Love stories; Unmarried mothers -- Fiction; Women household employees -- Fiction
It has been said that Jennie was naturally of an industrious turn. She
liked to be employed, though she thought constantly as she worked. She
was of matronly proportions in these days—not disagreeably large, but
full bodied, shapely, and smooth-faced in spite of her cares. Her eyes
were gray and appealing. Her hair was still of a rich brown, but there
were traces of gray in it. Her neighbors spoke of her as
sweet-tempered, kindly, and hospitable. They knew nothing of her
history, except that she had formerly resided in Sandwood, and before
that in Cleveland. She was very reticent as to her past.
Jennie had fancied, because of her natural aptitude for taking care of
sick people, that she might get to be a trained nurse. But she was
obliged to abandon that idea, for she found that only young people were
wanted. She also thought that some charitable organization might employ
her, but she did not understand the new theory of charity which was
then coming into general acceptance and practice—namely, only to help
others to help themselves. She believed in giving, and was not inclined
to look too closely into the credentials of those who asked for help;
consequently her timid inquiry at one relief agency after another met
with indifference, if not unqualified rebuke. She finally decided to
adopt another child for Rose Perpetua’s sake; she succeeded in securing
a boy, four years old, who was known as Henry—Henry Stover. Her support
was assured, for her income was paid to her through a trust company.
She had no desire for speculation or for the devious ways of trade. The
care of flowers, the nature of children, the ordering of a home were
more in her province.
One of the interesting things in connection with this separation once
it had been firmly established related to Robert and Lester, for these
two since the reading of the will a number of years before had never
met. Robert had thought of his brother often. He had followed his
success since he had left Jennie with interest. He read of his marriage
to Mrs. Gerald with pleasure; he had always considered her an ideal
companion for his brother. He knew by many signs and tokens that his
brother, since the unfortunate termination of their father’s attitude
and his own peculiar movements to gain control of the Kane Company, did
not like him. Still they had never been so far apart mentally—certainly
not in commercial judgment. Lester was prosperous now. He could afford
to be generous. He could afford to make up. And after all, he had done
his best to aid his brother to come to his senses—and with the best
intentions. There were mutual interests they could share financially if
they were friends. He wondered from time to time if Lester would not be
friendly with him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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