Connecticut western news., 1892-03-10
TALL JANE
"You don't mean that's Jane's skirt, Mrs. Ward:"

"You don't mean that's Jane's skirt, Mrs. Ward:"
 "Yes, I do."
 "Why, it's larger than yourn."
 ''I know it. She's taller than l be. She's grown all out of everything lately. I've let down tucks an hems, an pieced at the top, an now her pink gingham Is most up to her knees. I had to buy her this new so she'd look decent to go to school. Jane, come here 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. "I want Mrs. Mason to see how much taller you be-"
 Jane's pretty young face flushed pink. She stood beside her mother, and the tears started in her eyes, although she tried to smile.
 don't stop pretty soon, Jane," laughed Mrs. Mason, who was visiting the Wards. "I never see such a sight. An she ain't over fourteen?"
 "She ain't fifteen till next month" re- piled Mrs. Ward. An if she don't git her growth till she's eighteen l don't know where she'll be. Her father tells her he's goin to hire her out by an by for a tel egraph pole."
 Jane laughed feebly when her mother and Mrs. Ward dld. Then she stole back to the doorstep, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. It 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 tugged at her pink dress skirt as she went out of the yard; she even stopped little to make it look longer. Nobody knew how sore Jane's heart was over her height. She 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 Etta and Maria Starr lived there, and she saw the futter of their blue dresses at the gate. They were waiting for her.
 ..Hullop" said Mary Etta as Jane drew near.
 "Hullor' responded Jane, trying to make her voice cheerful. Maria was eating a crabapple and did not say "hullo!" but presently both she | and her sister stared wonderingly at Jane.
 "What's the matter?' asked Mary Etta | finally.
 ''Nothin's the matter" "Yes there is too. You've been cryin." | Jane said nothing.
 | "She's mad" said Maria.
 Mary Etta fingered. What's the matter?' she asked again, quite lovingly. | "Nothin's the matter. l wish you'd let me alone," cried Jane, with a burst of tears That was enough. Mary Etta 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. It did seem to Jane that the committee ought to have chosen a 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 the teacher, especially since her hair was done up.
 When the bell had rung, Jane sat al her desk, her pink shoulders and he1 pretty, pink face above all the others She looked like tall, pink hollybock in bed of daisies. This was trying mo ment for her. The committee came tc visit the school, and strange gentle man and his wife came with them.
 Jane distinctly saw this strange lady turn her white pluned head toward her then whisper to her husband. Then sh' sSw him look at her and ask one of th Committeeman who that tall girl was She could tell what he said by the mo ton of his lips. Then he told his wife and little smile stole over her seren face between its soft curls of black hair
 Jane thought she was laughing at her 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 wis | ftora were still there Jane filed ont wit the rest. She thought she had her lesso , perfectly, but she missed in boundin V Uruguay. and had to go down. A littl bit of girl in long sleeved apron wen
 above her. She had conviction that tn
 visitors were saying, "Whati that great = tall, grown up girl with her hair don
 up, missingp
 However. the change brought her nez
 to Robert Carnes; he shuffled his bar { toes uneasily on the line, as he bounde ! l Venezuela in 8 high, sweet voice; the
 he cast a quick, shamefaced, but who'll
 sympathetic glance at Jane, which sh felt rather than saw, but it comforte !. her. She and Robert were near neigl
 bors. and when they were children ha
 played together & great deal.
 But the worst came when one of tt S committeeman addressed the school, ar
 in the course of his remarks said al
 tinctly that intellect was not to be mea
 ured by size, and he often noticed tn the smallest scholars had their lessol
 much better than those who were tallt es and older. Jane felt that he referred
 her and little Hattie Baker and u \