FIRST LESSONS IN THE ART OF INSTRUCTION
As we along, my again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the of the new life upon which I was entering. But though it was not past the middle of September, the clouds and north-easterly wind to the day cold and dreary; and the a very long one, for, as Smith observed, the were "very heavy"; and certainly, his was very too: it up the hills, and them, and only to shake its in a where the road was at a level or a very slope, which was the case in those regions; so that it was nearly one o'clock we the place of our destination. Yet, after all, when we entered the iron gateway, when we up the smooth, well-rolled carriage-road, with the green lawn on each side, with trees, and approached the new but of Wellwood, above its poplar-groves, my failed me, and I it were a mile or two off. For the time in my life I must alone: there was no now. I must enter that house, and myself among its inhabitants. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to my retired life and the protecting of my mother and sister, I well that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was with a more address, and and self-possession, than I was. Yet, if Mrs. Bloomfield were a kind, woman, I might do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at with them—and Mr. Bloomfield, I hoped, I should have but little to do with.
"Be calm, be calm, happens," I said myself; and I this so well, and was so in my nerves and the of my heart, that when I was into the and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost to answer her salutation; and it me, that the little I did say was spoken in the of one half-dead or half-asleep. The lady, too, was in her manner, as I when I had time to reflect. She was a tall, spare, woman, with thick black hair, cold eyes, and complexion.
With politeness, however, she me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment. I was at my on looking in the glass: the cold wind had and my hands, and my hair, and my of a purple; add to this my was crumpled, my with mud, my in new boots, and as the were not up, there was no remedy; so having my as well as I could, and my collar, I to the two of stairs, as I went; and with some my way into the room where Mrs. Bloomfield me.
She me into the dining-room, where the family had been out. Some and half-cold potatoes were set me; and while I upon these, she sat opposite, me (as I thought) and to something like a conversation—consisting of a of remarks, with formality: but this might be more my fault than hers, for I not converse. In fact, my attention was almost in my dinner: not from appetite, but from at the of the beefsteaks, and the of my hands, almost by their five-hours' to the wind. I would have the potatoes and let the meat alone, but having got a large piece of the on to my plate, I not be so as to it; so, after many and to cut it with the knife, or tear it with the fork, or it them, that the lady was a to the whole transaction, I at last the knife and in my fists, like a child of two years old, and to work with all the little I possessed. But this needed some apology—with a attempt at a laugh, I said, "My hands are so with the cold that I can my knife and fork."
"I you would it cold," she with a cool, that did not to me.
When the was concluded, she me into the sitting-room again, where she and sent for the children.
"You will them not very in their attainments," said she, "for I have had so little time to to their education myself, and we have them too for a till now; but I think they are children, and very to learn, the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock—a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and for always speaking the truth. He to deception" (this was good news). "His sister Mary Ann will watching," she, "but she is a very good girl upon the whole; though I wish her to be out of the as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might from the nurses. I have ordered her to be in your room, and if you will be so as to her and dressing, and take of her clothes, she need have nothing to do with the maid."
I I was to do so; and at that moment my entered the apartment, with their two sisters. Master Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven, with a frame, hair, eyes, small turned-up nose, and complexion. Mary Ann was a tall girl too, dark like her mother, but with a full and a high colour in her cheeks. The second sister was Fanny, a very little girl; Mrs. Bloomfield me she was a child, and encouragement: she had not learned anything yet; but in a days, she would be four years old, and then she might take her lesson in the alphabet, and be promoted to the schoolroom. The one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, thing of two, that I more than all the rest—but with her I had nothing to do.
I talked to my little as well as I could, and to myself agreeable; but with little success I fear, for their mother's presence me under an restraint. They, however, were free from shyness. They bold, children, and I I should soon be on terms with them—the little boy especially, of I had such a from his mamma. In Mary Ann there was a simper, and a for notice, that I was sorry to observe. But her all my attention to himself; he me and the fire, with his hands his back, talking away like an orator, occasionally his with a to his sisters when they too much noise.
"Oh, Tom, what a you are!" his mother. "Come and dear mamma; and then won't you Miss Grey your schoolroom, and your new books?"
"I won't you, mamma; but I will Miss Grey my schoolroom, and my new books."
"And my schoolroom, and my new books, Tom," said Mary Ann. "They're mine too."
"They're mine," he decisively. "Come along, Miss Grey—I'll you."
When the room and books had been shown, with some the and sister that I did my to or mitigate, Mary Ann me her doll, and to be very on the of its clothes, its bed, its of drawers, and other appurtenances; but Tom told her to her clamour, that Miss Grey might see his rocking-horse, which, with a most bustle, he from its into the middle of the room, calling on me to to it. Then, ordering his sister to the reins, he mounted, and me for ten minutes, how he used his and spurs. Meantime, however, I Mary Ann's doll, and all its possessions; and then told Master Tom he was a rider, but I he would not use his and so much when he a pony.
"Oh, yes, I will!" said he, on with ardour. "I'll cut into him like smoke! Eeh! my word! but he shall for it."
This was very shocking; but I in time to be able to work a reformation.
"Now you must put on your and shawl," said the little hero, "and I'll you my garden."
"And mine," said Mary Ann.
Tom his with a gesture; she a loud, scream, ran to the other of me, and a at him.
"Surely, Tom, you would not your sister! I I shall see you do that."
"You will sometimes: I'm to do it now and then to keep her in order."
"But it is not your to keep her in order, you know—that is for "
"Well, now go and put on your bonnet."
"I don't know—it is so very cloudy and cold, it likely to rain;—and you know I have had a long drive."
"No matter—you must come; I shall allow of no excuses," the little gentleman. And, as it was the day of our acquaintance, I I might as well him. It was too cold for Mary Ann to venture, so she with her mamma, to the great of her brother, who liked to have me all to himself.
The garden was a large one, and out; dahlias, there were some other flowers still in bloom: but my would not give me time to them: I must go with him, across the wet grass, to a corner, the most place in the grounds, it his garden. There were two beds, with a of plants. In one there was a little rose-tree. I paused to its blossoms.
"Oh, mind that!" said he, contemptuously. "That's only Mary Ann's garden; look, THIS is mine."
After I had every flower, and to a on every plant, I was permitted to depart; but first, with great pomp, he a and presented it to me, as one a favour. I observed, on the about his garden, of and corn, and asked what they were.
"Traps for birds."
"Why do you catch them?"
"Papa says they do harm."
"And what do you do with them when you catch them?"
"Different things. Sometimes I give them to the cat; sometimes I cut them in pieces with my penknife; but the next, I to alive."
"And why do you to do such a thing?"
"For two reasons: first, to see how long it will live—and then, to see what it will taste like."
"But don't you know it is to do such things? Remember, the can as well as you; and think, how would you like it yourself?"
"Oh, that's nothing! I'm not a bird, and I can't what I do to them."
"But you will have to it some time, Tom: you have where people go to when they die; and if you don't off birds, remember, you will have to go there, and just what you have them suffer."
"Oh, pooh! I shan't. Papa how I them, and he me for it: he says it is just what he used to do when he was a boy. Last summer, he gave me a full of sparrows, and he saw me off their and wings, and heads, and said anything; that they were things, and I must not let them my trousers: and Uncle Robson was there too, and he laughed, and said I was a boy."
"But what would your say?"
"Oh, she doesn't care! she says it's a to kill the birds, but the sparrows, and mice, and rats, I may do what I like with. So now, Miss Grey, you see it is not wicked."
"I still think it is, Tom; and your papa and would think so too, if they much about it. However," I added, "they may say what they please, but I am you shall do nothing of the kind, as long as I have power to prevent it."
He next took me across the lawn to see his mole-traps, and then into the stack-yard to see his weasel-traps: one of which, to his great joy, a weasel; and then into the to see, not the carriage-horses, but a little colt, which he me had been on purpose for him, and he was to it as soon as it was properly trained. I to the little fellow, and to all his as as I could; for I if he had any at all, I would to win them; and then, in time, I might be able to him the error of his ways: but I looked in for that generous, his mother talked of; though I see he was not without a of and penetration, when he to it.
When we re-entered the house it was nearly tea-time. Master Tom told me that, as papa was from home, he and I and Mary Ann were to have tea with mamma, for a treat; for, on such occasions, she always at luncheon-time with them, of at six o'clock. Soon after tea, Mary Ann to bed, but Tom us with his company and till eight. After he was gone, Mrs. Bloomfield me on the of her children's and acquirements, and on what they were to learn, and how they were to be managed, and me to mention their to no one but herself. My mother had me to mention them as little as possible to her, for people did not like to be told of their children's faults, and so I I was to keep on them altogether. About half-past nine, Mrs. Bloomfield me to of a supper of cold meat and bread. I was when that was over, and she took her and retired to rest; for though I to be pleased with her, her company was to me; and I not help that she was cold, grave, and forbidding—the very opposite of the kind, warm-hearted my had her to be.
