LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 757, 23 November 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A GREAT FOOL.

His name was John Holt; and, moreover, he looked like his name or like the image which the sound of his name, in a musical ear, would call up in the mind. For John should be strong, and quiet, and true, and grave, and John Holt was all of these. His skin was fair and his eyes blue, but the hair which had been tow-coloured in his childhood, had deepened to brown. Ordinary persons would call him good-looking, rather than handsome, but a close observer would pronounce his profile perfect, and his mouth and chin models of firm and symmetrical chiseling. The brows were straight and strong, though smooth, and his not very high forehead was broad and open. John Holt’s characteristics were a womanish gentleness, a most marvellous and absurd honesty, and a patience which, to them, looked only too much like cowardice. In his family John was called a great fool. John’s father had died when the lad was but ten years old, and left his wife to bring up her family of five children and manage the farm. She was perfectly capable of doing it, and even wary business men were on their guard when making a bargain with the sharp Yankee matron. Four of her children followed in her footsteps, and knew perfectly well the best end of a bargain ; but John—well, if he was a fool it was not because she had not warned and talked to him.

John did not grow wiser as he grew older, and took upon himself the cares of life, Mrs Holt had a large and valuable farm just on the borders of the town. Streets had crept gradually about her fields and surrounded them on |three sides ; on the fourth woodlands stretched back toward the east. Why she should give the control of this place to John, instead of one of his sharper brothers, was a puzzle even to her own mind. The only reason she could give was that John was steady and quiet, and more likely to remain at home than the others were. But she confessed to herself to be Jin continual tribulation with him.

‘ My dear,’ she said to a crony, ‘ you know that fifty cords of wood we had, good beech, birch and maple, with not more than twenty sticks of spruce through the whole ? Well, John must mention that stoveful of spruce, and so lose five dollars on the bargain. I never did see such a fool. Then he wanted to hurry off our potatoes last Fall for fear of rot. I told John particularly not to own to a speck: but, if you will believe it, when Thurlow came to buy them, and asked if we had seen any signs of rot, that ninny Said * Yes, a little,’ though I vow I don’t believe there were six spots larger than the head of a pin in the whole let. I don’t know where the fellow got his shiftlessness. I’m sure I could always make a bargain.’

John took all this very quietly as we have said. He knew though his mother would say such things to others, she would by no means have allowed any one to say them to her. But one thing he Pcould not bear was that Nellie Cramer should talk in the same way. Nellie seemed to delight in tormenting him. She would follow him into the garden and fields, hang on his arm with her curls, blowing across his breast, looking up smiling and chatting into his face, as soft and sweet as a kitten ; then suddenly, if he chanced to press those wandering curls against his breast, or to bend too near her lovely upturned face, or to breathe a word of tenderness, off she went with a toss of the head and a curl of the lip, and, as likely as not, some such speech as— * Ido wish you would not be so foolish, John Holt.’ He never got angry with her. How could he ? But sometimes a shadow would drop over his face, and he wouldn’t have much to say to her for a time. Then, when she went to him with her coaxing ways, and laid her little hand on his arm, whispering:— ‘ Now, don’t be vexed, John; I like you so much, but I don’t want you to talk nonsense,’ he would look down and smile, though not very brightly, and promise to try to avoid nonsense for the future, ending his promise with a sigh. ‘ Dear me! I wish you wouldn’t sigh so, John ? ’ the girl would say pettishly. * It makes me feel melancholy to hear you. One would think 1 had done something dreadful to you.’ Then John Holt would smile again, still less brightly, and promise to try not to sigh any more. Such little scenes as this were mere asides however. Nellie usually paid but little attention to John, being chiefly occupied in dancing, flirting, and quarreling with his more showy brother Frank, or with any other gay fellow who was so unfortunate as to be taken with her pretty face. For Nellie was an incorrigible flirt. It was only when she had no one else to talk to, or wanted to pique some other lover, or when she wanted some real service, that she went to John, who was sometimes pleased and sometimes hurt to see that she came to him only when she wanted help or advice. * You are a sort of grandfather, you know,’ she said one day, giving his arm a squeeze. * I have an idea that you are about seventy-five years. How old are you, John ? ’

‘I am just one-third of that,’ he said, smiling. ‘I am only a month past twentyfive.’

‘ Possible ! Well you must have been very old when you were born. Besides, twentyfive is old to me. lam only nineteen. Now, you come and hear my story and tell me what to do. I came over here on purpose to see you. John followed her obediently through the garden, and down to a bench under the shadow of the beech grove on the lawn; and when she took her seat there he leaned against the trunk of a tree and waited, looking down on her. ‘ You see, John,’ she began, ‘ I’ve had an offer.’

John Holt was tanned that summer, but through the brownness one might have seen a faint blush run over his face. Nellie didn’t see it, for she was looking down and rolling her apron tassels, a very bright colour in her own face.

There was a moment’s silence after this announcement, and seeing that he was expected to say something, John presently said ‘Yes.’

Nellie gave her shoulders an impatient shrug, and looked up. ‘ It’s a very good offer,’ she went on, ‘I suppose you will guess from whom. It is from James Lee. I told him I would think about it, and tell him ray decision to-morrow. Now, he’s very well off, you know, and when his father dies he will be rich. But then, of course, there’s no hurry about that. But the trouble is this, James will live all his days in Riceville, I am positive ; and that is dreadful. You know I want to live in a city, and want my husband to make a figure in the world. And James, why, James is almost as much of a deacon as you are.’ ‘You are complimentary,’observed John Holt, with a certain. quiet dignity. The blush had quite gone from his face, and some of the brownness seemed to have gone, too; for he looked slightly pale. ‘ Oh, I don’t mean any harm, you cross fellow,’ Nellie said, hastily. ‘ You know I think you are splendid.’ ‘I am much obliged to you,’ he said, with a stiffness which was quite new to his manner.

‘ Oh, if you don’t want to advise me, I won’t trouble you,’ the girl flung out, rising in a pet, ‘Gome back, Nellie,’he said kindly. ‘I am not cross. Only tell me what you want. ’

She seated herself again with a little quiver in her lip. 4 1 want you to tell me what you think of James, Lee. Tell me if you think I’d better marry him. Tell me if you think he cares enough for me to go just where I say, and live where I wish.’

The colour wavered again in John Holt’s face, and he drew a quick breath. Some impulse to speak seemed to come upon him. Glancing up for his answer, Nellie saw the change, and added a word : ‘You see, John, I like Albert Leighton better than I do James. ’

The color and light dropped out of his face again, and a rim of even white teeth pressed for an instant his under lip. ‘ Then why don’t you marry Albert Leighton ? ’ he asked, looking up into the tree that spread over his head, and reaching to break a slender twig. ‘He never asked me to,’ she answered demurely. * I suppose he means to, doesn’t he ? ’ asked John, looking at her with a glance that might be called almost haughty. ‘ How can I tell?’ Nellie pouted, ‘Men are so queer. The most of them would rather wait to be asked, I think.’

‘ If you want my advice, I will give it,’ John said, twisting and Hinging away the little twig in his hand. ‘lf you like Albert, don’t keep James in suspense. You have no right to do it. You can’t seriously think of marrying one man when you prefer another. If Albert likes you, as I believe he does, take him. He’s a good fellow.’ ‘ You think so ? ’ the girl said, looking up suddenly. * I think so,’ he repeated, turning away. ‘ Now, let’s go up to the house.’ She rose and walked quietly by his side, her fair girlish face a little pale, her eyes downcast. At the gate she stopped. • ‘ I will not go in now,’ she said, in a low tone. ‘ I will go home.’

He merely bowed, and looking back after a few steps, she saw that he had not entered the house, but was stealing off to the bam.

The next week James Lee commenced a violent flirtation with Bessie Holt, John’s sister, and in a month the two were engaged. Nellie laughed, and turned the light of her smiles upon Albert Leighton, a handsome dashy fellow, who had been crazy about Lee for the last six months. John Holt said nothing, but was rather cool about his sister’s engagement. ‘ You see suspense would have killed him,’ Nellie whispered mischeviously. ‘ I hope he isn’t marrying my sister out of pique toward you,’ John said coldly. ‘lf I didn’t think Bessie loved him ; ,too well to give him up, I would tell her.’ ‘And betray my confidence, John Holt,’ Nellie exclaimed. ‘I tell you he is like most of you men—purely selfish. He didn’t care a fig about me. I think he seems to like Bessie.

‘ When are you gonig to be married,’ he asked abruptly. The question came so suddenly that for once the girl lost her composure. A crimson blush swept over her face, and she dropped her eyes without being able to speak a word. She recovered herself in a minute, aud protested that she had no thought of marrying. But the blush had convicted her in John Holt’s eyes, and he scarcely heard a word she said.

It was winter, and while they talked they were waiting, with half a dozen others, for a large sleigh that was coming to take them out to a party given by a friend seven or eight miles off in the country. Even before Nellie’s blush had faded, the trampling and jingling at the gate attracted their attention, and Albert Leighton put his head in at the door to call them. Bessie and her lover came forth from a distant window, and they all run gaily out and bundled into their places. The party passed off as such things usually do. All seemed to enjoy themselves;_ Nellie was lovely as a pink and full of mischief, Leighton was attentive, and John Holt was cheerful and kind to everybody. He was fully as quiet as usual, to be sure, and rather avoided Nellie Cramer, but it is doubtful if any one but herself noticed that. It was twelve o’clock when they started to go home, and the moon had set. At first their gaiety held out, but after a mile or so fatigue and want of sleep began to tell on them, and one by one they fell into silence.

‘John,’ Nellie said, ‘there is just room for me on the seat with you. May I come there ? It is cold here.’

He made room for her in silence, and she left her discomfited escort and took her place next that strong shoulder. Then silence fell again; but after a while, in the darkness, John Holt was aware of a light pressure against his arm, then a soft, plaintive whisper stole into his ear. ‘ I am so sleepy, John.’ He turned a little—why not ? They were old friends—and lifted his arm to the back of the seat, took the head softly and tenderly to his bosom. And so she lay in that faithful and tender clasp till they drew near home; then with one whispered word of loving gratitude, * Nobody is so good as you ! ’ she drew away, and took Albert Leighton’s hand to step out at her own door, [ To be continued, 1