River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-29
on WITH THE OLD LOVE.
A THANKSGIVING STORY.

Miss Jane Finch was lonely; the SEN
sation was an old one, and she was at a
loss what to do with it, She had lived
for fifteen years a solitary life, had prided
herself for a decade and half on being
independent Of and Indifferent TO the rest
or the great human family. and now she
grew suddenly weary OF her self-impOsed
solitude. II might be because II was
Thanksgiving week. and everybody about
her was so busy and busting and happy,
or it might be from many other reasons;
hut whatever the cause, the fact remains
that, ON a certain sunny morning in
November, Miss Finch awOke to the
knowledge that her condition was not to
be envied
In vain she tried to argue herself back
into her old self-satisfactiOn. Ii was
ust as true now rs it was yesterday that
her brother James had married Sarah
Jones' girl she thought she had good
reason to hate; but. someway, there was
no pleasure to be gained frOM comparing
their poverty with their riches.
4 monster turkey was just beng
brought into the next door neighbor's; It
reminded her that the following day was
ANAAu anu aAA1R AANA AAteaA
she had To provide herself with the Gull
nary wherewithal without which no
Thanksgiving dinner might be properly
celebrated.
It always made Miss Finchs face burn
TO think Of Captain Abel JOnes-first
cousin To her obnoxious sister in-law.
Long ago, when she was in her teens,
they had been lovers, and everybody
knew that, as soon as he got his ship,
Abel Jones and Jenny Finch were to be
man and wife; but one evening she ran
over to Sarah's they had once been
bosom friends, and hearing voices N the
parlOr, had stopped a moment to discover
who was there. In that moment she had
seen Miss Sarah crying, as If her heart
would break, with her head on Mr..
Abel's shoulder.
Quite ignoring the fact that these two
had been brought up together, and thai
AJcl had time and again told her that
Sarah was Just the same 10 him as dear
sister, Miss Finch grew righteOusly IN
dignant: vet She was juSt-very just, in
deed she would not judge them on this
evidence, although to most any one II
would have been proof enough OF very
disagreeable fact; but she would wait,
and See how their conversation accorded
with their position. So she waited.
Don't cry," said Mr.. Abel Jones, plead
ingIv, Il am sure I can fix il all right.
She isn't nearly so fond of me as YOU
think; and you know, Sarah, how dear
YOU are to her. I'll break it to her gen
tly, and I'm sure she'll give me up OF her
own accord.
EnIv,Fk gnaintr. N
ture, not at all but the most unsuspi-
ciOus idiot in the universe could not have
misunderstood that speech. 1t was very
evident he wanted to he free from her. So
she stole gently out, without letting them
know Of her presence, walked home at
railroad speed, and, with very proper
self-respect, Immediately tied up his
picture, his few presents and his fewer
letters, and sent them back TO him with
the pretty falsehOod that she found she
didn't like him well enough to marry
him, and should be obliged il he would
release her from her engagement.
She didn't propose to be Tilted by him
and she wasn't.
Then she went off on visit, staid two
months, and came home to find her
brother engaged to her friend, and her
false lover nowhere.
In vain she endeavOred to prevent this
marriage. Her brother would not be
convinced, withOcc absolute proof, that
Sarah Jones was not a perfect woman.
She begged, pleaded and urged. But
pride prevented her giving him the ole
fact of which she had become possessed,
and so the two were married, and she
took her fortune left her by her fathers
only sister, and herself 10 another town,
gradually withdrew herself more and
more from the world, until, at twenty-six
she was a confirmed misauthrOpe, seeing
no one.
This sort of existence she had kept up
until the time our story opens.
Why Sarah Jones married James Finch,
and why Abel Jones was still a bachelor
sea-captain. were mysteries sac did not
trouble herself To explain. Sure of their
treachery, what mattered Il 70 her how
they spent their lives.
To-day Miss Finch, in thinking over
her past, ACKNOWLEDGED to herself for
the first time that she might have been
hastv; not 50 tar rs the Stalwart sailor was
concerned, but about her brother.
Il don't suppose ought to have ex-
pected him to give up his sweetheart
without any reason" she thought. Il
wouldn't have done 1t myself. l believe
III send them good Thanksgiving din
ner. From all can hear, they amt able
Ia do much in that line for themselves;
snd with sudden twinge of conscience
the more acute from being unusual, Miss
Finch hurried on her bonnet and shawl
and sta-ted off 70 market.
Oh. che marvellous purchases she
made. Pumpkins, and cranberiies, anf
turke,s. and chickens, and barrels of pc
tstoes. onions. apples, flour and every
thing else in the eating Inc that could be
desired.
an give EN- Thanksgiving that vii
last the winter" she said, grimly; ane
then, ell of sudden, she felt great de
sire t. partake OF the good things she hac
generously provided.
sI've a good mind TO 90 down and ca
dinner with 'em. ] don't krow as I'll b'
welcome. but they can't do more than shu
the door in nv face. believe I'll try ii
any way. James and are the only one.
left. and don'tthink il is right we should
live any longer in this way. According
to all accounts, Sarahs been a good wifi
to him.
And so that night Miss Finch starteC
off for a visit to her brothers.
James Finch looked forward Il
Thanksgiving Day with no great pleas
ure.
Captain Abel Jones had just returne,
from q voyage to the Indies, and, as wa
his custom, repaired Immediately to tn
home Of his cousin Sarah, there to remail