The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-02-09
TALL JANE.
"You don't mean that's James skirt,
Mrs. Ward:"

"Why, it's larger than yourn.'
Il know it. She's taller than l be.
She's grown all out of everything lately.
I've let down tucks an hens, an pieced
at the top, an now her pink bingham is
most up to her knees. had to buy her
this new so she'd look decent to go to
school. Jane, come here a minute"
Then Jane came in hesitatingly. Her
small head, with its mat of fair braids,
| dropped forlornly, her slender shoulders
were bent. She pulled down her pink
skirt nervously, trying to make it longer
''Stand up here side of me-" ordered
her mother. Il want Mrs. Mason to see
how much taller you be-"
James pretty young face flushed pink.
| She stood beside her mother, and the
tears started in her eyes, although she
tried to smile.
You can't get through the door if you
don't stop pretty soon, Jane" laughed
Mrs. Mason, who was visiting the Wards.
81 never see such sight. An she amt
over fourteen?"
| ''She amt fifteen till next month";" re-
| piled Mrs. Ward. An if she don't git her
| growth till she's eighteen 1 don't know
| where she'll be. Her father tells her he's
| goin to hire her out by an by for tel
egraph pole"
Jane laughed feebly when her mother
and Mrs. Ward did. Then she stole back
to the doorstep, and the tears rolled down
her cheeks. 1t was nearly time for her
to start to school. Presently her mother
came with her dinner pail. "Here's
| your dinner" said she. you'd better
start before long, so as not to hurry. It's
pretty warm morn'n."
"Yes'm," said Jane. She kept her
face turned away from her mother so
her tear stained eyes should not be no.
| ticed.
"You shall have your new dress to wear
tomorrow" said her mother as she final
ly started with her school books under
her arm and the dinner pail swinging.
"YOu shan't wear that short thing
again"
Jane tuggedat her pink dress skirt as
she went outsof the yard; she even
stopped little to make it look longer.
Nobody knew how sore James heart was
over her height.ssShe had mile to walk
to school, and she never thought of any
thing else all the way.
Presently she came to large white
house, with crabapple tree in the front
yard Mary Eta and Maria Starr lived
there, and she saw the futter of their
blue dresses at the gate. They were
waiting for her.
"Hullor" said Mary Eta as Jane drew
near
"Hullow responded Jane, trying to
make her voice cheerful.
Maria was eating crabapple and did
not say ''hullo!' but presently both she
and her sister stared wonderingly at
Jane.
"Whats the natter" asked Mary Eta
finally.
'Nothin's the matter"
eyes there is too. You've been cryin.
Jane said nothing.
"She's mad" said Maria.
Mary Eta fingered. whats the
natter" she asked again, quite lovingly.
''Nothins the matter. I wish you'd
let me alone" cried Jane, with a burst
of tears. That was enough. Mary Eta
and Maria hurried up the road, with curt
switches Of their blue starched skirts
and Jane plodded miserably on behind.
Poor Jane was the tallest girl in school
and not only that, but the tallest scholar
, not one Of the boys was as tall as she
and not only that, but she was taller
than the teacher. 1t did seem to Jane
@ that the committee ought to have chosen
t teacher who was taller, just out of re
: gard to the becoming and suitable ap
: pearance of the school. A stranger
= might almost have taken her for thu
teacher, especially since her hair wa
done up.
When the bell had rung, Jane sat a
her desk, her pink shoulders and he
pretty, pink face above all the others
She looked like tall, pink hollyhock IL
q bed Of daisies. This was trying mo
ment for her. The committee came t.
visit the school, and a strange gentle
man and his wife came with them.
Jane distinctly saw this strange lad
turn her white plumed head toward her
then whisper to her husband. Then sh
saw him look at her and ask one of tn
2 committeeman who that tall girl was
She could tell what he said by the Inc
ton of his lips Then he told his wife
and a little smile stole over her seren
face between its soft curls Of black hail
7 Jane thought she was laughing at hel
She did not dream that the lady had no
ticed her because her face was so pretty
and not because she was so tall.
The geography class came and the vi:
0 itors were still there. Jane filed out wit
n the rest. She thought she had her lesso
perfectly, but she missed in boundin
Uruguay, and had to go down. a littl
% bit of girl in long sleeved apron wer
% above her. She had conviction that til
u visitors were saying, "What! that grea'
tall, grown up girl with her hair don
up, missing"
- However, the change brought her nez
to Robert Carnes; he shuf1ed his bal
toes uneasily on the line, as he bounde
Venezuela in high, sweet voice; the
L he cast a quick, shamefaced, hut who'll
sympathetic glance at Jane, which 81
felt rather than saw, but 1t colnforte
her. She and Robert were near neig
bors, and when they were children hi
played together a great deal.
But the worst came when one of tt
~ committeeman addressed the school, al
in the course Of his remarks said d
tinctly that intellect was not to be mes
ured by size, and he often noticed tn
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