Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

uniform she wore of her own choosing.

“I feel as if I never learned so much in my life as I have since last

December, and yet I never did so little,” added Jill, wondering why

the months of weariness and pain did not seem more dreadful to

her.

‘Well, pitching on my head seems to have given me a good shaking

up, somehow, and I mean to do great things next year in better

ways than breaking my bones coasting,” said Jack, with a manly

air.

“I feel like a Siamese twin without his mate now you are gone, but

I’m under orders for a while, and mean to do my best. Guess it

won’t be lost time”; and Frank nodded at Gus, who nodded back

with the slightly superior expression all Freshmen wear.

“Hope you won’t find it so. My work is all cut out for me, and I

intend to go in and win, though it is more of a grind than you

fellows know.”

“I’m sure I have everything to be grateful for. It won’t be plain

sailing–I don’t expect it; but, if I live, I’ll do something to be proud

of,” said Ralph, squaring his shoulders as if to meet and conquer

all obstacles as he looked into the glowing west, was not fairer

than his ambitious dreams.

Here we will say good-by to these girls and boys of ours as they sit

together in the sunshine talking over a year that was to be for ever

memorable to them, not because of any very remarkable events,

but because they were just beginning to look about them as they

stepped out of childhood into youth, and some of the experiences

of the past months had set them to thinking, taught them to see the

use and beauty of the small duties, joys, and sorrows which make

up our lives, and inspired them to resolve that the coming year

should be braver and brighter than the last.

There are many such boys and girls, full of high hopes, lovely

possibilities, and earnest plans, pausing a moment before they

push their little boats from the safe shore. Let those who launch

them see to it that they have good health to man the oars, good

education for ballast, and good principles as pilots to guide them

as they voyage down an ever-widening river to the sea.

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