The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-07-15
For tse Young Folks.
HOW JANE HARDING MADE rHANKservIl

hafdlng.
Laughing" replied Aunt Hannah,
curtly, and she always is laughing now
adays. What does make that girl laugh
SO much, Sister Harding?"
IT hadn't noticed it, !" said Mrs. Hard
ing, looking up from the apple-pie crust
she was carefully crimping; sin fact,
have been so busy lately I haven't had
time to notice But I'm glad il she is any
happier. A week or two ago she seemed
very sad, and I found her number of
times just at nightfall standing under
the willows by the water-drain. crying.
Just then Samantha Heath, the hired
girl gave queer little cry, half way
between cough and sneeze, and as
Mrs. Harding turned around, she caught
her maid -of-all work with an Hnmistak-
able grin on her broad, plain face.
.Well, Samantha she questioned
rather sharply. didn't remark to you
at the time about James low spirits?"
s'Yes'm," replied Samantha, with the
corners of her mouth drawing up and
the corners of her eyes drawing down. as
she kept on industriously chopping her
mince pie meat.
well, then?' interrupted Mrs. Hard
ing.
''Oh, nothing, said Samantha, "only
Jane is mcstly merry or sad, as the old
song goes, according to the mood of
the girl in the story she is read
ing. 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 natu-
raj, I suppose"
Mrs. Harding looked at Samantha with
ominous little red spots showing them
selves on her yet fair face. 'sDo you
mean to tell me that my only daughter
is so simple as to -
Nothing simple about it, I'm sure, !"
interrupted the hired girl s'It's the fact.
Jane tells ne about it every day when /
go up to the chamber-work, and the girl
must have something to occupy her
mind, and she don't have any work to
do"
'sThat's just it" said Aunt Hannah in.
terruptlng in her turn. ''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 pairing
these apples, or crimping those pies, as
anybody else"
Jane never has been well, you know,
Aunt Hannah" said Mrs. Harding, apol-
ogetically.
'sShe has always been made TO think
she was not" replied Aunt Hannah.
"What Jane needs now is exercise If
she was romp could stand it; but for
a great, tall, healthy and hearty girl like
her to sit in her chamber, and rock and
read novels
kas ftn af
Savoy, always sat in her chamber, said
girls do. They always go to their own
room, you know, in stories. .
'.They'd go to the kitchen, and help
their mothers, were they my girls, NUT
tered Aunt Hannah.
ST am sure Janey is not in her room
now, f" said Mrs. Harding, triumphantly.
'.You just said, as she was passing the
window, that she was laughing"
ssNo, of course, she was not in her
room, them" replied Samantha. 's1he
brary- goes out and takes a quiet walk
with Rhappy smile on her lips.
Goud Mrs. Harding was really angry
now. The red spots on her cheeks deep
ened to carmine, as Jane came slowly
anu SGuulGtlIy up buc Wdlht Will UUOh
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. please" went on Aunt Hannah, as the
young girl entered the large neat kitchen.
Jane unwillingly handed it over, with
broad smile.
"Humphr' groaned Aunt Hannah.
"Where are you going, dear?"
'sTo my room,' replied Jane, with a
smile broader and sicklier than the first
one, when you are through with my
book, and she leaned her shoulder lam
guid]y against the door, clasped her
| slim white hands in front of her, and
| looked through the window away to the
| her white even teeth still resting In a
conscious way upon her face.
Aunt Hannah and Samantha ex-
changed gIances and smiles. Mrs.
Harding saw it, and with premptory
tone, unwonted for her, she said
.sJane, go upstairs, braid up your hair,
| take off that ridiculous bow from the top
of your head, put on your every day
boots and an apron, and then come
| down here and wash up the baking
| dishes"
| Jane slowly turned around, gave hel
| fond mother a most withering look
which was copied, as nearly as possible
| from q character in the story she had
read few days before, and then re
turned
"Wash the baking -dishesl Me? Why
can't Samantha do it? / never washed
baking dishes in my life!'
'sTime you had" said Aunt Hannah,
.yho had now tucked the silly book IN
der her apron and gone on with hei
apple-paring.
Jane event to her room." but forgot
to come down, and Samantha washed the
baking dishes.
sJust as told you," said the hired
girl to Aunt Hannah. "She won't dc
ANYTHING but read and read foolish books
from the circulating library at the drug
store and then act out the characters
they tell about"
| It was Thanksgiving time. Guests
had been invited, and there was every
| thing to do. There had always beer
lust such times at the farmhouse eyel
since Jane could remember; but sht
| never helped. She was the only daugh
ter. and been brought up in the useless
way that many only daughters art
brought up in, in the homes of country
farmers. even where mistaken mother
say. "My girls shall have the easy timel
that have missed in my life"
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