, 1897-04-21
JAMES JILTING.

As I sit writing in my study I can
hear our Jane humping her way down
stairs with a brush and q dustpan. She
used in the old days to sing hymn tunes,
or the British national song for the
time being, to these instruments, but
latterly sho has been silent and even
careful over her work. Time was when
I prayed with fervor for such silence,
and my wife with signs for such care,
but To- they have come we are not 80
glad as we might have anticipated we
should be. Indeed, I would rejoice &c.
cretly. though it may be unmanly weak
ness to admit it, even to hear Jane sing
"Daisy," or by the fracture Of any plate
but one Of Mariana'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 man before we heard
the last Of him. Jane was always very
free with her conversation to my wife
and discoursed admirably in the kitchen
on a variety Of topics. go we'll. in
deed. hat I sometimes left my study
door open-our house is a small one
to partake Of it. But after William
came it was always William, nothing
but William, William this and William
that, and when we thought William
was worked ont and exhausted altogeth-
er then William all over again. The
engagement lasted altogether three
years. yet how she got introduced to
William and 80 became thus saturated
with him was always u secret. For my
part I believe it was at the street cor
ner where the Rev. Barnabas Baux used
to hold an open air service after even
song on Sundays Young Cupids were
wont to fit like moths round the paraf-
fin fare Of that center of high church
hymn singing. fancy she stood singing
hymns there out Of memory and her i'm
agination instead Of coming home to
get supper, and William anne up beside
her and said. "Hellor' "Hello your
self, 7" she said. And etiquette being sat
isfied they proceeded to talk together.
As Mariana had q reprehensible way
Of letting her servants talk to her she
soon heard Of him. HE is such a re-
spectacle 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, the
draper's," said Jane, land gets 10 shil-
lings-nearly u pound-a week, ma'am,
and when the head porter leaves he will
be head porter. His relatives are quite
superior people, ma'am. Not laboring
people at all. His father was a green
grosher, ma'am, and had q chumor, and
be wa bankrup' twice. And n of his
sisters is in q home for the dying. It
will be q very good match for me,
ma'am," said Jane; "me being an or
phan girl"
''Then you are engaged to him?" ask
ed my wife.
:Not engaged, ma'am, but he is sav-
ing money to buy a ring-hammyfist. "
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 Mar
lana has . motherly conception Of her
duty toward her maidservanta. And
presently the amethystine ring wal be-
ing worn about the house wen with
o~stentation, and Jane developed a new
way Of bringing In the joint 30 that
this gage was evident. The elder MiA
Maitland. was asgrieved by It and told
my wife that servants ought not to wear
rings. But my wife looked It up In "In.
quire Within" and "Mrs. Mokherly's
Book Of Household Management" and
found no prohibition. 80 JAne remained
80 A. - -