Year: 1870

blcSS. DlcSS luy Clllu.


JACK PLAYNE's STORY.


This story is not about myself at all, though
it is written as if it was going to be. | am
a man that knows the boy the story is about.
I am only Jack Playne. He was very diff
erent sort of fellow from me.


His mother was the widder Hennings. His
father had been dead six or seven years,
when this history begins. They came to
Greenbush for good many summers before
he died, and after that the widder made up
her mind to stay there. You see, Hennings
on life insurance, and the cottage and acre
in Greenbush. All the rest was used up in
settling the estate.


But you'd never guess not from her talk,
that she didn't own private bank. She'd
talk about the conveniences of fixed in
come: "One could calculate so exactly how
far it would go and never be disappointed"
And she would groan over the income tax,
when, poor thing, it never come nigh her.


You see, she came of an excellent family
In early times, one of her ancestors was
governor, and great uncle had been a sem
ator, before it was GLOW" to be senator.
That is, she used to say so. l don't know
about it. I've always had to work hard and
live plain, and there was always the taxes,
hot and heavy, whatever else happened and
senator always looked high enough to me-
And in most all the families of her connect
ion the boys went to college and the girls to
boarding school and spoke French and play
ed the piano. Not that ever heard of there
being much money in the family, but they
paid their way, and studied hard, and got to
be LAWYERS, or doctors, or preachers. Never
none of 'em downright worked with his
hands for a living.


One reason the widder stuck to Greenbusll,
was the school. The teacher was excellent,
and as it cost nothing, nothing could be bet
ter for her son Horatio, ("Rash,' for short, }
''until," as she'd say, "he's ready to prepare
for college," Seems to me as if 1 could see
her now The same black satin dress, winter
and summer. In winter a threadbare, black
cloak; in summer a net shawl, darned in
some places very nicely, and black mits, and
the same black satin bonnet, made over and
over, once a year, through it all. She had
some lace she would put on when she went
out to tea to the doctors or the 'squire's, and
a set of Jet and gold ornaments, which were
very old, to fasten the lace and swing in hel
ears And the widder Hennings was a
splendid woman tall, straight as an Indian
and head set well back on her shoulders
I've often watched her 60 up the broad aisle
and thought I'd like to have tested her witt
plumb line she was so straight. But Eliza
always says I'm forever carrying the shol
with me. Then she'd wonderful high
hooked nose, and eyebrows that arched over
her black eyes like the front door of the ole
mansion house; and hardly grey hair in he1
head Must have been an awful cross tol
such fine looking woman to give up dress
and all the pomps and vanities Of this world
to live in such plain way in Greenbush


Dear heart she never kept no help, only
once fortnight, Bette Doolittle did out the
heaviest of her washing. The little things
such as handkerchiefs and collars, she die
herself. and called it her ''fine wash"
looked like a doll-baby's washing day


The cottage itself was cheaply- built
plain finished affair, with common wood
work but I often found time to do little lob:
for her in slack times; and what with tn,
garden, and the interest on the life insurance
and the water color, and wax-fower lessons
she gave to the squire's wife, and the doctor
daughters, she got along.


She often made presents Of embroidery tC
the brides and babies, and presents were
made to her. Once she got barrel of pota
toes, once barrel of winter apples, ano
often bushel OF pears, or something like
that. On the whole, she got along. If any
body came in while she was making hel
crocheting, on her tatting, or her EMBROIDERY
(not an inch of which she ever used at home)
she would talk about how much more lady
like it was to have nice underclothing an(
plain dresses, than ''outside show and rags
Eliza used to say that the things on hel
clothes lines were mended till they were rea
curiosities. However, they We're better thar
debts, and didn't tangle her steps like mort
cages, for the place was clear and her own
For my own part, never could see the sense
OF such common sort of a person as Queer
Victoria living in such style, and such {
natural born queen as widder Hennings
working so hard and faring so plain.


But as for Rash. Not but what he was
the best of sons, ready to help in everything
she wanted done. And didn't he put into
lessons, when he found how his mothers
heart was sot on his learning! And how
good and patient he'd listen, while she'd tel
of the old governor, and the senator, and the
teachers, and the professor, and how anxiou.
she was to have him study hard She'(
been well dedicated herself, and taught hin
some Latin and French, and he wasn't ba(
scholar.


But, wherever he got it from, it didn'
seem to be exactly what he'd choose. He't
study hard, and keep up in his classes; anC
every spare minute he got, he'd be ftlssine
round in my shop. He'd pick up bits of hal
and quarter inch stuff, and notch and whit
tie, and carve and fit, and turn out the neat
est little toys, chairs and tables, and sucl
like, that ever you saw. He gave one to my
little Bess, the winter she broke her leg
she's got it yet It's like chair once saw
in a church-carved gothic back and arms
and table to match. Sometimes it has
been all l could do to get him to give enough
attention to his books, he'd be SO busy will
his work. l kept a strict lookout for that
l've got such little learning myself, that
know its value; and he never missed a lessor
on my account. I'd seen too many make Z