Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-12-25
SARAH JENKINS.


She wasn't a pretty girl. Those
who liked her best couldn't with any
show of honesty, say that she was
Neither was she young not as the
word dennes youth-f0r she was
thirty-twO.
She was taller than the average
woman. and her figure had none OF
the symmetry that makes tall women
attractive.
Her face was plain She hadn't
even pretty eyes to redeem 1t: and,
as II this were not misfortune enough,
her mother had named her Sarah,
and that, too after she had been
guilty OF marrying man named
jenkins Not pretty, not young,
and named Sarah jenkins.
Add to this fact that she had to
earn her own living, and you have a
sum total that does not promise we'll
for the heroine Of story. But there
is a law of compensation that he. ps
to even up things in this world.
This law was observed in the case OF
Sarah, She had prospectA That
was what people said when they
looked at her homely face and anRu-
lar figure, and thought of her toll.
Tor everybody understood that whe q
old John jenkins died Sarah would
not need to work any more, and the
possession of million dollars does
more TO soften The unbeautitul lines
10 girls face and figure than any
trick, of the toilet
So the world-Sarah's world-was
not so sympathetic as it might have
been, and as for sarah herself-weil
she wasn't given to sentiment over
much Her life had lot been OF the
kind that tends to foster sentiment
Her mother and father had died be-
fore she could remember, and her
grandfather, with whom she lived,
was her only relative.
John jenkins had likings for peG-
pie just as he had for houses. He liked
both just as long as he could control
them aud make them profitable.
When a house ceased TO yield him
sufficient revenue to pay for the
money invested n it, that house was
sold. When people about him ccascl
to be useful to John jenkins he
simply dropped them and forgot that
they existed. His only son had bee n
a disappointment to him be ause he
was not successful in business, and
when his father wanted him 10
marry rich wife and try to get
even with his luck, young John dared
TO have different views, and married
one Of his fathers clerks
aia him a good wife pnnnpt
but somehow nothing prospered with
them. The old man seemed To IOr-
get that he bad ever had SOD, and
finally young John gave up the strug-
gle and died lis wife, who was a
meek and obedient c;eaIure, seeing
no other way out OF it, died to-.
When old John heard OF it be
sid
''rm not surprised; not bit They
we're too shirtlesS to live And then
he said not another word, nor did he
show any sign of emotion.
Some one write to him about the
hab", asking what should be done.
Send her to me-" Was the old
mans answer.
.tIll take care OF her until she is
old enough to take care OF herself"
So the baby was sent to her grand
father and she was taken care of just
as were the young animals on his
farms Some one was paid to do 1t
who knew how, and the some one was
given this Instruction,
s.L ct her have plenty of good. plain
foOd-nO sweets to ruin her teeth and
stomach Dress her in clOthiug that
is clean and comfortable No folly,
mid. II she is sick, call doctor.
When she is old enough send her to
school, and let me hear no more about
her
This course of living suited Sarah
we'll enough. She had NO rOmanti;
idea that she was being oppressed by
q cruel grandfather She was we'll
housed and fed and decently cad.
She was allowed to so to school, and
would nave been allowed to play, no
doubt but Sarah did not care to play.
She was a solemn sort Of child. The
woman who took care of her said she
was stupid. But this was mistake
Sarah wasn't stupid.
When she was II years old she went
one day to her grandfather's Office.
They were almost strangers. sarah
had not spoken to him a dozen times
in all her life
well" demanded old John Jenk-
ips, what do you WANT"
..You advertised for a business
manager" answered Sarah, land ]
have come to ask for the place"
You? What do you know about
husiness?"
Nothing. practically. TheoreL
ically, 1 know all about it, for have
just completed a business education.
I cannot say that shall not make a
failure: but should Like to try"
Him" grunted old John. "Think
you would like to experiment on me.
do you? That's exactly what your
father thought His experiment was
not a success"
Then you don't care to engage
me?" said the girl.