PROFESSORS AND PUPILS.
MOLLY was destined all her life long to remember the lecture which
the principal of Redgarth delivered to her class that morning. The
simplicity of the words, the noble thought which pervaded each
utterance, penetrated straight to her sensitive nature. Molly was in
just the mood to be uplifted. She was the sort of girl to take things
seriously. She regarded her arrival at Redgarth as a great step in her
career. When Miss Forester spoke to her as she did, she struck the
right chord, and whatever the future might bring forth, Molly became
strongly attached to the principal from the first.
Miss Forester, who was quick at reading character, could not but be
interested in those speaking and pathetic brown eyes. Now and then she
gave her new pupil a full and direct glance. Molly bore this without
shrinking; she was no longer shy; she was so completely interested that
she forgot herself.
The lecture was on "The Value of Personal Influence." Miss Forester
spoke much about the direct influence which each girl, however young,
or slight, or commonplace, exercised over her companions; she touched
on the all-important subject of environment, and said that those girls
who had the privilege of being educated at a school like Redgarth would
have much to answer for in the future. Molly made many brave resolves
as she listened to the spirited words.
When the class was over Miss Forester took her new pupil through the
school, introduced her to many of the professors, and showed, by her
manner, that she already took a marked and special interest in her.
"I will enter your name for my Scripture class at once," she said. "I
saw you were interested in what I said this morning."
"Yes, madam," answered Molly.
"I have not time to talk to you much now; you must come to my study
some evening for a long chat; but just tell me what special branch of
study you wish to take up. Is it your intention to go from here to
Girton or Newnham?"
"I should like to, but I shall not be able," answered Molly.
"Why not?"
"My father does not wish it; he wants me to join him in India when I am
eighteen."
"I see--I see! Then we must make you a specially useful and practical
girl. Is your mother living?"
"No." Molly lowered her eyes, a faint pink color stole into her cheeks.
"Then you are a motherless girl," said Miss Forester kindly. "I always
have a special leaning toward such. I was motherless myself when very
young. If your mother was a good woman, as I am sure she was, you must
try to live up to what she would expect from you, could she speak to
you from the home where she now is. There is a great deal to be done in
life: I must not enter on this subject now. May I ask you a question?
Is your father well off?"
"Yes," answered Molly; "he is an Indian judge. He tells me that when I
go to him I shall have to look after a very large establishment."
"Precisely; then you must learn how to rule. You must also know how
to use your hands in the most efficient and thorough way possible. I
approve of a course of training in cookery, and also in all branches
of housework. Know something of the work that you try to correct in
your household staff. You must also learn to rule your spirit. All this
knowledge is a great and wonderful possession. Now I must talk no more.
I am going to ask Miss Shaw to take you in hand for English. Here she
is--let me introduce you to her."
Miss Shaw, a tall, somewhat gaunt woman, with an enormous brow, and
clear but light blue eyes, came up to Miss Forester at this moment.
"Let me introduce Molly Lavender," said Miss Forester. "She has only
just arrived at Redgarth, and is one of the new residents at St.
Dorothy's. Will you kindly examine her in her English studies some
time this afternoon? I know nothing with regard to her attainments, but
at least she can think. I wish Molly to have every possible advantage,
Miss Shaw; and if you think she is capable of understanding your
lectures, will you take her as one of your pupils?"
"With pleasure," replied Miss Shaw. "Come with me now, Molly; I am
giving a course of lectures at this hour on 'Moral Science.' Here is a
notebook for you; you can make any notes you like. If the subject is
new to you, you will find it a little difficult at first, but just note
down anything you understand. Immediately afterward I shall lecture on
Charles I., which will probably be a more interesting subject. Will you
return this afternoon at two o'clock? We can then have a quarter of an
hour together, and I will find out what you really know, and what you
don't know. Now, this is your seat, my dear."
Molly seated herself in front of a small desk: the desk contained ink,
pen, and blotting-pad. Her new, clean, little notebook lay before her.
The professor immediately resumed her place on a small platform, and
continued her lecture. The subject was decidedly over Molly's head,
but she made valiant efforts to attend and understand. She was getting
some faint ideas with regard to one of the primary rules of the subject
of the lecture, when a sudden and severe dig in her elbow caused her
to turn her head abruptly. The sandy-haired girl was seated next to
her. She gave Molly a particularly intelligent glance, accompanied by a
knowing wink. Molly turned away; her irritation and dislike were quite
apparent.
The lecture lasted for half an hour. Immediately afterward those girls
who were attending the English History class followed Miss Shaw into
another room.
"Molly Lavender, will you come with the rest?" said Miss Shaw, giving
her new pupil a kind smile.
"Say, is Molly Lavender the little name?" whispered the sandy-haired
girl. "Ha, ha! Miss Prim, didn't I tell you we'd soon meet again? Your
little secret is divulged. Molly _Lavender_, forsooth! Dear me, I
wonder if it smells sweetly." She caught one of Molly's hands as she
spoke, and raised it to her nostrils.
Remembering Kate O'Connor's advice, Molly resolved to take no notice.
There were certain forms of ridicule, however, which affected her
painfully, and she had some difficulty in keeping back a strong sense
of anger. Without making any reply, she hurried after the rest of her
companions to the English History classroom. To her great relief, she
found that Matilda Matthews was not one of the number. With Charles I.
and his pathetic story Molly found herself quite at home. Miss Shaw was
a splendid lecturer, and she threw many fresh, lights on that time of
struggle and adversity. Molly listened so hard that she scarcely put
down any notes. The girl who was seated next to her spoke to her on the
subject.
"You will forgive me, won't you?" she said. "You are a stranger here,
are you not?"
"Yes; this is my first day at school. Why did you ask?"
"In the first place, your face is new, and in the next, you hardly took
any notes. You ought to take plenty of notes. You will be expected to
show a perfect _résumé_ of this lecture to-morrow morning to Miss Shaw."
"I can easily do that," answered Molly. "I remember almost every word."
"You think so," said the girl, "but you will find, when you begin to
write, that that is not the case. Please take my advice, and make
plenty of notes in future. You will find that the most salient facts
have slipped your memory. Miss Shaw wants accuracy beyond everything.
Your writing, your spelling, your grammar, must all be perfect. Miss
Shaw will be down on you like a sledge-hammer if you make a mistake.
Then Miss Forester reads almost all the _résumés_ of the lectures in
the course of the week. I never knew anyone so strict as Miss Forester.
She aims at perfection herself, and woe betide any of us, if we try to
fall short of her ideal! Now this morning's work is over, and we are
all going to your different houses for dinner. Where do you live?"
"At St. Dorothy's."
"Lucky you! there isn't a house in the place like St. Dorothy's. I'm at
Orchard House. Oh, yes, it's very nice, and we have a splendid garden,
but St. Dorothy's is _the_ place of residence. Have you a room to
yourself?"
"Yes; a tiny one."
"Lucky you again! I have the fourth of a room; the room is divided by
curtains; all the furniture is the same color,--Miss Marsden is the
name of our principal--that is her special fad. I am in the golden
room. It is so pretty: wall-paper, chintzes, bed hangings, curtains,
all of a pale shade of gold. The blue room is next to that; then we
have the green room; then the red room; then the violet room. I must
say they are all sweet, but a room to one's self is something to be
coveted. What is your name?"
"Molly Lavender."
"How pretty! I once had a sister called Molly; she died; you've a
certain look that reminds me of her. My name is Constance Moore; I'm
studying awfully hard; I've got to live by it some day. I'm so glad we
are going to sit next to each other at history. Now, be sure to take
notes this afternoon. Good-by, Molly! Ah, there is Kate O'Connor; she
is calling you to walk home with her."
In the afternoon Molly had an interview with Miss Shaw, and one or
two other professors, who wished to ascertain what her abilities and
acquirements were. Molly's intellectual powers belonged essentially to
the average order. Her force of character, however, and intensely warm
heart, gave her a marked individuality wherever she went. She spent an
afternoon of hard work, and returned to tea at St. Dorothy's, feeling
tired and overexcited. Kate O'Connor, who was standing in the entrance
hall, slipped her hand through Molly's arm, and they walked together to
the tea-room.
"Well," she said, in a sympathetic tone, "how did you get on? You had
an ordeal to go through, had you not?"
"I got on pretty well," answered Molly; "I am not a bit clever, you
know."
Kate glanced at her with a smile.
"Perhaps not," she replied. "What does that matter? You are going to be
a very sweet woman by and by; you are going to be womanly in the best
sense of the word. Miss Forester has taken quite a fancy to you--that
in itself is something to be proud of; she scarcely ever shows
preference. When she does, that person is in rare luck, as we say in
old Ireland. But what have you done? Whose lectures are you to attend?"
"Miss Shaw is going to take me for English, Mlle. Lebrun for French,
then I am to join Professor Franklin's class for drawing, and Fräulein
Goldschmidt will undertake my music."
"I think you have done very well," replied Kate; "but don't you want
to take up something special? Are you only going in for an all-round
education?"
"Miss Forester spoke to me about that," answered Molly, blushing
slightly. "She says my attainments are quite average; I am neither
beyond nor behind the ordinary girl of my age. She recommends me
strongly to give a year to general education. At the end of that time
she will counsel me with regard to any of the special subjects which
I am likely to wish to take up. My father is devoted to music, but I
don't think I have it in me to make a first-rate musician, although my
late mistress said that my voice was true."
"If it is, you had better take singing lessons, Molly. A sweet, true
voice can give a great deal of pleasure."
"Yes, I know it makes other people happy, which is a great deal to be
said in its favor," replied Molly; "but, really, I can do very little
in that way."
"You shall sing to me; Hester Temple has a piano in her room. You shall
sing to me there."
"I could not sing before her."
"Forgive me, that is silly of you. Hester is a most excellent creature,
although I grant she is a trifle quizzical. Rest assured, however, that
she has plenty of heart beneath it all. I hope, Molly, you are not
going to be too modest; that is a great mistake. Now, I am not going to
lecture you any more. By the way, there is a letter for you. It came by
the midday post. It was lying on this slab, where all the letters are
put, and I said to myself, 'Molly Lavender shall not be quizzed.' You
know some of the girls quiz a newcomer shamefully. I put the letter in
your room; you will be able to read it in peace now."
"Thank you a thousand times," replied Molly, the color spreading all
over her delicate face. "Did you, Kate, happen to notice if the letter
had a foreign stamp upon it?"
"I'm afraid I didn't. Now we must really go into the tea-room. Miss
Leicester likes us to be punctual."
After tea, the girls strolled about the grounds in pairs, chatting,
and eagerly recounting the different events of the day. The girls of
Redgarth formed a little world of their own, and Molly began already to
see that, notwithstanding the really splendid life of the place, their
views were somewhat narrow, and seldom extended beyond the surroundings
of the school. On this occasion, she had little leisure to give to
them; her one desire was to get away to her room, in order to be able
to read her earnestly expected letter.
Kate helped her in this.
"You can't have half unpacked," she said. "You will have nice time to
put all your things in order between now and supper; run off and do it,
and pray remember this is your last evening of leisure. You will have
to write _résumés_ of all your lectures to-morrow night, and won't, for
the next week or fortnight, have time or thoughts to give to anything
but your studies."
"And will it be better after the first week or fortnight?" asked Molly.
Kate laughed.
"It may take longer than that," she replied; "the whole thing depends
upon yourself. If you are quick and adaptable, you will soon get into
the ways of the place. You will begin to understand the professors, and
to know that mademoiselle wishes to have one thing remembered, fräulein
another, Miss Shaw another. You will begin, in short, to classify, and
to make the sort of notes which will be useful to you; but for the
first fortnight or three weeks, I may as well tell you at once that you
will be in hopeless hot water over your notes."
"Oh, Kate, you quite frighten me!" exclaimed Molly.
"I am sorry, but I must tell you the truth. Isn't it so, Hester?" she
called out.
Hester, who was passing through the hall, came up to Kate's side.
"Is what true?" she said, with a laugh.
"Isn't it true that poor Molly will be in hot water over her notes?"
"Hotter than hot--scalding, I should say," replied Hester.
"Now I am sure you are not in earnest," answered Molly.
"Oh, am I not? I never more fully and absolutely spoke the words of
sober wisdom. May I ask if you attended a lecture to-day?"
"I listened to two of Miss Shaw's lectures--one on 'Moral Science,'
which I did not understand."
"I should rather think not, poor chicken! What has a baby like you to
do with moral science?"
"I didn't understand it a bit," answered Molly; "but afterward Miss
Shaw lectured on Charles I., and what she said was quite splendidly
interesting."
"So interesting that you enthused--_n'est ce pas_?"
"Please don't quiz me, Hester; I was deeply interested in that lecture."
"You took notes, of course?"
"I didn't--at least very few."
"And you are to write a _résumé_ of the lecture to-night?"
"I am; but it really won't be difficult."
"All right. Now, Kate, do let me speak! Molly, my dear, there is no
teacher like experience. Write your notes by all means, then tell me
to-morrow evening what Miss Shaw thought of the _résumé_. Now, I see
you are dying to put your things in order. Be off with you!"
Molly ran upstairs; she was excited, her new life was full of the
deepest pleasure, but there were a few qualms lying near her heart.
Suppose, after all, she failed to grasp the full meaning of this
beautiful home of learning. Suppose she didn't avail herself of the
advantages held out to her. She had struggled so hard to come to
Redgarth: suppose it was a mistake, after all. She knew well that she
was not specially clever or brilliant in any way.
"I don't want to fail," thought Molly. "Oh, how I wish Cecil were here!
she would help me so much. Yes, here is father's letter at last. Now, I
wonder what he has said. Am I to be made happy? Is Cecil's life to be a
grand success, or the reverse? Oh, dear! I quite tremble at the thought
of what the next few minutes may bring forth."