River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-29

To him Jane Finch, spinster, aged
fOrty-one, was not the grim, formidable
woman she seemed to every body else.
He had not seen her since her glrlhOOd
and his memories of her were all of that
happy time.
No" said James Finch, sadly. ave
hear of her, but nothing from her. She
still lives alone, and refuses TO hold com
munication with any of US"
Captain Jones looked around the poor
~ furnished little room, and sighed.
" She has changed greatly he said
" il she can enjoy her wealth, while you
are struggling on in this style. cannot
understand it. But there's no use in talk
ing it over. Years ago we decided that
1t was incomprehensible. Come, TO NOR
row is Thanksgiving, ard we must bestir
ourselves to give it hesr,y reception"
The husband and wife well knew what
that meant.
Captain Jones proposed. to provide the
/ Thanksgiving dinner. James Finch with
| all his poverty was proud man.
can't take it, said he resolutely.
"If was in need Jones, I'd come TO YOU /;
but can get along very we'll without
that; and so, until I'm unable to provide
myself with one / won't have any,"
What the captain would have said must
1 forever remain a mystery, as. just at that
moment, the disputed dinner, in the shape
of Miss James donation, drove up to the
door
1t was in vain that Mr.. Finch protested
that the load was not for him. His name
md address on the card wee correct,
and the expressman refused to be convinc-
/ ed.
Then the captain was impaled as the
sender; but his establishment was so evil
IDENTIFY genuine, that the veriest skeptic
/ in the universe could not but have be-
lieved him innocent.
But that mystery Mrs. Sarah was a
utilitaTian. She did not waste her energies
in trying TO imagine where the things
came frOm-not she. She rolled up her
sleeves, put on big apron and went to
work
Oh, the marvellous time she made that
day, But, after all, it was little wonder,
for she impressed everybOdy-from the
big, goOd-natured captain to little six
year-old Jimmy-intO service.
Miss Jane made her appearance, bright
and early, ON Thanksgiving morning.
Mrs Sarah was alone in the kitchen when
she entered.
"HOw do you do, Sarah2" said she, not
very cordially it must be confessed, for al
though prepared to extend the right
hand of fellowship to James and the Int
tie ones, she could not, even now, look
upon her sister-in-law except as a traitor,
whom she would be obliged TO make the
Z best of.
'Oh. jane" and Mrs Sarah, with one
rush, left her cranberries to take care of
themselves. and gave her husbands sister
a heartier welcome than she deserved by
a good sight.
Miss Jane,didn't return her kiss, but she
suffered it; and though she did mutter
Judas under her breath. 1 think she
was a good deal more comfortable than
/ she would have been if her hostess had
been as cold and stiff as herself.
Draw right up TO the stove, and take
/ off your things" and the little woman
/ hustled about, in a whirl of delight
Z" Oh, won't James be glad Dear, dear !!
/ He ought to be here this minute. And
[ to think it's Thanksgiving Day, and we've
/ got so much to be thankful fort" And
then her thoughts went back to their un
known friend of the day before, and, like
flash the truth came to her. "Oh,
janet" she went on, with a gasp, II see
now, it was you sent us the things.
Oh, dear how can we ever thank your
Then she rushed back to the cranberries,
which showed signs of stewing over, and,
for the first time since her entrance, Miss
Jane had a chance TO put in word.
She had Just opened her mouth to say
something in explanation of her sudden
appearance, when the door opened, and
in walked Captain Abel.
Got ANYTHING for me to do, Sally?"
he asked, with a laugh; and then the
great whiskered man stopped short, per-
ceiving the stranger, who sat just in front
of the fire.
Miss Jane had been a beauty in her
youth, and even now was not at all ugly.
Her eyes were bright, her teeth were as
white as ever, and her dimples were not
things OF the past, by any manner of
means. But for a few wrinkles, and
hard look, which was the natural result
of her hard life, she would have been a
very handsome woman. She had not
changed so much as had the captain; but
| both were recognizable, and each, after
one glance, knew the other. Mrs. Sarah
looked up from her cranberries eagerly.
"Oh. Abel. here's Jane-Jane Finch"
Captain Abel came forward, and ex-
| tended his hand but it was an awkward
meeting They had not seen each other
since the breaking off of their engage
ment-over a score of years before-and
/ both of them were uncOmtortably con-
/ sci0us of the fact. But Captain Abel
drew a chair up to the stove, and tried
to talk as If he had forgotten all about
/ it: they discussed the weather. the crops,
and everything else they cared nothing
/ about, until MIS- Sarah, who was all in a
whirl with the surprise of Miss James Wis
it, and who could not keep still-try as
she would-broke into the conversation
with:
"Oh. Abel. do you remember the last
/ day we saw Jane, dear. What a mess l
I was in! was engaged to Jim, and no.
body knew il; and mother was bound you
and l should make a match of it. | never
/ shall forget Il e afternoon we decided to
tell her all about it. Goodness, how | cried
on your shoulder, too, Abe -and how
you tried to convince me that poor ma
I didn't care much about you. a I'D had just
a. lieve I'd take somebody else, if you
only explained it to her rsperly-and
/ you were right, tOOl'
And the little woman, quite overcome
| by these "reminiscences, opened the over
\ door, and commenced an energetic hast
/ ing of the turkey contained therein.
/ Poor Miss Jane was too much astOnisl
ed 10y this revelation to be prudent.
sAnd wasn't you in love with Sarah! p
she asked, breathlessly, of the captain.
why, was engaged to you
II know it, she said. "Bul thought
you"
Thought whatl' and the captain drew
his chair eagerly toward her. WAS that
the reason YOU acted so toward NET"
Ifsilence gives consent, Miss Jane con-