A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.
'No, my dear, I am determined that Mabel shall not go with her sister to
Mrs. Maitland's juvenile party. You over-ruled my wish yesterday, and
suffered her to go to the Gardens, and I think you have been properly
punished for that' (alluding to the sleeves). 'To-day I insist on having
my way. It is most painful to me to see, as I cannot help doing, that
through your weakness of character, or want of discipline, Mabel has
grown up to be a plague to us, instead of a comfort.'
This unwelcome truth was uttered by Mr. Ellis before he left home on the
morning after the visit to the Gardens; and he added, before he left the
room:
'I am very glad that your sister, Aunt Mary, is coming home this week,
for I intend to ask her as a particular favour to take Mabel under her
care. I wish we had sent her to Oak Villa twelve months ago; we might
have been spared much trouble.'
This parting rebuke and warning had the usual effect of making Mrs.
Ellis very nervous; she could not bear the thought of communicating the
ill news it contained to Mabel. She had come to have almost a childish
dread of the girl's temper, yet she knew well that her husband's mandate
must be obeyed. There could no greater trial come to Mabel, at least so
she thought, than to deprive her of the pleasure of this visit; and the
indulgent mamma shrunk with great pain from the task, which had been
imposed upon her: yet there was no escape.
As the girls had finished breakfast and left the room before their papa
went out, they of course had not heard his disagreeable intimation, and
they were now in their own rooms, looking over their dresses.
'What will you do, Mabel?' inquired Julia, 'about your silk frock? You
cannot possibly wear it to-day; it is quite spoiled in front with the
tea. I know mamma did not notice it last night, though she and papa were
so angry about your wearing it, and about the sleeves too.'
'Now just mind your own business, if you please,' said the uncourteous
Mabel. 'I hear,' she added, 'that papa has gone out, so I shall go down
and coax mamma to get a dress for me. I have seen plenty of pretty
dresses in the shop windows, some of them very cheap; I dare say she
won't object to buy me one.'
After the delivery of this speech Mabel hastily left the room, and, as
she had expected, found her mamma still seated in the breakfast-room,
but looking very sad.
She had not, however, at all _expected_ to hear the unwelcome truth
which had now to be told, and which greeted her on the first mention of
a new dress.
'You need not trouble yourself about a new dress, my dear Mabel,' said
her mother, sorrowfully. 'Your papa says, that he will not allow you to
go with your sister to Mrs. Maitland's party.'
'Not to go!' exclaimed the astonished girl; 'and do _you_, mamma, say
that I am not to go?' she inquired, actually stamping her foot in rage.
'_I_ have no say in the matter, Mabel,' replied her mother; 'your papa's
will must be obeyed. He thinks that it is my fault that you are so proud
and wilful, and he has made up his mind to send you next week to your
aunt Mary, where you will be taught and disciplined, and he hopes in
time become a sensible girl, like your cousin Clara.'
'Mamma, mamma!' exclaimed the passionate girl, with vehemence, 'I hate
Clara, and Aunt Mary too. I would rather die than go and live at Oak
Villa, with that cross-grained old aunt and stupid cousin.'
'Mabel,' said Mrs. Ellis, greatly shocked at hearing such expressions,
'it is very wicked of you to give way to your passion, and to make such
unjust remarks as you have made, both of your aunt and cousins. Neither
is your aunt cross, nor your cousin Clara stupid; though cross if they
were, you would still be obliged to submit to your papa's decision.
Remember,' continued Mrs. Ellis, 'you have brought the trouble upon
yourself, and you have been repeatedly warned of the consequences if you
did not amend. Now it is too late, for I am persuaded that nothing
either you or I could say would alter your papa's determination.'
A passionate burst of tears was all the reply that the humbled, but not
penitent, Mabel, could make. She sat herself down on a low stool, and
covering her face with her hands, continued to cry and sob, in spite of
the kind remonstrances of her mamma, and even of her promises to
intercede for her. Mabel knew that what her mother had before stated was
quite true, and that all intercession with papa now would be in vain;
and she was too much absorbed in selfish sorrow to care anything, even
if she thought anything, of the pain she was giving to her poor mother,
though she well knew that any trouble of mind increased the malady with
which that lady was affected. Her own mortification, her own bitter
disappointment, it was the thought of these that kept the sluices of
sorrow open such an unreasonable time; and when Julia, on coming into
the room, went to speak some words of comfort to her sister, she
received a blow on the face which made her nose bleed, though certainly
it was not intended, for the passionate girl was not aware of Julia's
close proximity, as she threw out her hand only to indicate that she
wanted no condolence.
This accident, however, had the beneficial effect, for a time, of
turning the current of Mabel's ideas from self. She was indeed shocked
to see what she had done, though kind-hearted Julia made light of the
blow, and declared it did not pain her at all.
'I am sure you must all hate me--I think everybody hates me,' cried
impetuous Mabel; 'but I didn't mean to hurt you, Julia, and I am very,
very sorry for what I have done.'
'Oh, I know you are,' replied her sister; 'don't think anything more
about it. And don't cry any more, dear; I can't bear to see you cry;'
and she added in a whisper, 'It makes mamma ill.'
This little episode had done more to convince Mrs. Ellis of the wisdom
of her husband's plan, with regard to his daughter Mabel, than all that
he had said previously on the subject; and she made up her mind to offer
no opposition to anything he might propose. Coming to this conclusion,
she dismissed Mabel and Julia, under the plea that it was absolutely
necessary that she should remain quiet for a time.