Plain Jane | Page 2

want to tell,
you can."
She went away--went whistling too,
Such a rude, boyish
thing to do!
[Illustration: "_Aimed an acorn at her nose_"]
[Illustration: "'_Indeed, _indeed_, I would much rather not proceed_'"]
They went home shortly after, so
Jane told Mama her tale of woe.

"I do not tell this tale from choice,"
She said, in her most gentle voice;


"I thought you ought to know, you see,
How cousin Ann climbed
up a tree;
And when I chid in gentle fashion,
She flew into a
dreadful passion,
And--dear Mama, indeed, _indeed_,
I would
much rather not proceed."
But since her mother thought it best,
She
dutifully told the rest.
--"She threw things at me, tore my hair,
And
_whistled_ as she left me there!"
At this Mama looked grim and stern,

And said that Ann had much to learn;
And that she really felt
unable
To have such naughty girls at table.
So when the others
supped that day
(Their stew smelt sav'ry by the way),
Ann had to
stand upon a seat,
And did not get a thing to eat;
While Jane kept
slyly peeping round,
And swallowed with a sucking sound.
And
there poor Ann was forced to stay
When supper was all cleared away.

Jane's good Papa began to read
A very solid book indeed;
Jane
took her work, and sat near by,
And pricked Ann's ankles on the sly.
[Illustration: "_Pricked Ann's ankles on the sly_"]
[Illustration: "_Laughed at her look of pained surprise_"]
And there in fact Ann had to wait
Until the clock was striking eight,

When Jane's Mama believed it time
To say that ladies never climb,

But that to fall into a pet,
And fight, is more disgraceful yet!
Her
little loving, gentle Jane
Should not be treated so again.
She added
more. At last she said
Ann might come down, and go to bed.
Jane
gently whispered, "Dear, you would
Be happier if you were good."

Ann mutter'd "Pig!"--but no one heard
Her use that most improper
word.
It chanced that nearly every day
The cousins quarrelled at
their play.

Good little Janie always ran
And told Mama of naughty
Ann;
--Of how she tied Jane's flaxen hair
To the back portion of her
chair,
And when her cousin tried to rise,
Laughed at her look of
pained surprise.
How she had torn Jane's Sunday skirt,
And squirted
at her with a squirt!
--And how another evening, she
Slipped salt
into Jane's dish of tea;
And many another naughty feat
Did Ann
perform and Jane repeat.
When Ann called Jane a "Tell-tale-tit,"


She went and told Mama of it.
She sighed, "I wondered how she
_could!_
I long to help her to be good."
Jane's kind Mama, I need
not say,
Behaved in the most prudent way;
Correcting Ann in
various ways
And giving Jane much well-earned praise.
[Illustration: "_Slipped salt into Jane's dish of tea_"]
[Illustration: "_Off she started at a run_"]
Now in that village, every year
The people held a cattle fair;
And
stalls and tents and swings were seen
Set up upon the village green.

Now when the fair came round that spring
Ann longed to go like
anything.
"Oh, Aunt," she cried, "do let us go!"
And pouted when
her Aunt said "No."
Next morning when out walking, Ann

Concocted such a naughty plan!
She had some money of her own,

And she would see the fair alone!
(I hope no other little miss
Has
ever made a scheme like this.)
When she believed that no one saw,

She slipped out at the big front door,
And off she started at a run,

To see the shows and all the fun.
Now little Jane sat prim and neat

Upon the parlour window seat;
And so she saw her cousin go,
And
guessed she meant to see the show.
"Mama!" she murmured, with a
sigh,
"My cousin Ann has just run by;
I sadly fear--but no! oh, no!

It could not be to see the show."
Mama at once sent Betsy out
To
see what Ann could be about:
And Betsy found her at the fair

Watching a big performing bear;
And Betsy brought her to her Aunt,

Altho' she fought and cried "I shan't!
I shan't go back! I won't go
in!"
--And kicked poor Betsy on the shin.
[Illustration: "_Watching a big performing bear_"]
[Illustration: "_Jane fetched the rod_"]
Her Aunt, on hearing all, looked grave,
And said, "Is this how you
behave?
You disobeyed me, and you fought!

--Go, Jane, and fetch
the rod I bought."
Jane joyfully laid down her book,
And ran off

with a merry look;
While Ann stood looking pale and queer,
And
wishing that "Papa were here."
"Miss, to your room!" Mama said; so

Away poor Ann was forced to go.
Jane fetched the rod, and said,
"Oh, why
Will my poor cousin be so sly?
I cannot bear," the child
confessed,
"To see my dear Mama distressed."
Mama then took the
rod, and went,
Leaving her daughter well content:
Jane's gentle
smile grew quite sublime,
For her Mama was gone some time.
[Illustration: "_Jane's gentle smile grew quite sublime_"]
[Illustration: "_Hot and tired_"]
When twenty minutes had expired
She came in looking hot and tired;

And very shortly after, she
Went out to drink a dish of tea
With
several friends she long had known,
Leaving her little girl alone.

Jane found it rather dull to read;
She soon felt very dull indeed.

How interesting Ann's tales had been
About that circus