New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
JANE.
A SOCIAL INCIDENT.
THE RUSTIC JANE.
BY MARIE coRELLI.

NAMED: Jane had resolved 10 30 M ,,arvhodv
lane "came out at ifty-seven. ana eVeryooo'
~nt~ Taneotberwise known as Miss Jane Belmoh.
was a sweet-ook1ng, piaci1 ia.eu - aiiiogether
rurely old ia shioned type. she was a'tVe - ,.as
behind the time in her notions OF lliesii c ,d
not and never could be. up 10 uate. 'n .ho.
on in the peculiar belie1 tha' Hou raj life and
the world pleasant place ,nn. ma raan @ and
health were excellent things ana tna' mn nv. @nr @,,,i
women were. taken altogether mucm ,,oio hore~ M
~ yirtue than of vice. And thus loVely pene.
oi i.rn enohed her features and made them az
tractive despite the wrinkling o. the paH, ,ard
cate skin near the eyes ana inou'il., W, s,os 80 Nd
srsce ~ charity gave lustre TO her calm eyes anu
6estowsd a magic brightness on tne snNei
threads in her soft parted halr-ahu tnei. 49, ~
not a man. woman or child IN the viIase va va,
she Swelt that would not have willingly testihvu
sn The Sweetness of her smile. 1t was smile
that warmed the heart and fingered III M ..e III,
ory-and young girls VINO cam came vs. a'sn some Of
them profanely styled her before they Knew
her went away charmed and enthraileu U! . oais
and her beautiful manners, cad nnd ms eiven 70
OF roses she had herself gathered anu tinen U ~
them wihkind and pretty woras, .lola ION nv, arSsn
carefully kept and deliciously scented garoen.
where all the "old- fashioned flowers grew IN
profusion making a paradise OF ehchaii'i"e"'
for bees butterflies and singing-plr ,,..,.
Ashleigh- In the-D Dell was a charming n..e ,ei
English village nesting among mis- anu silei
tered by deep woodlands and there Jane nau
lived ever since her earliest childhoou. hes s
father had been the rector or the PARISH anu nau
died full OF years and honors after Weh-speie.
,,eefu, life i'm which he had consclentlousiy
striven TO do his utmost best TO loioW the IL ~
vine teaching of the Dvinest Teacher the wollo M
has ever seen or will see. AND when tne
new rector was installed. Jane, finding hersei1
possessed Of a sufficient income whereon e 10 ave
Secomingly. If simply purcnaseo ,o one nr;vaie
reason OF her own she called "Restful Harpor
There she stayed year after year. without tahiiis
any change or seeming TO require one one i;d |
No recollection Of her mother, who had deo
early: though there was picture or neT IN tne ',
charming drawing-room of "Restfui Harpor'
which lane was fond Of looking at because II
was beautiful face-almost the race or What
one might expect an angel to be. That was my
mother" she would say to the inquring VlsitoI' .9
And on one such occasion, when caller, WISH
iny N he complimentary replied, You are very
like her." Jane flushed with surprise ana an
swered eagerly. 'Oh. no! was never IN e tne
least like her. She was a great peaut!' nave
heard-and always plain
Taking all these premises OF James uneventful
history into due consideration 1t was not won, won,
derful that the village of Ashleigh-ln-tne- Deli
should experience a violent thrill, somewhat or
the nature Of an earthquake or a thunderclap,
when it heard the news that Jane had an at
once become great heiress in her own right
and that henceforth her yearly income
would average nearly f2OOO0 relative OF
whom she had never heard. cousin OF her oeau-
tiful dead mother. had suddenly gone to his ac-
count leaving everything he possessed to Jane
Belmont. only daughter of the late REVEREND
Hugh Belmont and Of his wife, Janet EVelyn
Pierpont. first cousin to me, the testator: She
the Jane Belmont in queston-so
she was told by the two legal gentlemen VINO
called In person one day at Restful Harbor to
break the good news to her gently For sald
they with much feeling. looking around the
simple little country parlor she called her draw
ing-room. at must be very Overwhelming Tor
you
But Jane was pot exactly overwhelmed: true
few tears trickled down her cheeks. and her
thin well-shaped white hands trembled little.
but otherwise she showed no sign OF feverish ex-
citement.
..What am to do with all this money! she
esked, with a touch of sorrow in her voice as she
put the question ~
"Spend II. my dear madam! Spend it, ex-
claimed one OF the legal gentlemen, smiling at
her naYvete. THAT is. spend the interest and
reserve the capital. Amuse yourself-go about
the world lttle-enjoy your life"
well WELL enjoy it a little more! Money can
do anything for you; you can nave a nne mouse.
a carriage and pair. box at the opera; pienty
Of dresses and jewels-in fact everything IN
the world is at your disposal. You have only to
express wish and you have the means to
crafty It,"
countenance and she folded her delicate hands
together more closely, to hide their nervous
trembling
II am too old for such pleasures. sir" she said
"Too old, Nonsense. my dear madam And
the lawyer quite bounced In his chair at the
very suggestion. Il never heard Of such thing.
Nobody is old in our days-nobody ever intends
to be old. know lady Of your age who passes
very well for thirty at this very moment-i in fact.
she is much more lively and smart than she was
in her teens With your fortune assure you.
my dear Miss Belmont, that you can have very
pleasant time of it-ah.-and shouldn't wonder
IL you made a very excellent MARRIAGE
James pale cheeks flushed shamed soft pink.
please do not jest with me- she said. the
quiet dignity OF her voice and manner rather
confusing her legal visitors. who began to feel
they had been guilty of an impertinence-'I hope
know better than to marry at my time OF IRE:
The legal gentlemen protested they had meant
no harm and duly apoogized for their indiscre-
tion. They left her-somewhat troubled In their
own minds to what she thought Of them
Going back in the train to London from Ash
leigh-in- -the-Del, one said to the other
II wonder what she will do?"
And the other replied:
"Something quite unusual, you may be sure!
i shouldn't wonder If she made her mark in So
ciety."
Now when the news of James inheritance
reached to that almost inaccessible and exclusive
poin. of social altitude represented by the
SQUIRE and his wife and daughters who were
the one country family" in residence at Ash
leigh-in-t -the-De 1t was made the subject Of
solemn and general palaver. The Squire him.
self. who had never called on old Miss Bel
mont" said he must leave a card"-the SQure's
lady sgniied her intention Of doing the same:
and the Squire's daughters observed with much
graceful tenderness that they would take
basket OF hothouse grapes to dear Miss Bel
mont" And lady who was staying with the
Squire visit-the Hon. Mrs. Maddenham,
parsonage understood to be Of immense influence
at Court and much liked by all Great People (by
which phrase we nowadays understand the Great
OF Purse and not the Great Of HearD. said she
would like nothing better than to be introduced
to such an interesting person Miss Bel
mont Introduced she was accordingly-and at
once fastened Jane pertinaciOusly a
blood sucking gadiy. Everywhere Jane went.
there would the affectonate Mrs. Maddenham
also 60. Jane her sympathy" she de-
clared; for ages she had been looking for
woman In all points resembling Jane Jane must
love her because she loved Jane. 1t was an
affinity Of souls" And curious to relate. after
very little while Mrs. Maddenham completely
dominated and took possession Of Jane.
Now up TO this time "od Miss Belmont" had
been credited. rightly or wrongly. with the
uali ity NJ hav vi n hpr wi
the advent Of the Hon. Mrs. Maddenham she
appeared to resign herself to the force of cir
cumstances and most meekly to do whatever
Mrs Maddenham bade her. IT Mrs Mad
denham who impressed her with the fact that
she must "go into Society" and into Society
Jane plunged accordingly. Accompanied by
Mrs. Maddenham she left Ashleigh in the Dell