The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-10-14
MISCELLANY.
THE JONES FAMILY.


does nothing towards raising man respecta-
bility in the world. Enough of this Theory
was variied in the Jones family. Jacob
Jones was a poor, thriftess man, with large
family, who were put to great straits to get
along decently, and everybody knew it yet
nobody knew anything against them buttheir
poverty. He was q sensible man, we'll versed
in politics, and could make as handsome a
speech as Squire Driver, in any town meetingv
in Freehold but then it was only "Jake
Jones, the man who wasn't worth cent in
the world.' lie might have held important
offices in the militia, or been one of the select
men, but he was so poor, he was entirely over
looked.
Besides, this poverty was great disadvan-
tage to the family. The girls were always
held below par in consequence of their being
brought up in an obscure way and Mrs.
Jones, their mother, never attained to any
Office in tho sewing circle or any charitable
affair, simply because she could not mingle.
with the aristocracy. Yet she was not ac-
knowledged to be q sensible woman, and
everyone pitied her because she was so poor.
The Jones girls never had fair position in
society, or they would have appeared well
as many others. They were rather marked
as "slab-sided, gawky girls" with whom
mothers evidently preferred their daughters
should have but little intercourse, and they
more especially feared lest their sons should
be attracted by their faces, for they were
pretty, Notwithstanding their poverty and
Mrs. Driver herself, declared eff they only
had money, they would appear as well as any
ladies in town." but, as 1t was, they were
only known as Jake Jones' daughters, who
lived in the small red house under the hill''
But Mrs, Jones was descended from an
English stock She used to say if she only
had money to travel, she had no doubt but
she could find out her pedigree but this all
went for ''smart talk, until one day the
public journal announced that "the heirs of
Lucreta Selden, if living, might hear of
something to their advantage, by calling at
street. Mrs. Jones was Selden, and
her mothers name was Lucretia--f so, a
property Of two hundred thousand dollars
was their due from bachelor uncle as a be-
quest to the heir of his sister, and Mrs.
Jones was her only child. 1t was her, with
out mistake.
1t would have been a curious chapter to
have noted down the sayings of their old ac-
quaintances when it was noised abroad that
the Joneses had such fortune Mrs. Smith
said she always thought there was some
thing above the commonality in Mrs. Jones
for her part she had always been social with
her, aud treated her lady-like." "But her
mother" said Sophia, "you did warn me
against associating with her daughters You
know you said they were awkward, uncouth
girls " But, my dear, it is not so--they
are in reality very genteel, accomplished
young ladies, and have DO objection at all
to your visiting them, especially as such
good fortune has happened to them.''
Jacob Jones soon set up princely style of
living He built an elegant house, kept his
carriage, hired servants, received commission
from the Governor as justice of the peace
the next year was first selectman for the
town; and DR.. Bond eloquenty urged his
affirming with great emphasis, tthat he
knew no man in town better calculated to
represent its interests than Squire JONES'
This was the same man who boltcd out of
meeting rather than hear I" old Jack Jones
talk little more than year ago!
And now the society of the Misses Jones
was courted "Thomas, Richard, Henry
the mother used to say, elf you are going to
concert or to lecture, why don't you in
yite Garry or Sophia Jones to go with you?
They are sweet pretty girls, and you would
do well to push your way there The Squire,
they say, is worth full two hundred thousand
and that divided makes every child independ-
ent.''
They were no longer the slab-sided
greenes, but the tall, graceful, handsome
girls, who were dressed beautifully, and coll
yersed as sensibly. Didn't the Johneses laugh
behind the door, as they contrasted the
present with the past? Then there was
Micajah Jones, who used to play the big