The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-01
COUSIN JANE.

me, and I have accepted him, l felt
that / must be very old cousin in
deed-a very safe cousin, a. girls
would say-or she would never have
/ chosen me for & conhdant.
j was both pleased and sorry to
hear the tidings. was pleased, be-
| cause it was a very good offer; and
was sorry, because Mr.. Forbes would
/ take Jane aWay-selfsh animal and
| though / had never cared to marry
her myself, / thought it hard case
to see her marry another. However,
as pleasure had come first, so it was
| the predominant feeling, and | shook
hands with Jane, and congratulated
/ her on her good fortune-fOr it was
decidedly good fortune. Mr.. Forbes,
| though a widower, was not thirty; he
was good looking and accomplished )
he was we'll of, too, and had charm
| ing home within a convenient dis
| lance Of London; IN short, he was a
most eligible husband for Jane, who
had not a farthing of her own, and
! who owed the very clothes she wore
to my fathers kindness. Not that he
thought it much kindness, dear old
boy. Jane was his pet, and | feel
pretty sure that he considered Mr..
Forbes a very fortunate man IN hav-
ing secured her. OF course l thought
so too, for knew James value. Still,
Mr. Forbes's offer puzzled 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. bare headed, mod
est, with a happy blush on her cheek
and a soft dewy light in her brown
eyes. ] had never seen her look half
so well in her whole life as she looked
then, and-shall / 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
vas the more remarkable, as pretty
girls abOunded in our county. She
had a nice figure, a graceful carriage,
a pleasant voice ard a happy look
that she had, and no more. She was
also a sensible girl, clever, we'll bred
and amiable, though dreadfully shy
with strangers; but how could Mr..
Forbes know anything Of Jane, save
her shyness? He had not seen her
more than a dozen times In all, and
Jane was so quiet that he must be a
very penetrating and far-seeing man
indeed, if he had discovered her
merits during those brief interviews.
| ventured on expressing some sur
prise. How sly you have both
been. Jenny" l said.
No, William, not at all, [ assure
you" she replied, gravely. l had no
Idea that Mr.. Forbes thought of such
a thing till he mentioned it the other
day.
once, Jenny?"
How could /? | was so confused
that / should not even have asked for
time to think over IT, if he had not
made the suggestion"
1t was very plain that Jane was not
In love; but then how odd if he were
l 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 inexperience in
such matters, Jane felt some surprise,
too, and she expressed it with a mix
ture of sauciness and simplicity which
she often displayed with me, but
which she had certainly never showed
to Mr.. Forbes.
Do you know, cousin William,
she said, looking up at me, | must
be very fascinating person, after all.
l am not pretty, l am twenty-three,
am not rich, l am quiet, and yet Mr..
Forbes, who has only to pick and
choose, is smitten with me"
How do you know he is smitten?"
| inquired.
l repented the question at once;
but, luckily, Jane only laughed.
why should he want to marry me
if he were not smitten?" she asked,
"Ah to be sure. And you are
smitten, of course, Jenny?"
No, was her rather serious reply.
Il admire Mr. Forbes, and am CRATE
full for his affection; but, though l
hope to be very happy with him, / am
not what is called In love, cousin Viii
liam. This is not my way, l suppose.
And Jennie just uttered q little
tremulous sigh of regret, and looked
like an ancient maiden who bids
adieu to love and its follies; but who,
| though conscious of her wisdom, feels
rather mournful to be so very wise.
/ These little fancifui ways and con-
| ceits, which tempered her good sense,
and made it endura ble-for mere good
sense is apt to be dreadfully oppress-
| ive-weTe James real fascination, in
my opinion, | could understand that
man should be allured by them; but
| they were never displayed unless in
/ intimacy, and Mr. Forbes could know
nothing about them. Still he must be
smitten, as Jane said, for why else