Plain Jane

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Title: Plain Jane
Author: G. M. George
Illustrator: G. M. C. Fry
Release Date: November 12, 2007 [EBook #23455]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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PLAIN JANE
G. M. C. FRY
and
G. M. GEORGE
THE DUMPY BOOKS
FOR CHILDREN
27. Plain Jane

The Dumpy Books for Children
CLOTH, ROYAL 32mo, 1/6 EACH
0. The Flamp.
. Mrs. Turner's Cautionary Stories.
. The Bad Family.
. The Story of Little Black Sambo.
. The Bountiful Lady.
. A Cat Book.
. A Flower Book.
. The Pink Knight.
. The Little Clown.
. A Horse Book.
. Little People: An Alphabet.
. A Dog Book.
. The Adventures Of Samuel and Selina.
. The Little Girl Lost.
. Dollies.
. The Bad Mrs. Ginger.
. Peter Piper's Practical Principles.
. Little White Barbara.
. The Japanese Dumpy Book.
. Towlocks and His Wooden Horse.
. The Three Little Foxes.
. The Old Man's Bag.
. The Three Goblins.
. Dumpy Proverbs.
. More Dollies.
. Little Yellow Wang-lo.
. Plain Jane.
. The Sooty Man.
. Fishy-Winkle.
_A Cloth Case to contain Twelve Volumes can be had, price 2s. net; or
the First Twelve Volumes in Case, price £1 net._
London: GRANT RICHARDS,
48, Leicester Square.

[Illustration (Publisher's Device)
SIR JOSEPH CAUSTON & SONS
LIMITED / LONDON]
[Illustration]
Plain Jane
Text by G. M. George
ILLUSTRATED
BY G. M. C. FRY
LONDON:
GRANT RICHARDS
1903
That model Miss, Jemima Jane
Was very good, and very plain;
Her
parents noticed with delight
How neat she was, and how polite.

Sometimes her young companions came
And begged she'd join them
in a game.
But it was never any use;
She'd make some civil, quiet
excuse,
And, "Dear Mama," she'd whisp'ring say,
"I love plain
sewing more than play;
I hope you'll always think of me
As your
own gentle, busy Bee!"
Jane rose at five. "What for?" you ask;
And
I reply, "To con her task."
She breakfasted on milk and bread,
Nor
ever asked for aught instead;
"I like it best, because," said she,
"'Tis
wholesome for a child like me."
She used to think it quite a treat,

To put her bed and chamber neat;
But she enjoyed--oh, better far!

Saying her tasks to her Mama.
[Illustration: _Jane's Uncle_]
She took the air when these were done,
But she would never romp
and run;
Prim and sedate she walked about,
Her back quite straight,
her toes turned out:
And all the people, seeing this,
Exclaimed, "Oh,
what a model Miss!"
Jane's Uncle, who lived far away,
Sent her
Mama a note one day,
Explaining that he found he had
To spend a
fortnight in Bagdad.
He had a daughter, and 'twas plain
He hoped
that she might stay with Jane.
"She's a sad puss," he said, "I own;


But I can't leave the child alone."
"I think," Mama said, in a fuss,

"We can't have _her_ to stay with us:
I do not like my Jane to mix

With children who have naughty tricks."
But Jane said, with a gentle
smile,
Plying her needle all the while,
"Pray, let her come here, dear
Mama,
With the permission of Papa;
I have a hope that she might
be
Influenced for her good by me:
For I could show her that she
would
Be happier if she were good."
[Illustration: "_She bought a rod that afternoon_"]
[Illustration: "_Ann was brought there by
a serving man_"]
At this her kind Mama relented,
And, as her good Papa consented,

That very day her mother wrote
Her uncle quite a cordial note,

Saying, "I think that it is clear
Your Ann should spend your absence
here"
As she expected Ann quite soon,
She bought a rod that
afternoon.
And sure enough, next Tuesday, Ann
Was brought there
by a serving-man.
Alas! alas! it soon was plain
She was not in the
least like Jane!
She ran and laughed and romped about,
And raised
a hubbub and a shout.
"Oh, fie!" said Jane, "Pray, cousin Ann,
Do
be more tranquil if you can."
But Ann just laughed, and did not care,

And tweaked her cousin by the hair.
When they were out she
climbed a tree,
Which quite annoyed the "busy Bee."
"Fie, fie!" she
cried. Ann said "Here goes:"
And aimed an acorn at her nose!
So
Jane replied, "My good Mama
Shall know how rude and rough you
are."
"Your good Mama!" said little Ann;
"Well, if you