Jane Holland, whose death
brought sadness to so many,
once shared with us the delight
ful story of how she got engaged
to John, and subsequently mar
ried him. Incidentally, theirs
was a love that lasted for a
lifetime.
She was Jane McWhorter, the
fun loving but properly behaved
daughter of a Methodist mini
ster, and John was one of New
Bern’s better known younger
males. He was skinny, and suf
ficiently deprived of handsome
ness to escape being mistaken
for John Barrymore, but he had
a way with girls.
Homely thougji he was, John
had two things going for him.
He had a gift of gab that made
him interesting company, and
a persistent nature. Havlngfall-
en for Jane at first sl^t, he was
determined to win her heart.
The fact that he didn’t sweep
the new parson’s dau^ter off
her feet with his beautifully
expressed phrases and perfect
manners was temporarily dis
concerting but it failed to fill
him with dismay. He had made
up his mind that no other girl
would do, as his mate on the sea
of matrimony.
Jane’s failure to appreciate
his elegant vocabulary possibly
was influenced by her own
knowledge of the king’s English.
She had been to college, and was
in fact teaching school here.
John’s line, good enou^ for the
average run of young females,
revealed certain inadequacies
when confronted by an educated
girl like Jane.
Even so, he kept plugging
along at convincing her that this
not only was his one great love,
but that a similar romantic
awakening on her part was most
advisable. His determination
and unmistakable sincerity fin
ally won her over, and notliing
better ever happened to either of
them.
Selling himself to Jane didn’t
get John completely off the
hook. She made it quite clear
that the next step was to talk
privately with her father, and
ask for her hand in marriage.
Jane, of course, would nut t)e
present when John announced
his intention and offered his
credentials.
Conversing with friends his
own age, .who were no match
for his sharp wit was one thing.
Discussing so delicate a matter
with of all people a preacher who
happened to be the father of the
prospective bride was some
thing else. John didn’t feel at
ease around preachers. Lat
er he always did.
Jane left it entirely up to
him as to when he would broach
the subject to Reverend Mc
Whorter. John chose broad day
light for the setting, and was
elated beyond all bounds when
the minister saw things his way
and gave the match his paternal
blessing.
Always the clown at heart,
John hurried td the Academy
green. He knew school was
out for recess, and that Jane
was away from her classroom
keeping a sharp eye on kids
swarming like ants during a
brief respite from books.
He sneaked into Jane’s room,
hastily grabbed a piece of
chalk, and scribbled glad tid
ings all the way across the
blackboard. When Jane came
.(Continued on page 8).. .
Srrtt4(r8iirti (Domitg fnlilir
The NEW BERN
I PUBLISHID WIIKLY
4^^ IN THI MAIIT Of*
UTIRN NORTH
%
VOLUME n
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1968
NUMBER 23
MR. CHAIRMAN—^That’s what James Benjamin Riggs,
six month old son of Mr. and Mrs. James S. Biggs,
Jr., of Cove City seems to be saying as he imitates a
tvpical delegate at the Democratic National Conven
tion. As the young man indicates with his facial ex
pression, the scene was dominated by open mouths
and drooping eyes. The mouths talked endlessly, just
as other mouths did at the Republican Convention in
Miami, and the heavy eyelids were a sure sign of
weariness or boredom, or a combination of the two.
The delegates weren’t the only ones who lost sleep
while the Democrats were fighting among themselves
like tomcats in a back alley. New Bern televiewers,
and many millions more across the land stayed close
to their sets far beyond bedtime. By any standard,
they were treated to more excitement than the Re
publicans generated.—Photo by Eunice Wray.