Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

us when he has his vacation; we are going to have high old times

fishing and boating. Up or down?” asked Jack, as they glided out

into the river.

Gus looked both ways, and seeing another boat with a glimpse of

red in it just going round the bend, answered, with decision, “Up,

of course. Don’t we always pull to the bridge?”

“Not when the girls are going down,” laughed Jack, who had

recognized Juliet’s scarlet boating-suit as he glanced over his

shoulder.

“Mind what you are about, and don’t gabble,” commanded Captain

Frank, as the crew bent to their oars and the slender boat cut

through the water leaving a long furrow trembling behind.

“Oh, ah! I see! There is a blue jacket as well as a red one, so it’s all

right.

“Lady Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,

As white as a lily, as brown as a bun,”

sung Jack, recovering his spirits, and wishing Jill was there too.

“Do you want a ducking?” sternly demanded Gus, anxious to

preserve discipline.

“Shouldn’tmind, its so warm.”

But Jack said no more, and soon the “Rhodora” was alongside the

“Water Witch,” exchanging greetings in the most amiable manner.

“Pity this boat won’t hold four. We’d put Jack in yours, and take

you girls a nice spin up to the Hemlocks,” said Frank, whose idea

of bliss was floating down the river with Annette as coxswain.

“You’d better come in here, this will hold four, and we are tired of

rowing,” returned the “Water Witch,” so invitingly that Gus could

not resist.

“I don’t think it is safe to put four in there. You’d better change

places with Annette, Gus, and then we shall be ship-shape,” said

Frank, answering a telegram from the eyes that matched the blue

jacket.

“Wouldn’t it be more ship-shape still if you put me ashore at Grif’s

landing? I can take his boat, or wait till you come back. Don’t care

what I’d o,” said Jack, feeling himself sadly in the way.

The good-natured offer being accepted with thanks, the changes

were made, and, leaving him behind, the two boats went gayly up

the river. He really did not care what he did, so sat in Grif’s boat

awhile watching the red sky, the shining stream, and the low green

meadows, where the blackbirds were singing as if they too had met

their little sweethearts and were happy.

Jack remembered that quiet half-hour long afterward, because

what followed seemed to impress it on his memory. As he sat

enjoying the scene, he very naturally thought about Ed; for the face

of the sister whom he saw was very anxious, and the word “fever”

recalled the hard times when Frank was ill, particularly the night it

was thought the boy would not live till dawn, and Jack cried

himself to sleep, wondering how he ever could get on without his

brother. Ed was almost as dear to him, and the thought that he was

suffering destroyed Jack’s pleasure for a little while. But,

fortunately, young people do not know how to be anxious very

long, so our boy soon cheered up, thinking about the late match

between the Stars and the Lincoins, and after a good rest went

whistling home, with a handful of mint for Mrs. Pecq, and played

games with Jill as merrily as if there was no such thing as care in

the world.

Next day Ed was worse, and for a week the answer was the same,

when Jack crept to the back door with his eager question.

Others came also, for the dear boy lying upstairs had friends

everywhere, and older neighbors thought of him even more

anxiously and tenderly than his mates. It was not fever, but some

swifter trouble, for when Saturday night came, Ed had gone home

to a longer and more peaceful Sabbath than any he had ever known

in this world.

Jack had been there in the afternoon, and a kind message had

come down to him that his friend was not suffering so much, and

he had gone away, hoping, in his boyish ignorance, that all danger

was over. An hour later he was reading in the parlor, having no

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