Jack and Jill

n all the boys and girls of Harmony Village wereout enjoying the first good snow of the

from the very top ofthe steep hill, ended abruptly at a rail fence on the high bank abovethe road. There was a group of lads and lasses sitting or leaning onthis fen

tall fellow of sixteen spun by, with a set look about themouth and a keen

olly LooAnd

asmall boy behind her, so fat that his short legs stuck out from t

long boywhizzed by, that it looked almost as if his heels

sweet-facedlad, with a laugh on his lips, a fine color o

long one to thepond. I wouldn't for the world; the ice can't be strong yet, though itis cold enough to freeze on

ury.""Clear the trackFor jolly Jack!"sang the boys

sobright and happy his whole air. Behind him clung a little gypsy ofa girl, with black eyes and hair, cheeks as red as her ho

ap, he can't say No.""To a girl," slyly added one of the boys, who had wishe

er path to school, in the shape ofcows, dogs, and boys who made faces and called her "Fraidcat.""He doesn't dare to get mad with Jill, for she'd take his head off

uch brighter than you are, or she wouldn'talways be at the head of your class, old Joe," cr

ubject of general interestby asking abruptly,"Who is going to the candy-scrape to-night?""All of us. Frank invi

h for all to eat and some to carry away. They knowhow to do things handsomely";

o on the sled; and she knew what it was to need a mother,for she had none

as she can be!" declared

ape," said Joe, trying to beamiable, l

r a farewellfrolic, as the sun was setting and the

y Loo, pretty Laura andLotty, grumpy Joe, sweet-faced Merry with Sue shrieking wildlybehind her, gay Jack a

styair with peals of laughter and cries of triumph as they flew by inevery conceivable attitude; for the fun was at its

as they paused for breath after the longtrudge up hill. Jill, of course, was not her real name,

Hop on and we'll have a good spin acrossthe pond"; and Jack brought "Thunderbolt" round with

, I'll go alone." And, before he could speak,she had snatched the rope from his hand, thrown he

tguide her steed with care, and the red charger landed her in thesno

times with the other fellows; but we gave it upbecause it is short and bad," he said, s

nutes if he did," growled Joe Flint, still smarting horn therebuke Jill had g

uch brighter than you are, or she wouldn'talways be at the head of your class, old Joe," cr

ubject of general interestby asking abruptly,"Who is going to the candy-scrape to-night?""All of us. Frank invi

h for all to eat and some to carry away. They knowhow to do things handsomely";

o on the sled; and she knew what it was to need a mother,for she had none

as she can be!" declared

ape," said Joe, trying to beamiable, l

r a farewellfrolic, as the sun was setting and the

Jack was as brave as alittle lion, and with th

e me andspoil my fun to-night," answered Jill, shaking her s

t; I onlycarry them to please mother." And Jack pulled out a

new pair for Christmas, and make you wearthem, too," said Jill, putting on the mittens with

y trudged to the spot when

rning look in thehonest blue eyes which often unc

mitten pointed firmly to t

waited without a word whileJill tucked herself up, then took his place in front, and

very awful in that. Co

ren't afraid ofanything," said Jill, with a defiant glan

at is what you like," answered Jac

ngs and then we'll stop. My tumbledoesn't count, so give me two more and then I'll be good."Jill took her seat as she spoke, and looked up with such a rosy,plead

e!" cried Jill, excited by thecheer

t of the afternoon, while Jill prancedafter him as lightly as if the big boots were the famouss

las, for poor "Thunderbolt" blindly settingforth on the last trip he ever made! And oh, alas, for Jack and Jill,who wilfully chose the wrong road and ended their fun for thewinter! No one knew how it happened, but instead of l

the post where he hadperched, Joe waved

croaking over a battlefi

gulatedcoasting-grounds. They found Jack sitting up looking about himwith a queer, dazed expression, while an ugl

d!" wailed Sue, hiding her

t my breath. Where's Jill?"asked Jack, stou

ing rapidly, as if halfstunned. But no wounds appeared, and when asked if she wasdead, she answered in a vague sort of way,"I guess not. is Jack hurt?""Broken his head,"

t," and Jack tried to get up in order to prove thatheaders off a bank were mere trifles to him; but at the firstmoveme

lyalarmed now, the hurts seeming worse than mere bumps, whichwer

ck held fast to Frank's arm as he looked into theanxious face bent over him; for,

a quiet voice, as Ed Devlin laid a handful of softsnow on the wound; and Jack's face b

s, who stood by lookingon, with his littl

nced Molly Loo, with a droll air oftriumph, as if rather pleased than otherwise to have her p

who had earned that name from the ease withwhich, on all occasions, he could b

fault; I shouldn't have let her

ght. Don't help me, anybody; I m a wickedthing, and I deserve to lie here and freeze and s

me by andby," whispered Merry with a kiss; for she ador

o hurry up." And, freeing himself from his sisters, Guswent off at a great pa

rty, for it was driven by Mr. Grant, a big, benevolent-lookingfarmer, wh

it once myself and broke the bridge of my nose,"he said, tapping that massive feature w

ate, and these parties ought to be housed," he added, throwingdown his whi

dames,spreading his overcoat on the sled as eagerly as ever

ps and bore it with the courage of alittle Indian; for all the lads were looking on, and Jill was proud toshow that a girl could bear as much as a boy. She hid her face inthe coat

sled,while the boys came behind like a guard of honor, leaving the hilldeserted by all but Joe, who had returned to hover abou