The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-08-29
JENNY OF SWANS.

A True Story.
Mr.. Holden's house at Seal Harbol
does not look much like an ordinary
New England poor-house, although tC
that use the selectmen of Trimountair
devote it. Usually the few psupers are
old and feeble people. but the day Mrs
Jordan and her husband walked up the
narrow path which led from the landing
where they had left their boat beside:
the old people there were several chill
dren who, in country speech, were ''tc
be bound out"
Boys and girls between the ages o.
nine and twelve were hanging about the
doors, aud looking eagerly or stolidly
according to their dispositions, at the
Jordans and number of other couple.
who arrived about the same time. On,
little girl attracted Mrs. Jordan notice
She was neither as pretty nor as bright
looking as some of the others, and Mr.
Jordan did not see anything to fancy
about her.
But Mrs. Jordan said she had good
steady eye, a sweet voice, and to he
heart, most irresistible attraction of all
looked i'll, and was even little de
formed, through a curvature of tn,
spine. So if Charles, as she called he
husband, wanted to take any little girl
it must be that one.
"But mother" expostulated the puz
zled Charles, "a she is not strong, sh,
can not help you any, and instead o
booking after things when Willy and
are of fishing, will only make one more
for You to run afterl Why not tax,
that great red-cheeked girl who looks 81
good-natured and energetic p''
Still, as Mrs. Holden put it, ..Mrs
: Jordan would not be said by her hus
band" and soon brought him AROUND
to her way of thinking. The girl,
name was Janet Graham, and she wa
an orphan, her father having been los
at sea, and her mother dying of con
sumption not long after. The poor
house had been her home for severa
years, and all the Holdens liked he
first best" their oldest boy declared
Questioned by the still doubtful Mr.
Jordan why they liked her and >wha
she could do in particular, he was un
able to specify, beyond tending babie:
and rowing-a boat, at both of which ac
complishments he declared "she was
beatum." The conversation was in
terrupted by Mrs. Jordan, who, holding
Jenny by the hand, informed he
husband that the wind was al
going down. and if he did not hurr,
and cast off, he would have to row then
the whole way home. As home wa
twelve miles distant, on Swans Island
we do not wonder he stopped no longe
to inquire about Jenny's good qualities
He owned the whole island, and mos
capital sheep pasturage he had there, a
well as farm and several fish-houses
and here had lived with his wife an,
nephew, Willy, for many years. Their
was no other dwelling-ho upol
Swans, and although besides Willy an,
himself there were generally other mel
whom he employed in the family, n
woman ever came to bear Mrs. Jordan
company for any length of time. As sh
was English she had no kith or kin thi
side the sea, and although cheerful
even merry, yet frequently longed for
little girl to go about with her as Will
did with Charles, her husband, and nov
she had her.
In spite of Mrs. Jorian's predictions
the wind did not go down and in goo,
time they landed safely at Swan Island
Willy was at the rough pier to receiv
them, and to tell Jenny how glad h
she had started up the hill toward tn
house, he looked questionably to hi
uncle.
mo-" returned Mr.. Jordan, "sh
amt no beauty, and she won't never Sc
no rivers on fire; but she does loo
stiddy, and your aunt was set on her.
Swans Island would perhaps hav
seemed lonesome to most children, bu
Jenny never found il so. As she crosse
the threshold of the kitchen door, sh
felt herself at home, and with loving in
terest and earnestness threw herself int
the life around her.
They gave her a room of her own, ur
der the caves of the low, unpainted, one
story house. and she begged Mrs. Jol
dan to teach her how to keep it daint
and nice, like all the rest of the quain
little home She had learned to rea
and write at Seal Harbor, and as Will
always went off the islacd winters (
attend school, he taught her from tn
day she came.
Mrs. Jordan knew all about sewin
and cooking, and having been lady
maid in the old country, was acquainte
with many little devices for improvin
Jenny's rough skin, and beautifying he
lusterless hair. She was good Christ
ian woman besides, and every Sunda
the family gathered, and one or anoth
er read the prayers and lessons he
church ordered for the day. Mr.. Jol
dan soon found his heart going out loy
ingly to the child, and, taking her wit
him frequently to the seaside of tn
island where the gray gulls built thei
nests and reared their young, was SUI
prised at her intelligence and touche
by her affection for his wife. The sin
| pie, regular life, good and wise cart
improved her health so much that in th
course of three or four years the strar
gers who came in summer to visit tn
lonely island with its savage cliffs, II
countless sea birds, and its one happ
family, never thought of her as bein
deformed, and even old friends, wh
knew her when she first lived with Mr..
Jordan, could hardly believe their eve
when they looked at the erect, rec
| checked maiden who walked like
young Diana round the rocky shore, c
! jumped from bowlder to bowlder
search of fare eggs, or still rarer fern
and ichens.
Business was always good with NJ
Jordan. He and Willy put by none
every summer and in winter the latte
left them for four or five months TO 2
to school, and when he returned bring
ing new books, papers, and all sorts {
bright gossip, they would not have e,
changed their island for Windsor Castl,
But even the beautiful island. and tn
life more ideal than any other 1 hav
ever known. could not entirely escap
care and SORROW.
Last winter Mr.. Jordan was sick wit
1 soiatica and for MANY uraol-c tnal,la 4