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Jane Douglas (1761)

The Covent Garden Calendar - Chapter V.

Chapter V.


An account of what happened to Jane upon her arrival in London.

            Jane entered the capital of this kingdom with great expectations; but, as is often the case with adventurers, she for some time found herself greatly disappointed. Being led by a secret instinct, she took a wretched lodging in an ale-house in Drury Lane, but her appearance was so mean, and her finances so low, that she for some time lived in obscurity.

            She walked the streets every night, but with grief and surprise found herself entirely neglected. 'Twas upon this occasion she learned to smoke tobacco, finding it necessary to be very sparing of the little money she had left, she breakfasted every morning upon a pennyworth of purl and a pipe; and her dinner was a slice of bread and cheese and a pint of porter.

            One day as she was making this wretched meal, a young woman entered the tap-room, and called for half a quartern of gin. This young woman, whose name was Suky S––d, casting her eye upon Jane D––s immediately, perceived her to be the same girl that she had lived with at Mother R––n's in Edinburgh. Suky S––d had all that affection for her country, which so eminently distinguishes the Scotch nation, and though a common whore, was by no means destitute of humanity. She immediately accosted Jane; who was overjoyed to see her, and very kindly invited her to drink a glass of gin. Jane thankfully accepted the offer, and entered into a conversation concerning their past adventures, which lasted so long that Suky called for another quartern of gin to amuse them between whiles.

            Suky, then informed her friend Jane, that she lived at Moll J––s's under the Piazza in Covent Garden.

            "Our bar-keeper," added she, "has just left us, and I believe you are very well qualified to supply her place; I'll speak to her about you this very day, meet me under the piazza about seven o'clock. I can't possibly stay now, so I'll take my leave of you, but we'll have another quartern of gin first." So Suky called for the gin, and while they were drinking it, Jane in the warmest terms expressed her acknowledgment and grateful sense of the goodness of her friend. They soon after parted, and Jane did not fail to repair to the place of rendezvous at the appointed hour.

            She was soon met by Suky, who told her, that her mistress could not see her till the morning, as she had a great deal of company to entertain that night, and did not care to hurry things.

            "In the meantime, "added she, "as I have got no husband for tonight, we'll go and have some supper."

            So away they went to the Duke in Chandos Street, and after having regaled themselves with a-la-mode beef, drank a pot of porter and a quartern of gin. They parted, and next morning Suky introduced Jane to her mistress, who having asked her a few questions, perceived that she was an understanding women, and kindly offered to do all that lay in her power, but informed her at the same time that she had provided herself of a bar-keeper.

            Poor Jenny being thus disappointed by the advice of her friend above-mentioned, had recourse to selling oranges and fruit in the wheelbarrow way, being supplied by her generous countrywoman with money to enable her to set up.

            Jane D––s was not the only illustrious personage who begun the world in a low way, if we look among the great and renowned persons, who have filled the world with their fame; we shall often find, that their greatness rose from a source both low and base, as proud Venice from dirt and seaweed.

            Thus we are informed by historians, that Augustus Cæsar owed his first preferment to having been p–k to Hirtius in his youth. A genius can never be long concealed.

            Jenny was soon taken notice of by many gentlemen who made Covent Garden their chief place of resort; and these she served in so many ways of industry that she received the appellation of industrious Jenny.

            By the interest of her masters, she was promoted to sell oranges in the Play-house, and having thus quitted the wheelbarrow for a higher sphere, distinguished herself both in the pit and galleries, by that sort of eloquence in which orange-women are not inferior to the matrons of Billingsgate. Such was her success in this business, that she has been otten heard to say, that she has taken five pounds in a night; for gentlemen would take an orange and give, some half a guinea, some a crown, &c.

            The reader however is not to imagine that this confederation for Jenny was owing to her fruit alone; gentlemen had other motives for showing Jane this uncommon favour, and these may be easily guesred at.

            Such was the grateful temper of Jenny that she never forgot these her first patrons; but when she afterwards carried on the greatest business of any woman of her profession in town, called them always her old masters, and took care always to keep the best girls for them. From hence it appears that Jane had virtues, though the rigid part of mankind may be inclined to think that they entitle her to but little praise.

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