Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

persevering in doing right here, she should secure felicity hereafter.

to carry

[ocr errors]

With this impression she took her seat, in the latter end of October, in the Harwich coach, which passed New-built Hall, the seat of Mr. Cash. About nine in the evening she was set down at the gate belonging to this mansion: a dirty boy attended to take charge of the luggage, and as he was not sufficiently strong the portmanteau on his shoulder, Mrs. Mortimer had ever and anon to stop, that the poor creature might rest himself. It was a fine moon-light night, and she saw that the grounds appeared pretty, but the house seemed unfinished, as it had only one wing. Altogether the place looked respectable, and gave her a more favourable opinion of the family than she had formed by their appearance in London; but on entering the house all was total darkness, and she was put into a small parlour, till Mr. and Mrs. Cash were informed of her arrival. At

length an Abigail brought a light, and she was conducted into a drawing-room, where the whole family were assembled. Mrs. Cash received her with great stiffness, and introduced her to all present as her children, excepting two gentlemen. This rather surprised Mrs. Mortimer, as several of the young ladies appeared more fit for a husband than a governess. Mrs. Cash said they should soon have tea, and in the mean time her eldest daughter would shew her to her apartment. It now required all Mrs. Mortimer's presence of mind to conceal her disgust at the room appropriated for her use; it exactly resembled what her man servant used to sleep in: white walls, a check bed and window curtain, a com. mon deal table, two chairs, a chest of drawers, and a looking glass, comprehended the furniture of this elegant apartment. She observed that at tea she was the last served: the eldest daughter, son, and company, had cream, and thin bread

and butter; but the governess and rest of the family milk, and thick bread with little butter. Mrs. Mortimer pleaded being fatigued, and retired to her garret, but before she could even undress herself, a servant entered to demand her candle, as her mistress never let any person put out their own light. This was far from agreeable news, for Mrs. Mortimer was always fond of both reading and writing at night, when the house is perfectly quiet; and she now saw that she should be debarred of this comfort. At nine o'clock the family assembled to breakfast; and when Mrs. Mortimer joined them, a gallon loaf was put into her hand, and she was desired to cut the thick bread and butter for the children. This was a most unfortunate request, as she had all her life attempted gaining this accomplishment, but without success, and even at a small loaf she performed so awkwardly, that her friends always insisted she should pay a forfeit if she

[ocr errors]

touched the bread, they not being able to shew their own dexterity afterwards, as she left the loaf so uneven as to render it impossible to cut Vauxhall slices. However, she did as well as she could, but probably it would have been some hours before the young ladies were satisfied, if Mr. George Cash had not very kindly released her from the difficult task. The same ceremony was kept up at each meal, namely that Mrs. Mortimer was last served. When breakfast was over, Mrs. Cash accompanied Mrs. Mortimer to the school-room, and addressed her as follows: "I wish you, madam, to understand, that I want my daughters to be very accomplished; also I wish them to attend to household concerns, mending their clothes, &c. you will hear them their prayers every morning and night; see their linen right from the wash and given out to wash; also that it is properly aired, and, when you want an hour to yourself, if you ask me you shall have

it, if I can spare you. Two hours you must walk every day with the girls: they must rise by seven o'clock in the morning; but as they have had the ague, I do not chuse they should learn any thing before breakfast, only skip; and they have ropes for that exercise. I also beg that you will dress remarkably plain, as I do not like the appearance of a fine lady."

She then departed, and poor Mrs. Mortimer was really an object of compassion, for she saw that she was to be considered no better than an upper servant. As to her dress, how it could be plainer she could not divine, as she was in deep mourning, and not even the least white about her. In London Mrs. Cash bad told her that her second daughter was a bad temper, and she feared that Mrs. Mortimer would have some trouble with her, but on the contrary she found that this young lady was nineteen years of age, kept the same hours, and was treated the same as the children. They had all

« ElőzőTovább »