The Penn's Grove record., 1888-01-21
PLAIN MARY JANE.

their pretty names, which they always
wrote in full, even before q revolution
In taste had put Bessie, Nellie and
Madge out of fashion everywhere, ex-
cept as pet names to be used at home.
There were Clementina, Gladys, Mar
guerite and Lillian among The girls,
and Theodore, Reginald, Macmillan
and Francis Felix among the boys, and
then came No. g., quite uncalled for,
with Francis Felix out of kits, and
Clementina beginning to go into So
ciety. Mrs. Carteret had always had
the naming Of her brood, but MIR. Car
teret, holding the blanketed bundle Ill
his arms and surveying the wrlnkled,
rosy face, declared that it was his turn
at last.
81 shall call this daughter plain
Mary Jane, after her Grandmother
jenkins" he declared, 'tand, my dear,
IL ever we have another son, his name
shall be John, you make up your mind
to that"
They never did have another son,
however, and Mrs. Carteret was spared
the humiliation Of hearing a boy of
hers saluted as Jack on the street or
recorded az Johnny on the base ball
score of his comrades.
Mary Jane was a round, rosy-poly
child, sturdy and strong, and al differ.
emit from her brothers and sisters as If
she were no relation to any of them.
Her mother, lying languid on the sofa
with q nOvelin her hand, was distressed
at the air of rude health which distin-
guished her youngest, and wondered
why so great an affection should have
come to her, when Mary Jane declared
that She preferred making buildings to
p~racticing her scales, and would rather
mend the stockings than paint cups
and saucers for the decorative art
store. 1t had come to pass. by the
time Mary Jane was sixteen, that the
family circumstances were not what
they had been when Gladys aud Mar
guerite were growing up. How it had
plain, but year by year his law business
had lessened and his income dwlndled.
With expensive tastes, which none Of
the family felt like denying, with little
outside the Office to depend upon. ex-
cept some unproductIve land in New
Jersey, which had never paid enough
to defray the taxes, Mr.. Carteret's
household was often in straits, which
would have astonished the neighbors
had they dreamed Of their possibility.
The boys were nice fellows, well bred
and agreeable, but without q particle
Of push; the girls were elegant and
accomplished, judged by a finishing
school standard: yet Clementina's
piano. Lilian's embroidery, Gladys
water-colors and Marguerite's French
and German were each and all sources
OF expense, and not one, had either
young lady chosen to use her skill,
would have brought in enough to pay
for decent gowns and gloves. Lillian
only patiently tried the decorative art,
once in a while selling a cushion or a
card-case, on which occasion h~ot-house
flowers in pr0fnsion always adorned the
mothers table and the family had ice
cream for dessert. - 2
Meanwhile Mrs. Carteret grew more
and mol fretful. languid and depressed,
and Mr. Carterets face took on a hunted
anxious look, which If it troubled no.
body else distressed the heart Of his
daughter Mary Jane.
"Papa's little GIRL" she had called
herself as soon as she could speak
plainly, and s'papa's little girl,n she
remained when her brown hair was
brushed smoothly back from a com.
pact, sensible forehead and her gray
eyes looked straight out on the world
with the courage Of a young woman
who meant to make her way, asking no
nddo an aOnNrnf ae xrnt,th Nr cnD
"Who is that h~appy-faced girl who
so often walks down the street with
old Carteretp" said a merchant one
day, standing in his door and watching
the progress Of the two toward MI.
Cartsret's Office.
s'That," said the person addressed,
sis his daughter-plain Mary Jane
they call her, 1 believe. She has taken
the place OF office boy for the old gem
tleman just at present, and it's no
doubt a great relief, for even that
expense is a burden when a mans
funds are as low as Carteret's chroni-
cally ara"
"Whewl" said the merchant, with a
long whistle. ~ didn't know that
Oarteret had a daughter who knew
enough to iplay the part Of office
boy"
Had curiosity led the critic to follow
the pair he would have seen Mary
Jane-her stiff dress covered with u
brown linen wrap, her hair enveloped
in a cap, long loose gloves protecting
her hands and arms-sweeping. dust
ing, setting things to rights, singing a
merry tune the while; then later, copy.
ing legal documents and looking up
references for her father, serving him,
indeed, with o guickness, intelligence
and interest unknown TO the tribe of
office boys.
81 hope no n among our friends
will over find out that papa allows
Mary Jane to go so Familiarity to the
office" sighed Gladys deprscatingly, as
she dipped her brush daintlly into the
lemon.yellow with which she was
touching a withered leaf.
tsIt's not good fOimlb said Reginald.