Magic lantern - Jane Conquest part 4.

How Jane Conquest rang the Bell. (A Christmas Story)

On this page some other sets of magic lantern slides that depicts the sad story of our heroine Jane Conquest. The first set is made by the English lantern slide maker and supplier Frederick York and the images are released in a coloured as well as a black and white version around 1891. It was a reissue of a previous version. Slides from 'York and Son' from 1890 are identifiable by their trade mark, a ‘Y’ with a snake entwined, set in a triangle. Their catalogues covered every subject, like Travel, Comic, Science, Education and...... Life Model series. The 17 glass magic lantern slides measure 3.25 inches (8.2 cm) square. It is exceptional in having alternative endings, the baby can live or die and the audience can decide. Jane Conquest. T'was about the time of Christmas, many years ago, when the sky was black with storm clouds and the earth was white with snow.

Our story's set in a humble home Jane, our heroine, so sad is she, baby Tom is at death's door and husband Harry is away at sea.	Jane's not seen Harry for many a month and her last meal was two days ago, Baby Tom is weak and thin, will live forsake him? only God can know.	Outside a fierce storm rages, no fuel is there to warm Jane's child, then she spies a gallant ship in peril.... yonder.... on sea so wild!

If she could only warn the village those sailors might yet reach the land, but what of baby Tom, her child? Oh please, oh please, a helping hand.	Those sailors all have families too. She must save them if she can. The angels will watch over Tom, she must warn the lifeboatmen.	If Jane could only read the church and sound the bell, then help would come, but the snow was deep and the hillside steep, keep going Jane, don't succumb!

When the church came into view her strength had almost gone, but the thought of those poor souls at sea gave Jane the will to carry on.	The heavy door finally yielded. Jane now knew her goal was near. With all her strength she pulled the rope The bell rang out.... but would they hear?	Her task complete, her duty done, her wretched frame could pull no more, all alone.... cold..... exhausted she fell in silence to the floor.

The village folk heard the signal and rallied to the 'Shipwreck!' call. The lifeboat reached the stricken vessel and saved every sailor from the squall.	Fate played it's hand that dreadful day for one young man saved from the sea was Harry Conquest, Jane's true love and now he sought her.... joyously!	But this joy turned to sadness when he saw his dear son Tom, and saw the room was dark and dank, and his lovely wife was gone.

And as he fainted to the floor he cried out for 'Jane', his wife. He could not know, that is was she who had saved his own dear life.	The village folk had wondered who had tolled the timely warning and Old Ned trudged through snow drifts deep to get to the Church that morning.	Old Ned revived our heroine, now her child was her only care, but the sight that they beheld at home was more than Jane could bear. Harry looked up and saw his wife and knew his prayers were not in vain, but what of Tom, their beloved son, would he smile at them again?
Now it's time to let the audience decide whether Tom lives or dies......
(Public shouting now: Live...... die.......live......die!!!!!)	If Tom lives: Tom soon was well, I'm pleased to tell and their home was filled with laughter. Jane Conquest's love had conquered all and the lived happily ever after. Jane Conquest risked her most precious gift to save a ship's doomed crew. A sacrifice that few would make, Would I? ..... Would you?	If Tom died: Alas, Tom's soul had left this world, and they both were lost in grief. Tom's time on earth with Harry and Jane had been so very, very brief. Jane Conquest gave her most precious gift to save a ship's doomed crew. A sacrifice that few would make, Would I? ..... Would you?
A sacrifice that few would make. Would I? ..... Would you ?
Below the effect of the angel that appears when Jane falls on her knees to pray for her child. The angel is painted on slide #5 and is superimposed on slide #4 and may be later on slide #16. This was best done by using a second magic lantern or a double lantern, a biunial.

There exist slides about Jane Conquest that are also made by York and Son but differ from the above. These are probably from an earlier version of this series.







Above a set of ten magic lantern slide plus a title slide from an unknown manufacturer. Slide # 2 was used to fake the fluttering light from the burning ship coming through her window. Below a set of twelve slides of 'How Jane Conquest rang the bell' made by Theobald & Co., c.1900.

She is sitting there with her dying child	Gazes out of the window across the sea	She is torn with doubt as to what she can to to help the mariners

She sinks down on her knees, offers up prayer	Bravely through the tempest she forced her way	She seizes hold of the bell rope

The Lifeboat forces its way slowly, but steadily	Harry Conquest drags his weary steps across the beach and along the road	Seized with a terrible dread he sinks fainting to the ground

His eyes gaze upon a woman lying full length	The woman bent forward and gazed upon the upturned face	There lies the child she had left racked with fever