The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-11-15
The House that Jack Built.
BY KATE PUTNAM OSGOeD.

Ihe pubic has been IN error long enough
on this subject, thanks to that ridiculous
nursery jingle. As for me, 1 know better
am myself the house that Jack built, and
l should think | ought to know the circum-
stances under which | was put together. /
do know them, the how and the why and
all about it, and L am going to relate the
whole here for the general benefit.
And to begin with, as people are ready
to be captious, want to explain before |
say another word that those portions of my
story which could not have come within my
personal knowlege, seeing they belong to a
time before | was made, we're communicated
to me by the other house, which is great
deal older than | am, and so, naturally, has
seen and heard more. And if you are igno-
rant enough not to know that houses, like
every thing else, have their own way OF
talking together, why l can only say that
is your fault, not NINE.
Jack Heaton-yes, dare say it might
sound more respectful to say Mr.. John
Heaton, but nobody else ever did so with
in my experience, and don't know why |
need-Jack Heaton, l repeat, was thirty.
eight years old, well off, good natured, good
looking, and unmarried. Why he was un-
married | really can't tell you; l never
heard of his having had disappointment
and l know his mother would have liked
nothing better than to see him settled with
wife of the right sort. However, that
has nothing to do with the present matter
my storyis mainly Minnie's story, and Jack 4
only so far as he had to do with her.
Who was Minnie? What, you don't
know that! Well, then, Minnie was the or
phan child of one of Jacks college class.
mates, his best and Oldest friend. Some
thing like six years before the time | am
going to describe, Jack came home to din
ner one day in brown study, and when
reminded by his mother that salt was nicer
than sugar in soup, answered abruptly,
Mother, poor Walter Gorham's little
girl, it seems, is left with no particular home
or means"
And my generous, extravagant boy has
made up his mind to provide both, can
see" put in Mrs. Heaton, smiling at him
Jack was over thirty then, but, as | have
noticed, man is always boy to his moth.
er. even if he were very Methuselah in
years.
The generosity, if there is any, would be
pretty much on your side, 1 am afraid
mother" reioined Jack, % for the care would
come on you; still, | can't bear to think oi
poor old Walters child wanting ANYTHING
we could give her; so, if you weren't afraid
of finding her too great trouble
Not a bit of trouble" said Mrs Heaton
without moments pause for reflection. II
Jacks generosity was extravagant, it was
easy to see where he got it /" Haven't ]
wanted girl of my own all my life?"
Yes, know was disappointment te
you, mother" put in Jack, with whom thi:
was an old joke.
As if would change my boy for all the
girls in the world Still | suppose thai
doesn't prevent my liking to try nay hanc
on one"
So that is the way it was settled, anc
Minnie Gorham, a shy, pale little damsel o
twelve, came to live in the Heatons' house
the old house, mind you, for that was be
fore was so much as thought of, hard as
find that to understand now. There she
grew up to girl of seventeen. neither shy
nor pale then, but with about the brightest
eyes and clearest laugh to be found in the
whole neighborhood, as more than one indi
vidual had discovered already.
1t was somewhere about this time that
Jack Heaton, coming home one spring day
was impressed. as he closed the door be-
hind him, by the unwonted quiet of the
house. No head peeped into the hall to
welcome him; there was nobody in the par
lor, nobody in the sitting room, nobody in
the dining-room. Jack penetrated as far
as the kitchen, and there finally he came
upon Minnie, half extinguished in a blue
cotton apron several sizes too large for her
with her sleeves tucked up from her round
white arms, and her curly hair all thrust
away at the back of her head in a prea,
rough knot, from which stray tendr,l:
crept out in distracted and distractin,
manner. Jacks surprise found vent in ,
low whistle, at which Minnie turned rount
with suddenness that sent a pile of egg
shells at her elbow flying from the table t
floor.
"Oh dear!" she exclaimed. Really
gentlemen didn't ought to come into tn
Kitchen as cook used to be so fond of re
marking"
Used to be?' repeated Jack, ruefulI
surveying his own mischief. Cook hasn'
departed this life, has she?"