Jane Field; A Novel

JANE FIELD - 1892 - ILLUSTRATIONS. AIARY E. WILKINS. . . . . . . . I oj ti iece I WISH YOU WOUI, DNT BE IN SUCH . . . . . . . . A HURRY Facesja e I0 SHE TOOK THE CHILDS LITTLE HAND 6 20 AIRS. FIELD STOOD BY THE FRONT GATE, LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD 42 THEY STOOD LOOKING AT THE YOUNG . . . . . . . . . . GIRL 50 SHE WATCHED HER MOTHER OUT OF SIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 SHE WALKED ON, WITH HER STERN, IMPASSIVE OLD FACE SET STRAIGHT AHEAD . . . 84 FLORA AND THE CHILDREN RECEIVED THEM B E A I I N G I . . ., . . 110 HOW CHEER UP, SAID HE . . . 50 THE MINISTER, hlR. IUXBURY, AND MRS. ROBBINSS HUSBAND ALL AR-RIVED TOGETHER . . . . . . 186 MRS. HENRY MAXWELL. . . . . . 188 vi ILLUSTRATIONS. I DUN KNOW IIOW SHED MANAGE Facesjage 208 MRS. GREEN LOOKED TOWARDS THE COhlING TRAIN . . . . . . . 216 LOIS SAID NOTHING SHE BENT HER HOT FACE CLOSER OVER WORK . . . . . . . OVE . R . H . ER . 220 I AINT ESTHER AXWELI, . IIER VOICE AROSE IN A STERN SHRIEK 260 JANE FIELD CHAPTER I AMANDA PRATTS cottage-house was raised upon two banks above the road-level. Here and there the banks showed irregular patches of yellow-green, where a little milky-stemmed plant grew. It had come up every spring since Amanda could remember. There was a great pink-lined shell on each side of the front door-step, and the path down over the banks to the road was bordered with smaller shells. The house was white, and the front door was dark green, with an old-fashioned knocker in the centre. There were four front windows, and the roof sloped down to them two were in Amandas parlor, and two were in Mrs. I I Fields. She rented half of her house to Mrs. Jane Field. There was a head at each of Ama das front windows. One was hers, the otherwas Mrs. Babcocks. Amandas old blond face, with its folds of yellow-gray hair over the ears and sections of the softly-wrinkled, pinky cheeks, was bent over some needlevork. So was Mrs. Babcocks, darkly dim with age, as if the hearth-fires of her life J had always smoked, with a loose flabbiness about the jaw-bones, which seemed to make more evident the firm structure underneath. Amanda was sewing a braided rug her little veiny hands jerked the stout thread through with a nervous energy that was out of accord with her calm expression and the droop of her long slender body. Its pretty hard sewin braided mats, aint i t said Mrs. Babcock. I dont care how hard tis if I can get em sewed strong, replied Amanda, and her voice was unexpectedly quick and decided. I never had any feelin that anything was hard, if I could only do it. Well, you aint had so much hard work to do a s some folks. Settin in a rockinchair sewin braided mats aint like doin the housework for a whole family. If youd had the cookin to do for four menfolks, the way I have, youd felt it was pretty hard work, even if you did make out to fill em up. Mrs. Babcock smiled, and showed that she did not forget she was company, but her tone was quite fierce. Mebbe I should, returned Amanda, stiffly. There was a silence. Let me see, how many mats does that make Mrs. Babcock asked, finally, in an amiable voice. Like this one Yes. This makes the ninth. Mrs. Babcock scrutinized the floor. It was almost covered with braided rugs, and they were all alike. I declare I dont see where youll put another in here, said she. I guess I can lay em a little thicker over there by the what-not. Well, mebbe you can but I declare I shouldnt scarcely thinkyou needed another. I shouldnt think your carpet would wear out till the day of judgment...