 Dinner’ll he late, and that’ll put the 
men out with their afternoon's work." 
But Olla had made up her mind to speak out. 
“ It’s so, mother. I’ve known it for weeks. He’s 
in love with Joe Hyatt.” 
“ Nonsense, child; hc*a not tho kind to fall in 
lovo beroro he’s fairly out of Ills short frocks; and 
don't you talk a bit. of that to your father, or he'll 
say that’s all a girl can ever talk about.” 
“But I tell you, mother, It's a fact, Alice 
knows It as well as I, and so, I think, docs Mra- 
I NIK.” 
Mrs. Eastman was so suddenly convinced by her 
daughters words and manner that she dropped 
Into a convenient chair, quite overcome. “The 
silly, silly boy!" she said presently; “and he 
lacking three good years of being of age, and ton 
chances to one If father'll see his way clear to 
help him to much of a start when he is. He’d 
havo to fetch hlawlfo here, and then—well, i 
don’t believe she’ll be worth a pin to do dairy 
work. Tho silly, silly boy! What can he he 
thinking about!” 
Olla was looking very sober. “ I didn’t say he 
was going to marry, mother; only that he was In 
love.” 
“ Aud what’s he in love for, if he don’t mean to 
many, 1 should like to know?” 
“ I don't, know what he mean*' to do, mother, 
but I do know be never ’ll marry Joe Hyatt.” 
“ Why not? Father mayn’t like tho notion at 
first, but I doubt If he holds out for long; yon 
know he never does whore Jamie Is concerned." 
“ I’ll tell youwhy not,” said Olla; “Miss Hyatt 
Is too proud to marry Jamie." 
Mrs. Eastman’s never pale cheeks flushed fiery 
red at that, and an angry flash shot from her ! 
eves, now dared Olla— ids slater—utter such a 
thought, as that! As though any one coni a feel 
above her boy! And yet the very next Instant 
she felt It might be so. 
“ Who Is she, I should like to know, to hold her 1 
head above our Jamib? Isn’t he as good as she ? 
Where'll you And a better boy to his parents, or a 
more saving, or a butter worker? His wife will 
never starve while be has hands to work for her.” 
“But don’t you see, mother, she’s not like us. 
I can’t tell you the difference, nor what. It Is wc 
lack; but we do lack something, and Jamib the 
most of all. Maybe It's books, or pleasant rooms 
to sit down in, or cultivated people to talk wit It, 
or pictures, or music, or travel, that have made 
her what she is. Whatever It Is, she isn't of 
Jamie's sort, and I hope he’ll never tell her what’s 
In hls heart. I should hate her if slie made luu 
of him, and most likely that’s what she’d do.” 
“Books and music, and traveling 'round the 
country! That’s what comes of your being so 
much at the Budlongs,— sensible enough people 
In tho main, but too much given to letting the 
youngsters havo their own way! Why, suppos¬ 
ing now we 3hould bo fools enough to go to work 
and furnish upourhouse like theirs, gc.tbougbtcn 
carpets to spoil and w aste, and pictures and such 
llko to hang and dangle around—when things 
have a much ihoro put-away look without them 
—and magazines and music., where'd be the litt le 
sum In bank that’s to serve us when we’re old, or 
be divided at ween you and Jamie when we’re 
done with It? O, the way folks do go on, nowa¬ 
days! In my mother’s time, when I was a happy 
and contented girl at home, things were dif¬ 
ferent.” 
And Mrs. Eastman fell to stirring the succotash 
with a will, as though shocould thussettlo things 
to hor liking. 
While the men were at dinner, Mrs. Eastman, 
eyeing Jamib sharply, asked, “ What In the world 
has come over you, Jamie ? if the spell that's on 
ye hadn’t, lasted so long, I’d say yo was likely to 
come down with tho fever any hour In the day." 
Jamie colored slightly, laughed a little, but said 
nothing. 
“There’s nothing the matter wl’ Jamie, ma’am, 
nor never will be as long as he's lots to do, and 
has got the arm to do It," said the hired man, 
laughing. 
The farmer looked at bis son as though a new 
Idea had entered hls head. "Aren’t you well, 
Jamie?” 
“Well? Of course 1 am. What In the world 
are you all driving at? / can’t see." 
“ What makesyour mother afraid of the fever?" 
“ Don’t know, 'l ucre’s no danger of me though.” 
And ho did not look as If there was, oven with hls 
face us red .m It was ot that moment, so tho sub¬ 
ject was dropped, and tho men, rising from the 
table, went back to their work. 
It was drawing towards night when Jamie, In 
Striking out, a new lund to pl r w, discovered a 
lieautlful cluster of the cardinal Powers, growing 
by the brook wbleU skirted the Held. “The very 
thing Jos wanted t" Un i," s<dd he. stopping the 
team. “ ,"vn ; lowed <ui uncommon lot to-day, 
and I’ve a notion to run over to Budlono’s with 
the posies, bhe’rt tie tickled to get 'em, I know.” 
it was bid a lit tle way across the lots to his neigh¬ 
bor's house, and K. would do tho horses no harm 
to rest what time It would take him to go; no lie 
was off, carrying the flowers, carefully lied with 
a blade of grass, In hls hand. 
On the Budlonu farm, near tho Idol of a hill r>y 
which he must, pass, stood a large clump of elder 
bushes. Now It. so happened that Mrs. Budlong 
ivas that day deep in the mysteries of elderberry 
wine, and the girls Avoro out gathering the ripe 
berries. Jamie saAv thflr heads among the bushes 
as he eumo over the hill, and made for the spot at 
once, glad that ho should not have to go to the 
house, but UoplDg, too, that the others would not 
see him till he had given Job thcflowera. Ho was 
close upon them, had reached tho edge of the. 
clump, In fact, Avhen Ids name, falling from Joe 
Hyatt's llps,mado hlmstop. It was the first time 
he had ever heard her apeak It; but It was not 
that so much us AVhat camo after It that, made 
him stand there, to avU tie and still, to crushed, yet 
looking so defiant and angry. 
“Jamie Kastman! Why, Alice, do you knowl 
should bo angry with yon If I didn't think .yon 
liked the great simpleton yourself—though what 
there 1, In Mm to like, I can never Imagine. There, 
don't, you, get angry. I dare say tho fellow lsgood 
In hls Avay.” 
“ Yes, lie is good.” " Too good for some folks 1 
knoAv,” Alice wanted to add, but did not, saying 
instead:—"You can't know him as we do, of 
course. Mother says he may yet inako a man 
Whom any woman might feel proud te gain.” 
Joe's silvery laugh rang out mockingly. “ When, 
that time comes, whoever Wants him Avlll be quite 
as Avulcoinc to him as now, for all me,” 
" But haven't you encouraged him, Jok?" 
“ Well, no. Aud If I did a very little,It was only 
to see how such a wild bear of a man—or rather, 
boy—would make love. But lie’s too big a dunce 
to bo endured any longer, and I mean to toll him 
so the first chance. I be.levo I should Just die 
under a declaration from the stupldl” 
“He has abvaya been kept at. home," Alice 
said, In a low tone; “he has never had the 
chances some have.” 
“He can read,” returned Joe, “but no, that 
Avould cost money; aud besides, I doubt If be 
cares to. lie minks or nothing but the work he 
can do, or has done, or Is going to do, and knows 
no more of what Is going on In the world around 
him Mian the cattle over there In the pasture.” 
" I cannot think it la altogether his fault," said 
ALICE, stUl tu a Ioav voice. 
“If he hasn’t books or papers to read, maybe 
not,” Joe rati trued; “but you know as well as I 
do that, he is as Ignorant of everything right here 
about him, that^iaBut a value In dollars and cents, 
as a Greenlander. He didn’t even know what a ! 
Cardinal floAver was the other day, but called It a * 
‘weed’at first aud then a ‘posey.’ Only think! I 
and the scarlet beauties, right under ids eyes 
Avherever he turns.” * 
Certain specimens of the “scarlet beauties” 
were under hls heel now where he ground them 
into the sand, the while he bit hls nether lips and 
shut Ills fingers tight into ids horny palms, in hls 
fierce endeavors to keep down hls boiling Indig¬ 
nation and get away unseen. There was no more 
plowing done that, day; though when Jamie got 1 
back to hls team. It. still lacked hall an hour of 
hls usual tlmoof turning out. No one questioned 
him about it, however. He ate hls supper In si¬ 
lence, looking around several times at the dingy 
walls and empty shelves, and then went away to 
Ids bed, battling with the bitterest feelings he 
hail ever known. After that, Jamib wasno longer 
bis old self. He said very little to any one; and 
though he worked as hard as ever. It was with less 
spirit, and he never talked about, what ho avbs 
doing, at meal-time or of evenings, as had been hls 
wont; and, stranger than all, as the reader will 
think, ho still went regularly to visit, the Bud- 
lonos. He Avas quiet aud reserved, almost sullen, 
at times. Ills father eyed him more keenly than 
before and nllowea, “If 'tAvas get ting religion that 
had made him so chipper, he must have backslid 
now, he was so uncommon glum.” 
Whatever Jamie’s trouble might be, the farmer 
was troubled as well at tho change In bis boy. 
“ " ben a lad as Is a light-hearted lad for general, 
gets to spending all hls spare minutes looking at 
the toes of hls boots, there must bo something 
uncommon the matter,” he said to hlB wife; but 
tho Avorthy dame thought best to keep her own 
counsel. 
“He might take It Into hls head to send the boy 
away to gel cured of hls love-sickness, and I never 
could boar to have him go,” she thought. And yet 
that was the very thing Mr. Eastman had deter¬ 
mined to do. 
“Jamie," he said, one morning, “I begin to sea 
you've Avorked too hard this summer. Ye’re no* 
done growing yet, and It, tells on you. What do 
you say to going to Uncle Bill’s a while for a rest 7" 
Jamie turned very red in the face ami looked 
hard at the tloor, but. said nothing. Ills father 
Avas growing impatient. 
“ Well, AVhat, do you say 7” ho demanded. 
“That, I don’t Avant to go to Uncle Bill’s; but 
I’d llko to go away. If you’re willing. J’vo been 
thinking quite a spell, I 'd llko to buy my time and 
go for myself.” 
“Buy your time and go for yourself I” the farm¬ 
er repeated the Avords (Jowly In hls astonishment. 
" What's all this for, 1 should like to knoAv, and 
what have you got to give ?” 
Jamie’s face grew a shade redder than before. 
“ThereV; nothing in particular the reason that 
1 want to go. l can give you the gray colt—he’s 
mine, you know and the iavo hundred In bank 
Unit Aunt Mary left me.” 
Mr. Eastman was silent, tor somo time, Avith ills 
head resling on ills hand. “Well, go ir you Avant 
to,” he said, at length, “and let the money be 
Avhero It, Is, or take it with ynuaml spend It,if you 
like. You'll be glad enough to come buck when 
It s gone. Does j our mother and Olla know what 
a fool’s Idea you’ve taken Into your head 7” 
“No, and I’d rather you wouldn’t tell them till 
I'm gone; they’ll be sure to put things In (ho way 
of ray going.” 
The next morning only tho farmer and Jake 
answered tho call to breakfast. Jamib was gone. 
No avuh a carpet-bag aviucIi for years land hung 
Horn Its peg over against tho chimney. A fort¬ 
night, passed and a letter came to Olla from her 
brother. It was short, and gave an address. If 
“anything happened at home,” she was to wrlto 
him, but hot otherwise. Bo for three years bo 
heard irom those at home only Indirectly until 
one momingtbero came a letter from Alice Bud- 
long. His mother wus very sick-dying, they 
thought—and if he wished to see her he must 
como at once' Olla was married and living at a 
distance from the old home, so, as she must give 
her brother’s address to some one, she had chosen 
ALlCE.ua being both discreet and a true friend of 
the family. 
The dusk Of an autumn twilight avus on the 
enrin and uued tho room with lurking shadows 
when Jamib, tall and bearded, came back and 
bowed hls head over hls mother’s pllloAV. It was 
Alice who welcomed hlmgiadly, it uotso warmly 
as Olla would have done. Alice who told him 
how Ills mother was, and insisted on hls having a 
cup or tea before going to her room. Hbe Avas 
sleeping just, then, sho iold him, and ought not 
to he disturbed. The farmer bad not yet finished 
bis chores, and the two were alono In the grea v 
kitchen where the fire-light, leaping brightly from 
the hearth lit Id, for a briu space, the gathering 
night at bay. Alice aid not wonder at the change 
which the years hail made in her old school-mate, 
if she thought him handsome, It was only what 
she hud long ago thought, lie might, be. But look¬ 
ing closely though a trifle, as It wore, by stealt h, 
she detected a look In bis face Avblch It pained 
her Inexpressibly to soe. But her own pain must 
be put back and aAvay. If, was nothing, arter all, 
to Avhat bis mother would feel. And In her Aveak 
state, too! 
The young man, having finished hls tea, rose 
from tho table and moved toward the door lead¬ 
ing to hls mother's room; but Alice stepped 
quickly between 1dm and the door and luld a de¬ 
taining hand on hls arm. 
"Don’t go in yet," sho said with hlghtenlng 
color, “Mrs. Eastman Is still asleep, and the doc¬ 
tor’s orders are that sho must not bo Avakened, 
and I want to say something to you—to ask you 
to do something. sAcavIH ask you something— 
’.• tu want you to promise something. Will you do 
it?” 
lie looked the earnest face over keenly, qulz- 
zlngly, then blushed as he had not blushed in 
many a day. But this passed quickly, and a look 
of dogged resistance took Its place. 
“If I knoiv what you mean," he said with somo 
bitterness, “ I may as well tell you that your con¬ 
cern Is thrown away. 1 can take care of myself. 
Besides, what does It matter; I'm of precious 
small account anyboAvi” 
“You’re of very great account to her—and to 
more—and Aveak as she too, Jamie! Only 
think what might happen if you refuse!” 
“What—crying! Well, you’re a queer girl, 
Alice; though you're a good one, too. Olla 
always told me that, even If I'd never found It 
out for myseir. But what Is It noiv—tell me right 
out, BO T shall remember that you want me to 
promise?” 
“Quit the road you've entered on,” she said 
quickly, lest her courage should fall, “and be the 
man uod intended you for.” 
