The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-11-01
COUSIN JANE.


! must be a very old cousin indeed,
very safe cousin as girls would say or
she would never have chosen me ior u
c0nfidant ~
was pleased, and / was sorry, to
hear the tidings. ] was pleased, pef
cause it was very good ohefi ana !
was sorry, because Mr.. Forbes would
take Jane away-Haeltlsh animal land
though / had never cared to marry
her myself, | thought It hard case
10 sec her marry another How
ever. as pleasure had come
first so il was the predominant feeling,
and shook hands with Jane, and con-
graduated her on her good fortune.
For ii was decidedly good Fortune.
Mr. Forbes, though widower, was
not thirty, he was good looking and
accomplished. he was we'll of, too,
aud ahHd a charming home within a
convenient distance of London; in
short, he was most eligible husband
for Jane, who had not a farthing OF
her own, and who owed the very
clothes she wore TO my fathers kind
ness. Not that he thought it much
kindness, dear old boy. Jane was his
pet, and ! feel pretty sure that he CON
sidered Mr. Forbes very fortunate
man in having secured her. Ofcourse, /
thought so too, for | knew James
value, Still, Mr.. Forbes's Offer puz-
zled me.
Jane had come with her little story
to me in the garden; we were alone in
one of the green arbors She stood
In the shade, bareheaded, modest,
with a happy blush ION her cheek,
and soft, dewy light IN her brown
eyes. / had never seen her look half
80 we'll in her whole life as she looked
then, andT7shall | say it2-Jane did
not look at all pretty No, not at all.
No one, indeed, could call Jane ugly
or even plain; but there was an alb
sence Of beauty in her face. which
was the more remarkable that pretty
girls abounded in our county. She
had nice figure, a graaaful carriage,
a pleasant voice, aud happy looks
chat she bad, and no more. She was
also sensible girl, clever, well bred,
and amiable, though dreadfully shy
4 with strangers; but how could, Mr..
Forbes know anything of Jane save
her shyness? He had not seen her
more than n dozen times In all, and
Jane was so quiet, that he must be q
very penetrating and far-seeing man
indeed if he had discovered her merE
| its during those brief interviews. /
ventured on expressing some surprise.
"Hpw sly you both have been, Jen-
ny" | said.
No, William, not at all sly, / as
sure you, she replied gfavely. "
had no idea Mr.. Forbes thought of
such thing till he mentioned it the
other day. " le1 Il eA 80.
Then you did not say yes at once
jenny"
F" How could ~ | was so confused
that | should not even have asked for
time to think. over il, ii he had not
made the suggestion III U
1t was very plain Jane was not in
love; but then how odd if he were
| had seen them together the day be-
fore this, and Mr.. Forbes, for a
young man, was cool lover, TO say
the least Of it. Despite her ineXper-
fence in such matters, Jane felt some
surprise too, and she expressed it
with a mixture of sauciness and
simplicity which she often displayed
with me, but which she had certainly
never shown to- Mrg Forbes.oseAI
! -" DO you Know, cousin William,]'
/ she said, looking up at me, sIm,lst
be very fascinating person after all.
n am not pretty, i am twenty three,
am not rich am quiet, aud yet Mr..
Forbes, who has only to pick and
h choose, il smittenwith me.
| = How do you know he is smitten "
| inquired. Ia g13o o. gsdol3o
/ repented the question at once; but,
luckily, Jane only laughed.
Why should he want to marry me
ifohe were net smitten? : she asked
Ali to be sure. And you are
smlrsen, of course, Jenny2 "
Nc, was her rather serious reply.
i adliire0 Mr. Fnrbesgi and / am
grateful (or his aheetioni but Though
| hope 4, u very happy with him, n
am not what II called IN love. cousin
; William. That Is not in my way. |
suppose. ad3tuI iiS
And Jenny just uttered little
tEemulous sigh Of regret, and looked
like an ancient maiden who bids alden
toilove aud ittollies;; but who, though
d conscious of her wisdom, feels rather
mournful to be so very wise These
little ianciinl ways and conceits.
which tempered her good sense, and
made it endurable-for mere good
sense is apt to be dreadfully oppres-
sive-were Jane !. real fascination, in
my opinion. could understand that
y a mad should be alf1tred BY them but
they were never displayed unless in
? intimacy, and Mr., Forbes could know
nothing about them. Still. he mast
pc smtten, as Jane said; for why
else should he wish to marry herr
II hurry. be a proof of love, Mr..
Forbes was very much in love He
wanted to marry Jane off hand; and
Ehep my annt Mary, who kept house