Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1888-08-24
" H0LLO!"
ny Mrs. nEnNARp wnlrMAv

MISS Jane Graham was not very at
tractlyc looking woman, nor was she
considered n very amia6le one. She
lived quite alone by herself in q tiny
cottaiSe on the outskirts of the town
one mad lived there some ten years, not
caring to make acquaintance. She went
regularly to church in pleasant weather.
ana once year the good old minister
called upon her. lie always spoke of
her rs Miss Graham" The few neigh.
bors called her "Miss Jane" in n distant
sort OF manner, but The saucy bows and
girls in the neighborhood used TO cali
her 'Old Miss Jane"
Now Miss Jane was by no means old
10 be sure, her hair was beginning TO
show little gray, but then Miss lane
had had the blacklist of black hhir in her
glrlhood, and TINT often turns before the
age oil thirty. Some front teeth. too
were missing whether from lack of
care or from an accident no one knew
or cared to ask. Her face expressed irri-
liability. She looked rs If things went
wrong, and l rather think her apncor.
ance expressed the truth.
lsut with all her sour looks, Miss jane
mad two soft spots in her heart. The
nrst spot was the bigger, and was filed
by Dolly, the COW. Dolly was, on the
whole, rather less attractive than her
mistress
ller expression was not kindly, and
shc mad broken horn; but Dolly's
looks belied her. She was really very
amiable COW, in spite of one eye being in
black setting, and the other in white
but no one but Miss Jane knew her
gentleness, for no one but Miss Jane
ever went near her. Miss Jane MIXED
her and cared for her; put her in the
pasture III the morning, and took her
out at night, and led her into the little
shed, where she was MIXED and fed
with care. If anybody had listened. he
could have heard Miss Jane rcpeatino
softly to her sometimes q couplct from
Mother Goose which she remembered
from her childhood:
"C''shie..cow, bonnie colpe let down your
milk, 'O''
And will give you a gown OF silk"
And "cushie COW bonnie" would let
down the most surprising quantity of
milk for Miss Jane, and turn her
head and look at her out of those prcat
eyes in most loving manner.
%'A.oo ohuC ull luNe very SOtt
spot in her heart for Dolly, but nobody
knew it but Dolly, and Miss Jane hardly
knew it herself.
The other soft plucel No one guessed
that either. 1t was really n very funny
thing. And this time neither Miss Jane
nor the object of her affections knew il.
THIS time it was boyl
lie was a sturdy, freckled- faced little
fellow, perhaps eleven years old. In
warm weather he went barefoot. which
Miss Jane hated, for she said it was 80
most dirty way of doing things.n Tn
colder weather he was fully dressed. He
had no mittens, to be sure; no earlaps
no muller; but warm jacket, rathe,
faded, weIl-patched pair of trousers
and stockings that now were darned
and now had big hole in tile knee.
1t was some time before Miss Jane saw
all this; but she did see it rs time crent
on. AT first she saw only the sturdy
little bare feet go by her cottage ever
day. AT last, to her surprise, one morn.
ing, a rough. boyish voice called out
"IIollow
1t was no quiet, polished, or concilia
tory voice. 1t was loud call in ,
merry, careless, happy-go- lucky voice
Miss Jane was astonished. She looked
at the boy sharply. He didn't seem r.
mind, but trudged on.
Il