JIMMY'S LIE:

66

BY

CONSTANCE CROSS,

AUTHOR OF

THE NARROW WAY," (A POEM); "LEFT TO OUR FATHER
"THE GIANT SLAYERS;" "CLEVEDON CHIMES;"

"A TALE OF THE EVENING STAR;"

66 THE CHILDREN OF HOLY BAPTISM;" ETC., ETC.

LONDON:

JOSEPH MASTERS & Co., 78, NEW BOND STREET ;
BAYNES & CARPENTER, 7, BRIDE COURT, LUDGATE CIRCUS, E.C.
AND HIGH STREET & PRINCES STREET, GRAVESEND.

1877.

ΤΟ

BAYNES AND CARPENTER,

STEAM PRINTERS, LONDON AND GRAVESEND.

JIMMY'S LIE.

CHAPTER I.

66 AS THE CROW FLIES."

upon

ILES upon miles away from home-miles
miles over the great unknown sea;-How
many? It was impossible to think.

M

And

London must be reached first, a comparatively short journey, but one the length of which was considerably magnified by ignorance of it.

A boy was lying under a hedge on a dusty highway, and these were the thoughts passing through his mind. Presently, a tramp strolled by; the boy looked out from under the hedge, and accosted him. "I say, you, how far is it to London, eh?”

66

The man stopped, reflected lazily a few moments, described several circles in the fine, loose dust with his stout, knotted stick, then answered, as he scanned the country before him.

"Nigh on twenty-eight or thirty mile."

The boy sat up, and looked along the road a little wistfully, then he said:

"Up or down ?”

"Straight ahead, up," replied the man; and he was strolling on when the boy again spoke.

"Isn't there a nearer way?" he asked.

66

Well," the man considered a little longer than before it 'aint so far, in course, as the crow flies."

B