The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-14
DAILY
@ STORY
PLAIN JANE
Bx8RO,ssEMEREDITH

~
thefamily,"" people usually
remarked when the#question
opbeauty arose Cecilia is loyely
Abtgail is fascinating.9Em ID a
little witch-but poor Jams with
hersbril1fant hair and dull eyes IS
hopelessly plain!"
n knew it.Sand RESENTED II,
sbut$kept her hurt feelings Rugged
toShersown BOSOM II no cared
enough about her toIun1ock the
pIains portals of her heart and soul
$50 be its She was the middle
the family Of four mother
less girls, and she was the ouse-
keeper, the h~omemaker- ne
others had careers. Jane couldn't
2@be ssparedf for a career.
Celia had voice-Celta was
musica1-she had worshipers oy
1.-THE dozen. abigail was "a high
school teacher, and Emma was a
trained nurse.
..Jane is a wonderful cook-a
perfect honsekeeperii Celia would
praise.
Wonderrul..@ Abigail would
echo.
"Perfect:, chimed Emma.
lane wa happy most OF the
time, but she did long o ,do things
a-great#things-meet
people; sometimes she thought
wfstfully she might have been a
writer. if she had had a chance o
development. However, she dio
seiFasome re~cipes+and carefully
Sprepared articles on home-makln3
asto5s6me of the woulenss magazines
and her prestige rose in the fam
lily.
EOne winter Celia became en5as-
ed to the minister. Shortly after
that Abigail attracted the atten-
tion of Prof. Rodney of a nearby
college and Emma might nave
married any one OF her patents
amy day.
j ane would make sonic mar a
splendid. wife and housekeeper--,
wonderful. Celia would
sigh.
z4Wonderful," Abigail and her
aprofessortwould echo.
GPerfect," Emma would ADD,
thus placing her laurel wreath on
ssJ~ane'sTred hair.
fRubbish!" Jane would groan
disma,ly-
To-day Jane was in a state OF
NinWard revolt. Celia had ~telephon-
&sdsfhat she would bring the mini
serShome to dinner; Abigail had
word that the professor
would be there and would Jane
have a prune whip Tor deS-
sert,ti and last of all, Emma called
up#to say.that she4was bringing
@someoneEwith her.
Have the best dinner in. the
world. darling" she had cooed.
FEgE. l-, ,xr h n ny - ."-...
Jane looked stormy. She won,
s.dered what her father would have
said If he had been alive-hc
would have told her to be patient;
@it would come out all right in the
send. s
81 Will cook the dinner decid-
ed Jane, and it will be a good
5.Sdinner-then .Rebecca can come
down and serve it will run
away. I can't stand the monotony
any longer. All the afternoon she
alabored over the preparation of
1.-THE dinner and the arrangement of
the table. When everything was
ready, SSonIy needing Rebecca's
skilled hand in serving theAmeal,
aJaqesbathed and dressed herself
Yin fagreen linen, took.a small,
Sheavi1y-1aden basket and the latest
book and left the house She
followed narrow path through
1.-THE orchard. where apple blossoms
fell like snow about her; where
robins were throbbing with the
SeVeningssong down the little wood
road that led to the edge of the
Ssandy&bluh overlooking the sound.
@The&wind was cool and brought
#odors of apple blossoms and the
5FsaItsayor of the sea.
sesl wicked. but I am quite
scontented," said Jane as she sat
down on the edge Of the over
hanging cliff, with her possessions
i nSherlap. She closed her eyes a
moment. but they popped open at
once,for she was in motion. The
turf had broken under her weight
and she was gently, steadily slid
ing down the s~and-faced cliff.
Manysas time had h done it as a
Schiid, sqneaiing with delight to