Read Boston Jane for Free Online Page B

Parker called up the stairs.
    I swallowed hard and put the letter on my desk and hurried down to help her.

    I threw myself into my studies to take my mind off William’s disappointing letter.
    While I enjoyed the Embroidery and Watercolors and Drawing and Music classes, Etiquette was still my favorite subject.
    There was The Importance of Punctuality (Chapter Nine): “Young ladies who are not punctual when traveling think up any manner of excuses. The truth is the unpunctual do not allow themselves sufficient time,” Miss Hepplewhite said, pointing to the ever-present pocket watch that hung from the chain on her skirt.
    Being a Good Guest (Chapter Eleven): “A gracious guest should not interfere with the domestic routine of the house. Be as little trouble as possible. Never,” Miss Hepplewhite stressed, “
never
be in the way.”
    And, of course, Pouring Tea and Coffee (Chapter Three): “A young lady who can preside over pouring tea and coffee shall always be admired,” Miss Hepplewhite promised.
    We also reviewed Rules of Conversation (Chapter Two), Receiving and Returning Calls (Chapter Four), Deportment on the Street (Chapter Thirteen), Care of Odd Minutes (Chapter Fourteen), and The Particulars of Domestic Economy (Chapter Fifteen).
    Then came the fateful day when we learned about the Great Mistake.
    Strangely enough, there was no chapter in
The Young Lady’s Confidante
with this title.
    Miss Hepplewhite looked very grave as she stood at thefront of the classroom, leaning next to her elegantly carved desk, her hands clasped in front of her.
    “Dear girls,” she said, her voice catching. “If you learn no other lesson from me, learn this.” She lowered her eyes.
    We leaned forward.
    “Beware the Great Mistake.”
    Some older girls near the back giggled.
    Miss Hepplewhite looked up sharply, and the room went quiet. The only sound was a bird singing outside the window.
    “A kiss may seem innocent, but it is the greatest mistake a young woman can make, for it leads to other intimacies, and that is the path to destruction.”
    I remembered William’s kiss on my hand. How it had tingled and felt warm for days after. How I had resolved not to wash it but had in the end, as it had become sticky with jam.
    There were more giggles from the back of the room.
    “Modesty, girls, that is your watchword. Do not allow a handsome face to lead you astray.”
    Her voice was nearly a whisper.
    “Beware the Great Mistake.”
    After school I heard some of the older girls talking.
    “The Great Mistake!” Sally Biddle mimicked. “I shouldn’t mind making a few mistakes with that nice Horace Fink.”
    The girls giggled.
    “Or Godfrey Hale,” Cora Fletcher suggested in a hushed voice. “He has a very agreeable face.”
    And while it was true that Horace Fink and Godfrey Hale had grown up, all I could remember was Horace’s big ears and Godfrey’s finger up his nose.
    Sally Biddle caught sight of me.
    “Jane Peck,” Sally Biddle said in a satisfied voice. “My, what an unusual hairstyle. Wouldn’t you agree, Cora?”
    “Very interesting, indeed,” Cora murmured.
    “Yes.” Sally looked at me, an innocent expression on her face. “It reminds me of a—a —”
    She paused, searching for the right words.
    A squirrel scampered up a nearby oak tree.
    “A squirrel’s nest!” she finished, a bland expression on her face.
    The girls laughed.
    I touched my hair self-consciously, noticing the stray strands coming free from the knot I had arranged that morning. It wasn’t my fault my hair was curly and prone to looking wild. I was doing the best I could.
    And I
was
good enough. I had studied faithfully and knew how to pour tea and embroider handkerchiefs and listen well. Even Miss Hepplewhite said that I would make a fine wife, that I was pious and meek and modest in all respects.
    I thought of William’s letter waiting on my desk, unanswered.
    “As a matter of fact, I am corresponding with a most agreeable gentleman,