THE FIRST ESSAY.
Mabel was already there when she arrived, and the two set to work in
earnest, buttering great piles of tea-cakes and toasted muffins, which
were all set forth in tempting array when the children began to appear
at the door, looking in with some bashfulness at first, but plucking up
courage after sundry peeps at the good things, they came trooping in, in
goodly numbers--a motly throng, ranging in point of age, from about
seven to fourteen, and in point of condition, from ragged and torn
urchins, with dirty faces and uncombed hair, to mill-girls of various
ages with shining faces, and ribbons of different degrees of dirtiness
in their crimped and frizzled tresses.
They were led by Mabel into another apartment, where accommodation was
provided for those who desired to improve their toilet with such
additions as soap and water and a certain amount of vigorous brushing
could afford. These arrangements completed, they were marshalled into
the largest room the house contained, where it was found that, although
an apartment of no mean dimensions, it was still hardly large enough to
accommodate the throng comfortably. However, by dint of squeezing and
crushing, and amid not a little noise and merriment, they were at last
all wedged in, "like figs in a box," as Minnie humourously remarked
thinking she was saying quite a smart thing, out of which delusion she
was at once awakened by one of the smallest and most ragged of the
urchins present, who promptly suggested "herring" as a more appropriate
simile. This view of the case being evidently a popular one, and,
moreover, being more favourably received by the assemblage, Minnie felt
it to be her duty to admit the correction, and next fell to wondering
how they would manage to get out again. The difficulty did not seem to
strike the children as being an insuperable one, they even proposed to
tackle and overcome it on the spot--merely as an experiment, in order to
show that it could be done--which obliging proposal, however, was not
accepted. One row of small boys, nevertheless, fired with a desire to
distinguish themselves in some way or other, tilted back the bench on
which they sat so far that they completely lost their equilibrium, and
indubitably proved the possibility of _their_ getting out, at least, by
finding themselves on the floor in various ungraceful positions, and
with several pretty hard knocks.
These had of course to be re-packed, which ceremony being accomplished,
the business of eating and drinking commenced in earnest.
This occupied a considerable part of the time which was thereafter
filled up with games and songs supplied by the young folks themselves,
Minnie and Mabel merely superintending.
They departed about nine o'clock, all highly pleased with themselves,
each other, and most of all with the young ladies who had provided for
them this means of enjoyment. Each of them carried away some remnant of
the feast, and better than that, all carried to their homes and
scattered there all unconsciously, the seeds of kindness which had that
night been scattered so freely in their own hearts; for Minnie could not
let them go away, even on that first night of her experiment, without
saying to them a word about the kind "Master" who had put it into her
head to give them this pleasure, and offering up a short and simple
petition that her efforts might be attended with the result she aimed
at, namely, the winning of these young souls for the Master's service.
There were no murmurings as they ran home about their fun being turned
into a prayer-meeting, as would doubtless have been the case had the
Missionary or the Curate tried such a plan, but none of those who were
likely to give the matter a second thought suspected a girl not much
older than themselves of such a thing, and the younger ones did not
trouble themselves with motives, but thought it nice to have the young
lady speaking so sweetly and gently to them, with tears in her eyes too,
and determined firmly, though they were scarcely conscious of the
determination, to please her by every means in their power, and from
that moment were her devoted champions.
Mabel and Minnie had had a slight difference of opinion on the subject
of allowing the children to provide the games and songs entirely
themselves. Mabel thought it likely they would introduce rather rough
games, and possibly rude songs, and that it might be better if they
themselves suggested the games, and allowed only such songs to be sung
as should be approved by them.
"Because," she remarked, "We mean to educate them to something better
than what forms their enjoyment at present, and this ought to be a
beginning."
The latter part of Mabel's suggestion was received by Minnie with some
favour, and at length, indeed, admitted as a rule of the house, but the
first clause she resolutely objected to as too decided an invasion, and
Mabel was obliged to yield.
"It is quite true that we mean to educate them to something better, but
we must not frighten them away at the beginning with stringent
regulations. If we do, we shall have no opportunity of educating them at
all."
And so it was settled, and as it happened, they had no cause to regret
their decision, for many of their little friends confessed long
afterwards, that it was the complete freedom from restraint and from any
attempt to introduce other than their customary forms of enjoyment, that
induced them to return again and again when the plan was almost wholly
changed.
Next morning Minnie rose with a light heart, feeling that she was better
as well as happier for her last night's exertions, and during the whole
of that week things went smoothly with her, for the spell of a sacred
charge was upon her, and its influence mellowed and subdued her native
sweetness, till it seemed to those about her something unearthly, and
the girls regarded her with something like awe, all but Mona Cameron,
who, if she noticed any difference, would not acknowledge it, and
laughed at the others for their absurdity.
"I'll show you," she said, as they were talking about it one afternoon
after Minnie had gone home, "How far her saintliness will carry her. You
all say that she never gets provoked except with me. Well, I promise
you, I'll provoke her; I know her, and exactly how long any impression
lasts with her. I suppose she's been attending some revival meeting and
got this wonderful sweetness there, but I'll scatter it, I promise you."
"Well, I don't think that fair any way you look at it," remarked another
girl, who was standing by. "It can't be right to try and make anybody
sour just for spite, and as for Minnie, you can't make her sour whatever
you do, so it is only lost time. She's just sweetness itself always,
though she _has_ a quick temper, and lets it get roused very easily now
and then. But it can't be right to make any one worse, we are all bad
enough for that matter, and should have enough to do to look after
ourselves."
"I'm glad you have the candour to confess it, Agnes, but speak for
yourself another time, please, it's quite enough responsibility for a
young lady of your age," replied Mona with asperity, "Your notions of
what is right or wrong are of no consequence to me whatever."
After that none dared to add a word, for they were, one and all, afraid
of Mona's sharp tongue; nevertheless, they felt the injustice of her
attack, and resented it in their hearts, for Minnie was their favourite,
and they all knew that Mona was jealous of Minnie's position as such, no
less than of her rivalry in other matters. However, though she did her
best by long-successful methods, to upset Minnie's tranquillity next day
she found it of no use. Minnie was living in another world just then,
and the sound of strife could not come near her.
Mabel noticed these efforts on the part of Mona with growing
indignation, but seeing they fell harmless, judged it best to be silent
on the subject. There was also another eye which saw and noted these
things--that of Miss Elgin, the English governess, who was more among
the girls than any of the other teachers, and she kept a vigilant watch,
determined to check Mona's tactics whenever they should go too far.
But Minnie was all unconscious of these things, and in this way Saturday
arrived, and the two girls again held their simple entertainment.
At the close of the evening, before the children left it was announced
from the chair, which was occupied by Mabel, that a prize would be given
at the end of a stated time to whichever of the young people then
present could show the best kept garden.
This was the first step towards the improving of the place outwardly,
which they both considered their plain duty to begin at the very
outset, seeing it was with this view they had obtained the use of the
house.
Minnie arranged with the gardener to procure the necessary implements
for those who had not already got them. These were partially supplied by
him out of a hoard of old ones which he was very glad to be rid of, and
partially through the co-operation of a friend of his who also obtained
permission so to dispose of his superfluous stock, leaving only a few to
be provided out of the "Exchequer," as Minnie stated at next meeting
with due gravity and importance.
It was necessary to exercise a little diplomacy in the distribution of
these, as they were a little afraid there might be some dissatisfaction
felt about some getting new spades and rakes, and others not. This
difficulty they soon disposed of, however, by the new ones being bought
of a smaller size than usual, and only the youngest being supplied with
these.
Thus the minds of the two girls were occupied during their leisure time
in devising new schemes for the furtherance of the good work they had
originated, and were so kept free from the morbid and unhealthy train of
thought into which girls of their age with nothing better to interest
them are so apt to fall. And thus their work went on, and the month of
probation for which Minnie had asked was nearly at an end.
Some fruits of their labours were already beginning to make themselves
visible. The children always made it a point to appear on Saturdays, at
least, with clean faces and neatly-combed hair, and altogether as tidy
generally as circumstances would permit; and were to be found, on other
afternoons, instead of lying about the little gardens, enhancing their
disorder, hard at work with their spades and other implements, engaged
in weeding them and setting them in order; so that the outward aspect of
Hollowmell was being improved at any rate, upon which indication of
success the two friends congratulated themselves much, and felt more
than repaid for their efforts and sacrifices both of time and money.
Mr. Kimberly had not given much thought to Minnie's freak, as he called
it, after consenting to it, and had in fact dismissed it from his mind
and forgotten all about it, when Minnie informed him one evening that it
was now a month since they commenced their work, and as they had
obtained his permission to use the house for only that length of time,
she begged him to continue it if the house were still unlet.
"O, yes, I remember now," he said. "The house at the end of the hollow.
No, it is not let to anybody but you. I had almost forgotten that it was
you who occupied it till this moment. I was just remarking to Menzies,
the manager down at the pit, the other day that it was by far the most
respectable house in the place."
"I suppose that is because we keep the windows clean," laughed Minnie.
"Well, as you seem to be such good tenants--you and your friend--I don't
think I can do better than give you another lease of it," remarked Mr.
Kimberly, smiling at her delighted face. "By the way, I suppose that is
some of your work--the general improvement in the grass plots?"
"O, no, papa, that is what the children do themselves. And what do you
think, papa, one of the little fellows actually comes regularly and
weeds our beds, because we haven't time to attend to them ourselves. He
did it at first without any prompting but that of gratitude, and now
some of the others help him, and so they keep our garden tidy as well as
their own."
"Yes, yes, Slyboots, but who put the idea of keeping their own tidy,
into their heads? It didn't grow there, I am sure of that."
"Well, _I'm_ not quite so sure of that," replied Minnie, shaking her
head wisely. "Perhaps it has been there a long while, and only required
some one to tap it out."
"Well, well," returned Mr. Kimberly with an amused expression, "as you
have been so clever as to tap this one out, who knows how many more you
may tap out before long, so go on and prosper, and remember if you run
short of funds you may draw on me, because I should like to see my
work-people in a better condition, though I haven't time to attend to it
myself, and _they_ wont. They don't seem to see the good of spending
money on anything but drink, and that is how it is, though they have
good houses and fair pay, they are always dirty and miserable and
discontented." And a weary look took the place of his former amused one,
as he turned again to the heap of papers on his desk.
Minnie saw that he was busy, and though she would have liked to stay
and cheer him up, she thought it better to retire, her request being
granted.
"He sees I am in earnest, anyhow," she observed to herself as she closed
the door softly behind her, "and he sees too that we _are_ doing
something. Oh, I _will_ be so glad if I can do anything to make it
easier for him. These people try him so--I suppose they have been
threatening another strike." And she went to bed, her head full of plans
for getting further into the hearts of these rough miners, and drawing
them to better things.