: Jack the Englishman by Bedford H Louisa Paget Walter Illustrator - Boys Conduct of life Juvenile fiction; English Australia Tasmania Juvenile fiction; Tasmania Juvenile fiction

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opinion of his own about girls' looks at present.

The ride for the first eight miles was entirely normal, along beautifully engineered roads which climbed ever up and up by zig-zag courses through the hill forests to Wylmington. Beyond were the falls which in summer-time were a favourite resort for picnic parties, but, leaving them to the right, Tom followed one of the bush roads bearing to the left, which was nothing more than a cart track, in some places almost overgrown, and in others, where more clearing had been done, opened out into a glorious view of surrounding hills. As they rode along Tom told Jack of his experience the last time he had passed that way in a gale of wind and rain, and how he had been weather-bound for the night at Woodlands, Jessie's home.

"We won't stop there to-night, will we?" asked Jack, whose one idea was to put as great a distance between himself and home as possible.

"Oh, no, I want to get on to the next homestead, about ten miles further on, but it will be slow going, as there is little more than a bridle-track to travel by, and we could easily lose our way."

"What fun! I hope we shall."

"I don't," said Tom. "It's no laughing matter to be lost in the bush. It's a very lonesome spot we are going to, and we shall probably sleep in a shakedown in the barn."

Jack gave a joyous laugh of anticipation, but here they were in sight of Woodlands, and he sprang from his pony to open the gate which separated the home clearing from the bush. Before they rode up to the door Jessie had caught a glimpse of them and came running towards them with a radiant face. She had changed from a girl to a young woman and a pretty young woman too, Tom thought, as he dismounted and one of the boys came forward to take his horse.

"We'll off-saddle them for an hour or two if we may," he said, "and we've counted on Woodlands hospitality to give us something to eat."

"But of course," cried Jessie joyously. "I told mother that the feeling in my bones meant something good was to happen to-day, but I never thought of anything half so good as this."

Then came the farmer and his wife to welcome their guests. The family dinner was over and the boys dispersed about the farm, but a meal of sorts should be ready in a brace of shakes, and the "nipper" looked ready for it, which the nipper was, for the ride had given him a hearty appetite. And whilst Jessie flitted to and fro in hospitable preparation, Tom noticed the stamp of refinement which illness had left upon her, but there was something more than refinement written on her face--a certain radiance which he accepted as the outward manifestation of an inward grace, a heart at peace with God and all the world.

"You found the right work for the girl," said the farmer, following the direction of Tom's eyes. "She just dotes on her teaching, and gets on well with it. We shall have her up here some day, I expect, setting us all to rights as school-teacher at Wylmington."

"Not yet, father," laughed Jessie, shaking her finger at him. "I want to know ever so much more before I try for a school of my own."

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