The Dickinson press., 1895-04-27
THE J1LTING OF JANE

THE JILTING OF JANE
Az I sit writing in my study, 1 can
hear our Jane humping her way down
stairs with q brush and dustpan.
She used In the Ol0 days to sling hymns
tunes, or the British national song for
the time being, to these instruments,
but lattrly she has been silent and
even careful over her work. Time was
when l prayed with fervor for such
silence, and my wife with signs for
such care, but now they have come
we are not So glad as we might have
anticipated we should he. Indeed, l
would rejoice secretly, though it may
he uEE.anly weakness to admit 1t,
even to hear Jane sing Daisy or by
the fracture of any plate, but ono OF
Marinaa's best green ones, to learn
that the period of brOoding has come
to an end.
Yet how we longed to hear the last
OF James young II an before we heard
the last of him! Jane was always very
free with her conversation to my wife,
and d%iScoursed admirably in the kitch.
Ell on a variety Of topics-EO we'll,
indeed, that l sometimes left my study
door Open-Our house is a small one
to partake Of 1t. But after William
came 1t was always William, nothing
but William; William this and William
that; and when we thought William
was worked out and exhausted alto.
gether, then William all over again.
Tho nNpU vny.,nrf loctn1 n1fnrnthA~ u
years; yet how she got introduced to
with him, was always a secret. For
corner where the Rev. BarIabas BauX
evensOng OH Sundays. Young CupidS
the paraftin flare OF that center of
High church hymn-singing, l fancy
She stood singing hymns, there, out
stead Of coming home to get supper,
said, "HellO!' Hello, yourself" she
said. and etiquette being satisfied they
together.
AS Mariana has a reprehensible
way of letting her servants talk to her
PAoSSSuSsl w Nttlh lOSClAACA ~
soon heard of him. Hes such a
respectable young man, ma'am," said
Jane, you don't know" Ignoring the
slur cast on her acquaintance, my wife
inquired further about this William.
"He is second porter at Maynard's,
the draper's," said Jane, land gets Is
shillings-nearIy a pound-a week,
MN. and when the head porter leaves
no NvflI h0 1n01 ,,oNsknr His ro1pfiVynS
are quite superior people, MN. Not
q green grOsher, MN, and had q
And II of his sisters is in a Home for
the Dying. 1t will be a very good
match for inc, ma'am," said Jane,
ME being an orphan girl"
"Tllen you are engaged to him?'
asked my wife.
"NOt engaged, ma'am, but he is
saving money to buy a ring-hammy-
fist"
"Well. Jane, when you are properly
engaged to him you may ask him
round here on Sunday afternoons
and have tea with him in the Kitchen
For my Mariana has a motherly coli.
ccptiOn of her duty towards her maid
servants. And presently the amethy.
slime ring was being worn about the
house, even with ostentation, and
Jane developed q new way of bring.
ing In the joint, SO that this gage was
evident. Tho c';'n: Miss Maitland was
aggrievcd w. it, and told my wife that
servants ought not to wear rings
But my wife looked it up in Enquire
Within" and Mrs. Motherly's Book
of Household Management" and
found no prohibition. So Jane re.
manned with this happiness added to
her love.
The treasure of James heart up,
peared to me to be what respectable
people cal! a very deserving young
man. civilian, ma'am," said Jane
n day, suddenly, with ill-concealed
c%omplacency, MS she counted out the
beer bottles, civilian, ma'am, is 9
te~etotaller. Yes, MN; and he DOM
smoke. Smoking, ma'am," said Jane
who reads the heart. do make sucl
a dust about. Besides the waste OF
money. And the smell. However, ]
suppose it's necessary to some.'
Possibly it dawned on Jane that she
was rejecting a little severely upon
Mariana's comparative ill-fortune, and
she added kindly: "I'm sure the mas.
ter is q hangel when his pipes alight
Compared to other times"
William was at first q rather shah
by young man of the heary-made black
coat school of costume. He had wat.
cry gray eyes and q complexion ap'
propriate to the brother of one in q
home for the dying. Mariana did not
fancy him very much, even at the
beginning. His eminent respectable.
ity was vouched for by an alpaca UNI.
brella, from which he never allowed
himself to be parted.
"He goes to chapel" said Jane. His
papa, ma'am-"
Ellis what, Jane?"
"His papa, ma'am, was Church; but
Mr.. Maynard is a Plymouth Brother,
and William thinks it policy, ma'am,
to go there too. Mr.. Maynard comes
and talks to him quite friendly when
they amt busy, about using up ull
the ends Of string, and about his soul.
He takes q lot Of notice, to Mr.
Maynard, of William, and the way
he saves string and his soul, n:a'am."
Presently we heard that the head
porter at Maynard's had left, and that
William was head porter at % shill.
ings a week. He's really kind of over
the man who drives the van," said
Jane. land him married with three
children" And she promised in the
her heart to make interest for us with
William tc favor us so that we might
get our parcels of drapery from May.
nard's with exceptional promptitude.
After this promotion increasing
prosperity came upon bin. James
young man. One day he learned that
Mr.. Maynard had given William a
book. "Smiles Flip YOURSELF" it's call.
ed" said Jane, 'but 1t amt comic.
1t tells you how to get on in the world,
and some what William read to me
was lovely, ma'am."
Mariana told me of this laughing,
and then she became suddenly grave.
do you know, dear" she said. "Jane
said one thing | do not like. She had