Page:A New England Tale.djvu/87

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76
A NEW-ENGLAND TALE.

change from a home and mother, to such a workhouse and such a task-woman."

Mr. Lloyd had often regretted, that it was so little in his power to benefit Jane. The school occurred to him, and as nothing was more improbable than that Mrs. Wilson would, herself, incur the expense of Jane's attendance, he consulted with Mary as to the best mode of doing it himself, without provoking Mrs. Wilson's opposition, or offending her pride. A few days after, when the agent for the school presented the subscription list to Mrs. Wilson for her signature, she saw there, to her utter astonishment, Jane Elton's name. The agent handed her an explanatory note from Mr. Lloyd, in which he said, "that as it had been customary to send one person from the house he now occupied to the 'subscription school,' he had taken the liberty to continue the custom. He hoped the measure would meet with Mrs. Wilson's approbation, without which it could not go into effect."

Mrs. Wilson, at first, said, it was impossible; she could not spare Jane; but afterwards, she consented to take it into consideration. The moment the man had shut the door, she turned to Jane, and misunderstanding the flush of pleasure that brightened her usually pale face, she exclaimed, "And so, Miss, this is one of your plans to slip your neck out of the yoke of duty."

Jane said, she had nothing to do with the plan, but she trusted her aunt would not oblige her to lose such a golden opportunity of advantage. Mrs.