The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-07-27
HOW JANE HARDING MADE THANKSGIVING


HOW JANE HARDING MADE THANKSGIVING.
"What is Jane doing?" asked Mrs.
Harding.
Laughing" replied Aunt Hannah,
CURLY, land she always is laughing now
adays. What does make that girl laugh
so much, Sister Harding?"
ST 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 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 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 a cough and sneeze, and as
Mrs. Harding turned around, she caught
her maid of-all work With an unmistak-
able grin on her broad, plain face.
"Well, Samantha?" she questioned
rather sharply. didn't rema. to you
at the time about James low spirits?"
"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, them" interrupted Mrs. Hard
ing.
"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 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. do 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. ''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"
That'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.
''She has always been made to think
she was not" replied Aunt Hannah.
what Jane needs now is exercise II
she was q 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
Savoy, always sat in her chamber" said
Samantha and most all the story-book
girls do. They always go TO their own
room, you know, in Stories"
They'd go to the kitchen, and helr
their mothers, we're they my girls, NUT
tered Aunt Hannah.
Il am sure Janey is not in her room
now" said Mrs. Harding, triumphantly
You Just said, as she was passing the
window, that she was laughing"
mo, of course, she was not in hel
room. then" replied Samantha. The
girl in the last book she got from the Ii
brary goes out and takes a quiet wall
will Ihappy smile on her lips"
Good Mrs. Harding was really angry
now. The red spots on her cheeks deep
ened to carmine, IS jane came slowi,
and studiediy up the walk, with Q bool
in her hand, and Aunt Hannah said
look at that girls stilted, Immature
walk At her age, she ought to com.
with skip and jump rs unconscious
Of her feet as bird il of its wings. VIVA
book have you there, Jane? Let me 20
it, please, went on Aunt Hannah, - tb
young girl entered the large nest kitchen
Jane un.illinsly hasdsd u over. VIZ
. brond smile.
s'Hunphr' erosasd Atnl uannAh
"Wksse - you going. asaxr
ITO ny roeD," ruPlied Jnao, with
smiIo broadog M d6kIfen ~ - -
ens. "v1sa - - enspuuA ~ Z