COUSINS.
"Tea is ready, miss," said a trim maid-servant at the door of the
bedroom where the two girls were talking, and Ruth followed her cousin
downstairs to the large cheerful room she had entered upon her arrival.
Mrs. Woburn had already taken her seat behind the urn, and the two boys
who were sitting beside her rose to meet their cousin. Ernest, the elder
of the two, was a tall, thin lad of fifteen, with a pair of large brown
eyes, the only striking feature in his plain but sensible face.
Rupert was a merry little schoolboy of seven, bright-eyed and
curly-haired, a mischievous little sprite, no doubt, but a very
affectionate lovable little fellow. He chattered continually during the
meal, and did a great deal to take off the sense of shyness that Ruth
felt in the company of Julia and Ernest, and her aunt asked questions
about the farm-life at Cressleigh, and talked of their plans for the
next few weeks.
"Oh! you will have a great deal to see," said Julia, "as this is your
first visit to the sea-side. I think we had better put on our hats and
go for a long walk at once, it is a shame to be indoors this lovely
evening."
"That will hardly do for your cousin, dear; she looks rather tired, and
we must remember that she has had a long journey to-day."
Ruth was very tired, and, much as she longed to go for a walk along the
shore, she felt that that pleasure must be deferred until the next
morning. But she was rather dismayed by Julia's saying, "Well, I don't
see any reason for our remaining indoors. Of course Ernest won't come,
he is too much taken up with that book about--shellology. So he can stay
with Ruth while you come out with us."
"Why can't you call things by their right names, and say 'conchology'?"
asked Ernest quietly.
"Really, Julia, I don't think we must leave your cousin this evening,"
said Mrs. Woburn, doubtfully.
"Don't stay at home on my account, auntie," replied Ruth, putting aside
her own feelings, though she did not much like the idea of spending the
evening with Ernest, such a grave, quiet boy, so very different from her
brothers.
Julia carried her point, and started in a few minutes for a walk with
her mother and Rupert, leaving the cousins to their own resources. Ruth
took a seat near the window, and watched the waves breaking gently upon
the beach, while the boy appeared to be entirely occupied with his book.
It was rather dull, this first evening away from home; it seemed
scarcely possible that she had really only left Cressleigh that morning,
and she began to wonder if they had missed her very much, and what they
were doing now, and when she should see them all again, and as she
thought of the months that must elapse first she heaved a weary sigh.
The sigh roused Ernest, who had quite forgotten his companion in the
charms of his book, and he at once endeavoured to make amends for his
neglect in his kind but awkward way.
"Oh! I beg your pardon," he began, "I almost forgot--do you like
conchology?" he asked, by way of starting a conversation.
"I don't know anything about it," was Ruth's meek reply, "but I believe
it is the science of shells, is it not?"
"Yes. I thought you wouldn't care for it. Girls never do."
"Perhaps I might learn," she said humbly; "but I haven't had a chance to
study any 'ologies,' they did not teach them at Miss Green's. Are you
studying it as a holiday task?"
"No, for amusement. They won't let me study in the holidays, but I enjoy
this. Just look at these shells, aren't they beauties?" and he showed
her one of the illustrations in his book.
"Oh! how beautiful!" she exclaimed; and the boy, seeing she was
interested, told her what he had been reading, and promised to get her
some specimens the next day, and the time slipped rapidly by, until Mrs.
Woburn and Julia returned.
"What have you been doing all the evening?" asked Julia, when they were
in their room that night. "Was Ernest civil?"
"He was very kind, and showed me his book on conchology, and explained
about the shells, and he is going to get me some specimens to-morrow."
"Indeed!" said Julia, rather surprised, "I should not have thought that
you cared for that sort of thing."
Ruth was too tired to answer, and had soon forgotten the events of the
day in sound refreshing sleep. When she awoke, the sun was shining
brightly, and she was astonished to find that she had slept until
half-past seven. She was accustomed to rise very early at home, and was
afraid that her cousins would be shocked at her laziness, until she
found that Julia was still sleeping quietly in the bed beside her.
"Julia! Julia!" she cried, "it's very late. We must get up at once."
"What is the time?" was asked drowsily.
"Half-past seven."
"Why can't you let me rest?" said Julia crossly. "We always breakfast at
eight at home, but I don't intend to get up so early at the sea-side."
She closed her eyes and went to sleep again; but Ruth, who was wide
awake, rose at once, dressed quickly, brushed her brown curls, and went
downstairs. There was no one about, and the morning air was so fresh,
and the sunshine so inviting, that she took her hat and ran down to the
beach, feeling so full of joy and gladness that she could hardly
restrain herself from singing, as she often did in the fields at
Cressleigh. The sunlight sparkled upon the crested waves as they broke
gently upon the shore, and the tide came in, slowly creeping up the
shingle, now bearing away a dry piece of sea-weed and making it look
alive and fresh, advancing and retreating, yet ever creeping slowly
upward, until one wave almost broke over her feet and reminded her of
the old and oft-repeated adage, "Time and tide wait for no man."
She hurried back, to find her aunt and cousins waiting breakfast for
her; and as she told them about her morning ramble, she did not notice
the unpleasant glances which Julia bestowed upon her dress, a blue
cotton one, made very simply, but somewhat old-fashioned, and washed
until the colour was rather faded.
"We must certainly go out this lovely morning," said Mrs. Woburn after
breakfast. "Where do you think your cousin would like to go, dear?"
"Oh! we'll go to the Esplanade of course," replied Julia, as she ran off
to get ready. She came down a few minutes later looking very nice in her
pretty holland dress trimmed with red, and shady straw hat with muslin
and lace bows, and dainty gloves.
"You don't mean to say that you are going out like that, Ruth!" she
exclaimed, as she caught sight of her cousin sitting by the window still
wearing her print dress and shabby straw hat.
"Yes," she replied, and was going to ask "Why not?" but the sight of her
cousin's simple but pretty costume stopped her, and she blushed rosy
red.
"Then of course we cannot go to the Esplanade," said Julia in a pointed
manner.