Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-07-25
JANE.

Her name was Jane. Though his
tory has thrown halo around the name,
and the lyric muse has cmbalmed it in
that sweetest of songs, "My Pretty
Jane" we are apt to think of the girl
called Jane as plain homebody, useful
out not ornamental. Her sisters, the
Eleanors, Maudes and Rosamonds, gen
orally look to her to keep the house in
order, and see to it that their comfort is
not disturbed, and she is equal to the
responsibility. She does her duty, and
more than her duty, if one can do that,
without complaint, indeed, cheer
fully. But complaisant though she be,
Jane usually has will of her own, and,
when circumstances require her to do so,
makes it known.
Such girl was Jane Lewis. She had
put the house in order-that is, she had
done all those little things which the best
of servants will slight, and which go so
far In making up the sum of those home
comforts dear to the Anglo-Saxon heart
and was seated in her own tidy cham
Der, sewing While she was thus en-
gagged her two sisters came in. They
had been making round of calls and
were very elegantly dressed-Jane, in
her plain calico, looking almost like a
servant by contrast.
care YOU making those things for
your trousseau2" asked Edith, the eld-
est, eyeing contemptuously several gar
ments lying on the table at her sisters
elbow.
eyes," said Jane, with gentle. sweet
ness. "Are they not nice2"
"Oh, they are nicely made, dare
say, p" said Edith-'you always sew nice
ly-but if 1 were going to be married,
wouldn't put stitch in for myself, and
l wouldn't have garment that wasn't {
Z trimmed with the finest lace"
81 too, Ethel" said Julia, who was
the youngest of the three sisters. "When
am married shall have my trousseau
from Paris"
"But where would be the use of my
having anything so fine9" said Jane, ''as
/ know would have to come back to
plain clothes when the wedding things
are worn out A costly wardrobe would
not suit the circumstances in which
shall find myself when am married, and
don't like incongruities.
"Wcll, suppose you are right" said
Edith; 'but will never marry man
who cannot support me in the.style to
which / have been accustomed"
''Perhaps you will not have the
choice" said Jane, looking lovingly ur
ipfD bo, ho,r<;f,,I c;,@a-,, Co.
"What do you mean?" asked the other
sharply. "You are not in the habit Of
saying ill-natured things, Jane, and il
your determination to marry a.poor mar
-and-and one far beneath yori-in-ir
spite of the objections of your family
"Don't say any more, dear, said Jane
quietly. ~ didn't intend to be ill-na
tured at all. l only meant that you
heart will have something to say wher
the time comes, and you do not know
what that something will be. Whel
yours speaks, Edith, as it will in time,
fancy it will astonish yourself more thar
any one else.
81 heard somebody tell Edith she ha
no heart" said Julia, laughing.
III should consider it an unpardonabl
offense were any one to tell me that,
said Jane.
ooh, it was only some nonsense, sale
Edith, her face turning red.
Jane Lewis was going to be married t.
young man of whom her family disap
proved-that is, her mother and sister
and she had been given to understan
that her father was of their way of think
ing. Not that John Ward was I'm
worthy-hc was truly worthy of an
woman's love and of any mans respect
but he was--at least they considere
him so-their social inferior.
He was an architect and building cor
tractor; but his father had been a brick
mason, and he himself had served his az
premiership to the trade, stepping up t
the higher rung of the ladder natural
and with confidence engendered by hi
ervice at the bottom.