The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-29
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THE JILTING OF JANE
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As sit writing in my study / can
hear our Jane humping her way down
stairs with brush and 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 she has been silent and
even careful over her work. Time was
when I prayed with fervor for such
silence and my wife with sighs for
such care, but now they have come we
are not so glad as we might have an
ticipated we should be. Indeed, 1
would rejoice secretly. though it may
be unmanly weakness to admit It, even
to hear Jane sing Daisy" or by the
fracture of any plate but one of Mari
ana'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 kitch-
en- on a variety of topics-so well,
indeed, that | 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 Will
liam that; and when we thought Will
liam was worked out and exhausted al
together then William all over again.
The engagement lasted altogether
three years, yet how she got intro
dCced to William. and so became thus
saturated with him, was always q
secret. For my part ] believe it was
at the street corner where the Rev.
Barnabas Baux used to hold an OPEN
air service after evensong on Sundays.
Young cupids were wont to fit like
mouths round the paraffin flare OF that
center of High Church, hymn singing.
J fancy she stood singing hymns there,
out of memory and her imagination,
instead of coming home tQ-get supper,
and William came up beside her and
said "Hello'" "Hello yourself!" she
said, and etiquette being satisfied, they
proceeded to talk together
As Mariana had a reprehensible way
of letting her servants talk to her, she
soon heard Of him. HE is such 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 Is shil.
lings-nearly a pound-a week, MN.
and when the head porter leaves he
Will be head porter. His relatives are
quite superior people, MN. Not la
boring people at all. His father was
greengrosher, MN, and had a chumor,
and he was bankrup' twice. And one
OF his sisters Is In q home for the dy-
Ing. 1t will be very good match for
me, mm," said Jane. me being an. or
phan girl"
Then you are engaged to him?"
asked my wife.
mot engaged, ma'am, but he is saw
ing money to buy a ring-hammyfist."
We'll, 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 con-
ception of her duty towards her maid
servants. And presently the amethy-
stine ring was being worn about the
house, even with ostentation, and Jane
developed a new way OF bringing in the
joint, so that this gage was evident.
The elder Mrs. Maitland was aggrieyed
by 1t, and told my wife that servants
ought not to wear rings. But my wife
looked in Inquire Within" and Mrs.
Motherly's Book for Household Man
agement" and found no prohibition.
SO Jane remained with this happiness
added - her love.
The treasure of James heart appeared
to me to be what respectable people
call a most deserving young man.
William, ma'am," said Jane one day,
suddenly. with ill-concealed compla-
ceny, as she counted out the beer bot
ties, "William, ma'am, is teetotaler.
Yes NH; and he don't smoke. Smok-
ing, ma'am," said Jane, as one who
reads the heart, "do make so much
dust about. Besides the waste of
money. And the smell. However, I
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
abe added kindly: I'm sure the mas
ter is a hangel when his pipes alight-
compared to other times"
William was at first rather shabby
foung man of the ready made black
coat school OF costume. He had wat
Nry gray eyes and a complexion ap-
propriate to the brother of one in the
home of dying, Mariana did not fan
cy him very much, even at the begin
ming. His eminent respectability was
vouched for by one alpaca umbrella,