Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-11-23
Jane Harding's Thanksgiving.

STORY FOR GIRLS.
"What is Jane doing2" asked Mrs.
Harding.
Laughing" replied Aunt Hannah,
CURLY, Sand she always is laughing, now-a-
days. What does make that girl laugh SO
much, Sister Hsrding2"
81 hadn't noticed it," said Mrs. Harding,
looking up from the apple-pie crust she was
carefully crimpng; in fact have been so
busy lately, haven't had time to notice.
But I'm glad if she is any happier. A week
or two ago she seemed very sad, and found
her a number Of times just at nightfall
standing out under the willows by the
water-drain, crying"
just then Samantha Heath, the hired girl
gave queer little cry, halfway between a
cough and sneeze, and as Mrs. Harding
turned around, she caught her maid -of-sll-
work with an unmistakable grin on her
broad, plain face.
"Well, Samantha" she questioned,
rather sharply, didn't remark to you at
the time about James low spirits 2"
"Yes'm," replied Samantha, with the
corners of her mouth drawing up aud the
corners of her eyes drawing down, as she
kept on industriously chopping her mince
pie meat.
"Well, then ?" interrupted Mrs. Harding.
"Oh, nothing" said Samantha, "only
Jane is mostly merry or sad, as the old
song goes, according to the mood of the girl
in the story she is reading. The one now
is girl with very red lips and white teeth.
1t seems to suit Jane, for her lips are
amazing red, and her teeth are as white as
dogs teeth. OF course she overdoes it, but
that is natural, 1 suppose"
Mrs. Harding looked at Samantha with
ominous little red spots showing themselves
on her yet fair face. ado you mean to
tell me that my only daughter is so simple
as to-
"Nothing simple about it, I'm sure" in
terrupted the hired girl. ats the fact
Jane tells me about it every day when 1 go
up to the chamber work, and the girl must
have something to occupy her mind, and she
doesn't have any work to do"
"That's just it," said Aunt Hannah, in
terrupting in her turn, "just the secret.
She don't have anything to do, and girls
ought to be busy. Now she might Just as
well be chopping that mince-meat or par
ing these apples, or crimping those pies, as
anybody else"
"Jane never has been very we'll, you
know, Aunt Hannah" said Mrs. Harding
apologetically.
"She has always been made to think she
wasn't" replied Aunt Hannah. "What
Jane needs now is exercise. If she was
romp, could stand it; but for great, tall,
healthy and hearty girl like her to sit in her
chamber, and rock and read novels -
"Susette in the Sweet Swans of Sa-
voy,' always sat in her chamber" said Sa-
mantha, "and most all of the story.book
girls do. They always go to their own
ROOM, you know, in stories."
"Theyd go to the kitchen and help their |
mothers, were they my girls" muttered
Aunt Hannah.
now" said Mrs. Harding, triumphantly.
" You just said, as she passed the window,
that she was laughing"
"No, of course, she was not in her room
then" replied Samantha "The girl in the
last book she got from the library goes out
and takes quiet walk with happy smile
on her lips"
Good Mrs. Harding was really angry now.
The red spots on her cheeks deepened to
carmine, as Jane came slowly and studiedly
up the walk with book in her hand, and
Aunt Hannah said,-
Look at that girls stilted, unnatural
walk At her age she ought to come with
skip and jump, as unconscious of her
feet as bird is of its wings. What book
have you there Jane? Let me see it,
young girl entered the large, neat kitchen.
Jane unwillingly handed it over, with a
broad smile.
"Humphl" half groaned Aunt Hannah,
where are you going, dear ?"
10 my room," replied Jane, with smile
broader and sicklier than the first one,
"when you are through with my book" and
she leaned her shoulder languidly against
the door, clasped her slim hands in front of
her, and looked through the window away
to the russell hills, with smile that showed
her white, even teeth still resting in a con-
scious way upon her face.
Aunt Hannah and Samantha exchanged
glances and smiles Mrs. Harding saw it,
and with peremptory tone, unwonted for
her, she said -
"Jane, go up stairs, braid up your hair,
take off that ridiculous bow from the top of
your head, put on your everyday boots and
an apron, and then come down here and
wash up the baking-dishes."
Jane slowly turned around, gave her fond
mother most whitening look, which was
copied as nearly as possible from character
in the story she had read few days before,
and returned,-
"Wash the distinguishes Me2 Why
can't Samantha do it | never washed
baking-dishes in my life"
"Time you had" said Aunt Hannah,
who had now tucked the silly book under
her apron and gone on with her apple
pairing.
Jane "went to her ROOM" but forgot to
come down, and Samantha washed the bak-
ing-dishes.
"Just as told you," said the hired girl
to Aunt Hannah. "She won't do ANYTHING
but read and read those foolish books from
the circulating library at the drugstore,
and then act out the characters they tell
about"
1t was Thanksgiving time. Guests had
been invited, and there was everything to
do. There had always been Just such times
at the farmhouse ever since Jane could re-
member but she had never helped. She
was the only daughter, and had been brought
up in the useless way that many only daugh-
ters are brought up in, in the homes of
country farmers even, where mistaken
mothers say, my girls shall have the easy
times that have missed in my life."
The next morning Aunt Hannah said to
Samantha, privately, "Don't you want to
go home TO Thanksgiving my good girl 2"
yes, ma,am, the very worst way"
quickly replied the faithful maid-of-all-work
"My brothers folks have written for me,
and there's to be big family gathering
but can't go; can't be spared here"
"You shall go, and what's more, you shall
stay two weeks" said Aunt Hannah reso-
lutely, and your wages shall go on all the
same. Say to Mrs. Harding tonight that
you must Co. Jane shall do your work"
ooh, she can't" replied Samantha
She can, and she shall" said Aunt Han.
nah. 81 will put my shoulder to the wheel.
Don't you worry, now; just give out that
you must go to Thanksgiving this year"
So, just after the mail came in that fore
noon, Samantha said to her mistress, 81
want to 90 home to Thanksgiving, the worst
way. They've invited me real hard"
You ought to CO." put in Aunt Hannah
You shall go tomorrow, and be gone
fortnight l will pay your railroad fare
But what shall we do ?" said Mrs. Hard.
ing, looking really appalled,. at is impos-
sibe to hire help at this season /; and there's
no time to look for any, either
"Pm here, dear sister," said Aunt Ham
nah--as If that covered all grounds of OBJ.
iection-"snd Jane shall help. will hire
her as my assistant, and pay her three dol
lars per week-and the work will do her
good"