Miss Jenny rose early in the morning, and, having collected the lives of
her companions (which she had wrote down each day, as they related them)
she carried them, after morning school, according to her promise, to her
governess.
Mrs. Teachum, when she had perused them, was much pleased; and said that
she perceived, by the manner in which her scholars had related their
lives, how much they were in earnest in their design of amendment. ‘For
(continued she) they have all confessed their faults without reserve;
and the untowardly bent of their minds, which so strongly appeared
before the quarrel, has not broke out in these their little histories;
but, on the contrary, they all seem, according to their capacities, to
have endeavoured at imitating your style, in the account you gave of
your own life. I would have you continue to employ your leisure hours
in the manner you have lately done, only setting apart a proper time
for exercise; and today I will dispense with your attendance in the
school-room and indulge you this afternoon in another walk, either to
the dairy house, or to the cherry-garden, whichever you all agree on.
But as I shall not go with you myself, and shall only find a servant
to take care of you, I hope to hear from you, Miss Jenny, so good an
account of the behaviour of your little friends and companions, that I
shall have no cause to repent my indulgence.’
Miss Jenny Peace respectfully took leave of her governess, and hastened
to the arbour, where her little friends were met, in expectation of her
coming. She told them how well pleased their governess was with them
all, for the ingenuous confession of their faults in their past lives;
and she then declared Mrs. Teachum’s kind permission to them to take
another walk that afternoon.
As no one had at present any story to read or relate, they employed
their time till dinner, some in walking and running about the garden;
others in looking after and tending some plant or flower, that they had
taken particularly under their care, which Mrs. Teachum both permitted
and encouraged them in, whilst Miss Jenny Peace, Miss Sukey Jennett,
and Miss Dolly Friendly, remained in the arbour, the two latter asking
a thousand questions of the former, both concerning all the instructions
she had ever learned from her mamma, and by what means they should best
be able to preserve that friendship and happiness, which had of late
subsisted amongst them; saying, how pleased their friends and relations
would be, to see such a change in their temper and behaviour, and how
much they should be beloved by every one.
When they met at dinner, Mrs. Teachum asked them, whether they had
determined upon the choice she had given them in their afternoon’s walk;
and they were all desirous of going to the dairy house; for little Polly
said, she longed to see the good-humoured old woman again, and, indeed,
she would not now say anything to her of her shaking head, or her
grey hair. Mrs. Teachum was pleased, that little Polly so gratefully
remembered the old woman, who had been so kind to her; and readily
consented to their choice, and approved of their determination.
Being soon equipped for their walk, they set out, attended by two
maidservants; and as soon as they arrived, the good old woman expressed
the highest joy on seeing them, and told little Polly, that she should
have plenty of cream and strawberries, for her daughter had been that
day in the wood, and had brought home three baskets of very fine ones.
Mrs. Nelly, her daughter, said very crossly, that she supposed there
would be fine work amongst them, now their governess was not with them;
but ‘twas her mother’s way, to let all children be as rude as they
pleased. Miss Sukey Jennett, with some indignation in her look, was
going to answer her; but Miss Jenny Peace, fearing she would say
something less mild than she wished, gave her a nod; and, turning to the
young woman, with great modesty and temper, thus said: ‘You shall see,
Mrs. Nelly, that our good governess’s instructions are of more force
with us, than to lose all their effect when we are out of her presence;
and I hope you will have no cause, when we go away, to complain of the
ill behaviour of any of us.’
The good old woman declared she never saw such sweet-tempered children
in all her life; and after they had eat their strawberries and cream,
and were loaded with pinks and roses by the good woman’s bounty (for
they did not gather one without her permission), they took their leave
with the utmost civility, and Miss Jenny handsomely rewarded the old
woman for her good cheer. Mrs. Nelly herself was so pleased with their
regular and inoffensive behaviour, that she could not help telling Miss
Jenny, that she, and all her companions, had, indeed, behaved as well as
if their governess had been with them: on which Miss Jenny (as they were
walking home) observed to Miss Sukey Jennett (whom she had prevented
from making any reply to Mrs. Nelly’s speech) how much better it was to
gain another’s good will by our own endeavours to be obliging, than to
provoke them to be more cross, by our angry answers and reproaches.
When this little company, employed in pleasing talk and lively
observations, were come within about a mile of Mrs. Teachum’s house, and
within view of a nobleman’s fine seat, Miss Jenny said, that the next
time their governess permitted them to walk out, she would ask her
leave, that they might go and see that fine house; for some time ago she
had told them, that they should go thither when the family were absent.
Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper, who by chance was walking that way, and
heard what Miss Jenny said, came up to them, and told Miss Jenny that
her lord and lady were now both absent, having set out, one for London,
and the other for another fine seat, forty miles off, that very morning;
and as she knew them to be Mrs. Teachum’s well-regulated family, they
should be welcome to see the house and gardens now, if they liked it.
Miss Jenny thanked her, and said, as it was near two hours sooner than
their governess expected them home, she would accept of her kind offer.
The housekeeper led them through an avenue of tall elm-trees into this
magnificent house, in which were many spacious apartments, furnished
with the utmost grandeur and elegance. Some of the rooms were adorned
with fine pictures, others were hung with tapestry almost as lively as
those paintings, and most of the apartments above stairs were furnished
with the finest sorts of needle-work. Our little company were struck
into a sort of silent wonder and admiration at the splendid appearance
of everything around them; nor could they find words to express the
various reflections that passed in their minds, on seeing such a variety
of dazzling gaudy things: but when they came to the needlework, Miss
Jenny could not help smiling, to see how every one seemed most fixed in
attention upon that sort of work, which she herself was employed in, and
she saw in every face a secret wish, that their own piece of work might
be finished with equal neatness and perfection. The housekeeper was
greatly pleased to see them so much delighted, and answered all their
questions concerning the stories that were represented in the pictures
and tapestry as fully as the time would permit; but Miss Jenny, being
fearful of exceeding the hour in which they would be expected home, told
them they must not now stay any longer, but if their governess would
give them leave, and it would not be troublesome to Mrs. Wilson, they
would come another time. She answered, that it was so far from being
troublesome, that she never had more pleasure in her life, than to see
so many well-behaved young ladies, who all seemed not only pleased with
what they saw, but doubly delighted, and happy, in seeing each other so;
and for her part, she could wish they were to stay with her all their
lives; and, in short, they should not go till they had been in her room,
and eat some sweetmeats of her own making. The good woman seemed to take
so much delight in giving them any pleasure, that Miss Jenny could not
refuse accepting her offer; and, when they were all in her room, Polly
Suckling said, ‘Well, this is a most charming house; I wish we could all
live here for ever. How happy must the lord and lady of this fine place
be!’
‘Indeed, my little Polly,’ said Miss Jenny, ‘you may be very much
mistaken; for you know our good governess has taught us, that there is
no happiness but in the content of our own minds; and perhaps we may
have more pleasure in viewing these fine things, than the owners have in
the possession of them.’
‘It is very true,’ said the housekeeper, ‘for my lord and lady have no
delight in all this magnificence; for, by being so accustomed to it,
they walk through all these apartments, and never so much as observe or
amuse themselves with the work, the pictures, or anything else, or if
they observe them at all, it is rather with a look that denotes a sort
of weariness, at seeing the same things continually before them, than
with any kind of pleasure.’ And then, with a deep sigh, she added, ‘You
are, indeed, young lady, perfectly in the right, when you say grandeur
and happiness do not always go together.’ But turning off the discourse,
Mrs. Wilson forced them to take as many dried sweetmeats as they
could carry away with them, and insisted upon their promise (with
Mrs. Teachum’s consent) that they should come another time to see the
gardens. They then took their leave with many thanks, and the greatest
civility; and discoursed all the way home, on the fine things they
had seen. Miss Betty Ford said, that the fine gilding, and so many
glittering looking-glasses, made her think herself in Barbarico’s great
hall, where he kept all his treasure.
‘No,’ says Miss Nancy Spruce, ‘it was not half so much like that, as it
was like Brunetta’s fine castle; and I could not help thinking myself
the Princess Hebe, and how much I should have been pleased with such a
fine place at first, just as she was.’
‘Indeed,’ says Miss Betty Ford, ‘you are in the right of it, Miss Nanny;
for ‘twas much more like the description of Brunetta’s castle, than what
I said myself.’
Miss Jenny was pleased to hear Miss Betty so ready to own herself
mistaken; and said to Miss Nanny Spruce, ‘I am glad, my dear, to
find that you so well remember what you read; for it is by recalling
frequently into our memories the things we have read, that they are
likely to be of any service to us.’
Being now come home, they entered into the presence of their governess
with that pleasure, and proper confidence, which ever attends innocence
and goodness; and Mrs. Teachum received them with a pleasing smile.
Miss Jenny gave her governess a faithful account of all that had passed,
with the agreeable entertainment they had accidentally met with, of
seeing Lord X----‘s fine house, and the great civility of Mrs. Wilson,
‘Which I hope, madam,’ said Miss Jenny, ‘I did not do wrong in
accepting.’ ‘You did very properly, my dear,’ said Mrs. Teachum, ‘for
when any person is willing to oblige you, without any inconvenience to
themselves, it is always right to accept their offer, as you thereby
gratify them, by putting it in their power to give you pleasure.’
Miss Jenny then with great cheerfulness and freedom, told her governess
all that had paled in conversation, both in their walk to the
dairy house, and at Lord X--‘s, what little Polly had said in the
housekeeper’s room, as also Mrs. Wilson’s answer; and said, by Mrs.
Wilson’s downcast look, she was afraid that poor Lord X---- and his lady
were not so happy as might be wished. ‘But,’ continued she, ‘I did
not ask Mrs. Wilson any questions, because you have taught me, madam,
carefully to avoid the least appearance of impertinent curiosity.’
‘You was very right, my dear,’ said Mrs. Teachum, ‘in asking no farther
questions; nor would she, I dare say, as she is a prudent woman, have
gratified you if you had; for though the unhappy story is too well known
all over the country, yet it would have been very unbecoming in one
of the family to have published it.’ Mrs. Teachum saw in her little
scholars’ eyes, a secret wish of knowing what this story was; and, after
a short pause, she said, ‘Since I find you disposed, my good girls, to
make the proper use of what you hear, I will indulge your curiosity.
‘Lord X---- and his lady have been married seven years; Lord X---- is
the wretchedest creature breathing, because he has no children, and
therefore no heir to his title and large estate. He was naturally of a
haughty impetuous temper, and impatient of any the least disappointment;
and this disposition not being subdued in his youth, has led him into
all sort of excesses. His lady is not much better tempered than himself,
and valuing herself highly upon her beauty, and the large fortune
she brought him, greatly resents his sometimes insolent, and always
neglectful usage of her. They have hitherto lived on in the most
jarring, disputing manner, and took no care to conceal their quarrels
from the world; but at last they have agreed to part by consent, and the
different journeys they this morning took, I suppose, was with an intent
of final separation.
‘That grandeur and happiness do not always go together (as Mrs. Wilson
observed to you) is seen by this story, which I was the more willing
to tell you, as it was a proper introduction to a fable I have been
collecting together from others, for your use. You know that all my
endeavours to make you good, are only intended to make you happy; and
if you thoroughly reflect upon the truth of this maxim, which I so often
endeavour to inculcate, you will doubtless reap no small advantage from
it.’
Here Mrs. Teachum ceased speaking, and, giving Miss Jenny Peace a paper,
she bid her read it aloud; which she did, and it contained the following
fable: