Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-12-16
Sfleft Story.
From Petersons Magazine, for January Is7O
JANETS NEW-YEAR.

frock she had been striving SO hard to
finish.
at is almost dark, ~ she said glancing
toward the window with little, shud-
dering sigh. 81 suppose shall have TO
III suppose SO, dear,p replied the in
valid, raising herself to sitting posture
'but they might have spared you to me
tonight"
.iYes, mother; but Mrs. Draper thought
they would never get on with the dresses
for the tableaux without my help"
land my new frock Janet" piped a
curly-headed little thing from the cor
ner, .swho will finish that?"
Never fear, Alice,n replied the sister,
pleasantly. "I shall be at home bright
and early tomorrow, and you shall have
it in good time"
"BHt what's the use," continued, the
child, petulantly. II might as well
have no new frock, I've no place to go
to: and we shan't have even doughnut
for New-Year-shall we, mother?
The mother sighed, and fell back upon
her pillow, pressing her thin hands to
her face to hide the tears she could not
keep back.
Janet stood, for moment, with her
hand on the door-knob; then she re-
crossed the room to her mothers bed.
"Don't fret, mother" she said, ten
derby, kissing the wan. and sunken
cheeks. keep brave heart, and the
sun will shine again some day, despite
all this darkness. 1 think" she added,
adjusting her worn shawl, "that I'll
come home tonight, if it isn't too late,
after the party; and I'll ask Mrs. Draper
for part of my monthly pay. You shall
She kissed them both, and left, closing
the door softly behind her. But instead
of going directly to the street, she went
into her bedroom. Taking key from
her pocket, she unlocked small, rose
wood case that stood upon the table, and
drew forth tiny, ebony casket. Her
hands trembled nervously as she un-
clasped it, and lifted a string of emer-
aids it contained. Rare and brilliant
gems they were, most daintily set, and
looking strangely out of place in that
humble little chamber. Janet held
them tenderly, pressing them caressing-
ly to her lips, and letting them slip
through her fingers like a stream OF
living light. There was spray o.
heliotrope in the bottom of the casket,
and its sweet, subtle odor filled the little
chamber like the breath of incense; and
with that strange power which odors
alone possess, carried the heart of the
sad-faced governess away back to the
dewy dawn of her girlhood.
Only five years ago, and this selfsame
Janet he'd been the daughter of q
wealthy and indulgent father, with
every comfort and luxury at her COM
mand, and cIowds of suitors at her feet.
But only one of all these met with any
from, fha chu 1iftla haouf III h
was in every respect lrthy of her. On
the eve of voyage to Calcutta, he had
made his declaration, and been accepted
and the string of emeralds had been his
betrothal-gift.
For months after his departure, Janet
lived in dream of bliss, and then the
great trouble of her life came. HeI
father, who held high position in the
mercantile world, failed utterly, and
finding himself beggar, died of bro.
ken heart. Then their beautiful dwell.
ling, and everything went, and his pool
wife sank into despairing helplessness
and there was no one left to breast the
bitter, bitter storm but pretty, little
Janet.
Bravely enough she did il, for the CIR
was hero, despite her slender form anC
lilly face. She removed her invalid
mother and little sister to city far dis
tant from the scene of their recent
troubles, procured humble lodgings, and
then cast about her for employment
With much difficulty, she obtained &
situation as governess, position fol
which her fine education and natura
abilities rendered her eminently quail
fed. Thus the years wore on, Janet
hearing nothing from her lover. He
was, probably, dead, she thought; or he
might have heard of her fathers failure
and resolved to quietly ignore her. She
did not know, and she was too proud to
inquire.
Now, standing there in the gathering
gloom, with the rush and roar of the
great city in her ears, she asked herself
why not sell the emeralds?" They
would bring a good price enough to make
her poor mother and little Alice comfort.
able through many a dreary month
And yet she could hardly bring herself
to part from them. They were the one
link that bound her to the happy past
the shadows thickened round her, and
the dreamy odor of the heliotrope wrapt
her, like trance, in memories of the
long-ago. She could see the green,
Summer-garden, hear the plash of the
fountain, and catch the twitter of the
face was bending over her, his kisses
burned upon her brow, his very words
seemed sounding in her ear again. "a
quaint affair for a betrothal-gift, dar-
ling" he said, "but they are very pre-
cious, and they were my mothers we'd
ding jewels. 1 hold them dearer than
anything else 1 possess, hence l give
them to you"
Could she part from them? Sell them
for few paltry shillings? Her bosom
rose and fell with great throbs of agony.
She could not! She was coiling them
into the case again, when her mothers
hollow cough broke on her ear.
''For her sake" she murmursd. her
face whitening in the gloom. "Yes,
God help me, for her sake l must?"
She closed the casket resolutely, and
slipping it in her pocket, hurried out
into the darkening streets. Only a block
or two from Mrs. Draper's was fashion
able jewelry establishment, every win
dow blaze of light. With her heart in
her mouth Janet entered, and glanced
down the long line of gayly-dressed
customers. 1t would be half an hour at
least, she saw, before she could be waited
on, and that would be too late. And
after all, perhaps, Mrs. Draper might let
her have part of her monthly pay, and
she would not be forced to sell the en-
eralds just yet. Glad of any pretext or
excuse for keeping her precious gems,
she hurried from the shop; but thoughts
of her mother and poor, disappointed
little Alice brought the binding tears to
her eyes. Life was very desolate.-
Alas! what would be New-Year bring
to her? She ran along briskly, with a
dreadful aching at her heart, till she
reached the stylish residence of her en-
ployer.
'iOh, Miss Arbuthnot! here you are,u
cried Mrs. Draper, as Janet tapped at
the door of the dressing-room. "Come
in, we're in dreadful need ofhelp. Agnes
is in despair; no one can do her hair to