At the time appointed, Mrs. Meridith and family returned to Rosewood;
every one was pleased at the thought of once more seeing it. The village
bells rang as they entered it; and all the women and children, who
were not at work, or at school, were on the road to welcome their kind
benefactress home.
Anna shed tears on observing their simple and hearty effusions of joy;
and while Mrs. Meridith nodded to one and the other, observed how much
superior these congratulations were, to all the expressions of form and
politeness they had lately witnessed.
"We know the value of each now," returned Mrs. Meridith, "and _these_
are endeared to us, from being conscious that we have deserved them, by
our endeavours to make the poor people happy."
"_You have_, my dear mamma," said Anna pressing her hand; "_I_ am only
an instrument of your bounty."
"And am I any more," said Mrs. Meridith, "in the hands of the Almighty?
I am highly favoured to have such a place assigned me, and a heart to
fulfil, in some measure, the duties belonging to it."
The gardens and pleasure grounds of Mrs. Meridith were her chief
pleasure, and she spared no expense for labour, or whatever might adorn
them, or render them productive; but no conservatory or hothouse was
added to her domains; she was content with the flowers the natural
soil would produce, and these were brought to the highest perfection
cultivation would effect. Her fruit too was of the finest kind; and
while she could see every sort which the season produces on her table,
she wished not for pines or melons. Almost as soon as they were out of
the carriage, she and Anna, attended by Bella, Syphax, and little Betty,
visited her favourite seats and walks, and were pleased at finding every
thing in the highest order, and the violets and primroses ready to
appear at their feet. The most grateful feelings were excited in Mrs.
Meridith at the beauties around her.
"Can I complain," thought she, "who have such a place as this allowed
me, and the means in my power to make so many people happy? the
affection also of this amiable girl and her family! Oh! why did I say
mine was a blank in society!" and she sat down and wept on the first
seat she met with.
Anna and her young attendant had strolled farther, but Bella perceiving
her mistress in tears, hastened towards her.
"Why do you weep, dear madam!" said she, with the most affectionate
attention.
"Sit down, dear Bella, and I will tell you," said Mrs. Meridith, wiping
her eyes: "you have witnessed all my sorrows, and much of repining under
them; but I weep now from a sense of the blessings I have still left me,
and with shame for my former ingratitude."
"Oh, dear lady," said Bella, her eyes overflowing, "and what have I
been delivered from? and what dreadful things did I know before I came
to you? and yet my heart sometimes complains, because people do call
me black woman; but you love me for all that, and I do wish to be more
thankful and more useful to you, my dear mistress, I am not too old yet."
"And when you are, my dear Bella, that will not alter my affection for
you; have I not received your former services? and I can never forget
your faithful attachment to me."
"I have seen so much of your goodness, madam," said Bella, "that I do
not doubt it, and so has Syphax; we never grieve to know what will
become of us in old age, but lest we should forget what you have been to
us."
Syphax now brought his mistress the first opening violet, which he had
been carefully looking for among the shrubs which sheltered them, and
Mrs. Meridith received it with her accustomed kindness; and shaking
both her faithful attendants by the hand, she told them she once more
welcomed them to Rosewood, with the sincerest pleasure.
"And I am sure I am glad enough we are got back again," said Syphax,
"for I do not like the town at all; the boys did all run about me, and
whisper black man, black man, to each other; not that I did mind that,
but so much company, and saucy footmen, and chairmen, that I thought to
myself, my good lady will be soon tired of this; and I am glad I was not
mistaken."
"But my mistress knew nothing of the footmen and chairmen," returned
Bella, observing a smile upon her features.
"No more she did," replied Syphax; "but unless their masters and
mistresses were something like herself, I am sure she could not like
_them_; and if they _had_ been, I conclude they would not have kept such
a set of unruly servants; and, therefore, I suppose, my lady did not
like those _she_ met there, any more than I did."
Mrs. Meridith told him, "you are right, good Syphax, there was nothing
at L-- to compensate for leaving Rosewood at this time of the year."
Anna now rejoined her kind friend, and they returned to the house,
resolving to visit the other part of the grounds after dinner.
In the afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell came to express their pleasure
at Mrs. Meridith's return; and while they sat with her, Anna went to see
her cousins, and give them an account of John. Her absence from them had
made no difference in her behaviour; on the contrary, her regard for
them was increased, when she contrasted the plain simplicity of their
manners, to those of the gay ladies with whom she had lately associated.
"We shall now have an opportunity of observing," said Mrs. Meridith
to Mr. Campbell, "whether Anna really prefers my quiet life to the
pleasures of the town. Before this visit she knew no other, but now if
she does not recur to the scenes she has left with a wish to return to
them, she will gain still more of my confidence and esteem."
Mr. Campbell said he thought she would not; and he was not mistaken, for
though Anna often talked of the balls and routs, it was only to say how
far preferable the woods and walks about Rosewood were; and which were
every day improving. Those of her acquaintance in the town, who could
properly estimate her character, though she was so meanly born, and "the
beggar's brat," which was the appellation she was now generally known
by, amongst the opposite party, were happy to accept Mrs. Meridith's
invitation to visit them during the summer; and Anna had often one or
two young friends to stay with her: though she could never be persuaded
to leave Mrs. Meridith, to return their visits. In the course of the
next three or four years, Mrs. Meridith and her usual retinue visited
the great metropolis, and almost made the tour of England, in order to
shew Anna every thing worth noticing in her native country, and teach
her duly to appreciate the comforts and advantages which are attached
to it, as well as its numberless beauties, and variety of scenery.
William Campbell, and sometimes John, when he could be spared from the
office, accompanied them in several of these excursions; they visited
the Dock-yards at Portsmouth, and the different manufactories in the
towns they passed through, as, in whatever Mrs. Meridith proposed,
improvement was blended with amusement.
Little Betty now began to be a great girl, and could read, write, and
work as well as any child of her age; and she promised fair to be what
Mrs. Meridith wished to make her (after the model of Bella), a faithful
and affectionate servant; but she was not allowed to forget her father
(whose health still continued very poorly), and his family. Every
present she received from the young ladies who visited Anna, she carried
the largest part to them, and when, at ten years old, Mrs. Meridith,
wishing to reward her dutiful behaviour to him, allowed her to receive
a yearly recompence for her services; he had his share of what she
called her wages. Her eldest sister continued in Mrs. Campbell's family
till she married, and the rest of the family were all put in a way to
get their living.