The first person that awoke in the morning generally rose and opened the
tent letting in the fresh sea breeze. This might be between two and
three in the morning, and always the most refreshing part of the whole
day. The first bathing party then went down to the sea, consisting of
Schillie, the three girls, Madame, and myself. Before we were well out
of the water, and finishing our toilettes under the tent, the boys used
to come rushing down with Jenny in attendance, who was always fearing
her heedless Master Felix would get into danger. Finally the three
little girls, with both the maids, habited in readiness to dip the
unwilling ones, finished the morning ablutions.
Afterwards we all proceeded to the great chestnut tree, where we had
prayers, the morning psalms, and lessons, and sung a hymn, which sounded
in that lone but lovely spot so soft and beautiful that it used to bring
tears to my eyes. So many young voices, gave a peculiar flute-like sound
to the music, and as each cadence rose swelling through the branches of
the great tree above us, so did the birds rise in clouds above us,
returning nearer and nearer, as the soft voices died away, at the end
of each verse. And to look at each young face uplifted with fresh sweet
feelings of piety and love to me seemed a picture of what we might see
hereafter in that other and brighter world, "which eye hath not seen,
neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive." The fair
blooming face of Sybil contrasted well with the brilliant dark eyes and
fine countenance of Gertrude, while the slight statue-like form of the
graceful Serena, with her small head and beautiful throat bent over her
book, completed their picture. And a smaller group stood beside them
equally pretty to look at, equally wrapt up in the solemn duty they were
performing. The taller Zoe in the middle, her black hair drawn from her
fair and lovely profile, one little hand resting, on the pretty
sparkling Winifred whose arch look was sobered into childish gravity, a
pretty demureness hiding the merry blue eyes, and leaving long curling
dark eyelashes to veil her cheeks; while on the other side, hanging or
leaning, or both, stood Lilly, her long black curls swept in every
direction, and falling in rich masses over all three as the wind listed
to blow them, the prettiest face in the world, peeping from between the
dishevelled locks, with rosy mouth parted, and violet eyes upraised to
heaven, as she sang with bird-like clearness above the rest.
The bright sun, the glowing sky, the brilliant flowers, the rich shade
of the dark chestnut tree, all cast their lights and shadows on these
two pretty groups as they stood before us, adding beauty to both.
The last verse being sung, all dispersed to their different duties, and
the birds were now startled by the bursts of merry laughter that came
from each group. Madame, with Sybil and her three little maidens,
prepared the breakfast. Gatty and Serena ran for water, the maids put
the tents to rights, the boys lighted the fire. Schillie and I sat
looking on, acting company. I with admiring eyes, on the lovely scenery
and pretty figures, she with inquisitive looks, scanning each unknown
plant, moss, bird, or stone, and conjecturing their names and qualities.
A little clamouring below, as to who was to blow a great shell that
Benjie had taught them how to use, prepared us two idle ones for the
summons to breakfast, of which we all partook with great hilarity and
content, the grumblings for want of milk, having ceased partly because
they were not attended to, and partly because all the grumbling in the
world obtained none. After breakfast, I settled with Jenny the difficult
question of dinner, which generally consisted of fish, potatoes, and
pudding, sometimes a little salt meat, sometimes a little fresh meat,
out of the tin cases we had brought. But invariably we had a magnificent
dessert, so that the children could eat nothing for thinking of what was
coming. That important matter done, I joined the rest. Madame betook
herself to her green parasol and terrace, with a dignified but
compassionate air, as if the young ones did not know what they were
losing, in preferring play to lessons. The three little girls in high
delight went to collect that indispensable quantity of shells, that was
deemed necessary to ornament all they wished at home. The two good boys
prepared with the gravity necessary for so important a business, to fish
for our dinner, speculating upon what bait the fish would take that
particular morning, and what they would not. To which we listened in
solemn propriety, though well aware all the time they jumped at a bit of
red worsted, as much as any other thing.
But the three elder ones did not care for picking up shells, and could
not abide fishing. It was too hot to work, too sunny to read. They
wanted to sit all day long in the pockets of the two Mothers, the elder
one telling them stories, and the younger one making quaint remarks
thereon, thereby spoiling many a sentimental speech, and upsetting many
a romantic idea, but causing plenty of fun and merriment. But that could
not last all day. Though we dined at eleven, it still wanted two good
hours thereto. The big Mother was tired of telling tales; the little
Mother was weary with doing nothing. All this time the green parasol
meandered up and down, now and then sitting down to rest, and bending
towards the girls with an unmistakeable look, that seemed to say, "come
to your lessons, pray come to your lessons." But, the green parasol
nodded in vain. At last after a fit of yawning, we all went botanizing,
but that was very provoking work, for we could not tell the names of the
lovely flowers and trees we found. Sybil suggested giving them our own
names. Serena nearly broke her neck, climbing an almost inaccessible
crag, and Gatty tore her frock every five minutes.
By this time the conch-shell sounded for dinner, in doing which Jenny
blew her cheeks into the colour of a peony, we were all hot and tired
and not in a very good humour.
The more we shewed this, the more gracious and cheerful Madame became,
the little girls had been quite happy, the boys had wonders to relate as
to the strange creatures that came peeping up at them from the deep as
they were fishing. Lilly hopes they were not mermaids, for she had heard
they were very cruel, and enticed men down into the dark sea weed
caverns, from whence they never more appeared.
_Felix._--"They will never catch me doing anything so silly. I like Mama
better than twenty thousand mermaids, and so I won't be ticed, Lilly."
_Lilly._--"Enticed, my dear boy, you mean, and that signifies that you
cannot help yourself. They will carry you down into the sea, full of
great polypuses, with a hundred blood red arms."
_Oscar._--"Lilly, you are talking great stuff, no mermaids shall ever
catch Felix or me, I shall shoot them first. And besides I won't believe
there are any mermaids."
_Gatty._--"And also besides, if they did come up from the sea, and look
at Otty and Felix, I don't think they would steal them away from us,
without a great battle on our parts."
"But," said Lilly, who always stuck pertinaciously to her text, "I have
read it in a book, that they comb their long, sea-green hair, and sing
all the time so beautifully, that men jump into the sea after them."
_Felix._--"Well! I shall not do that, for green hair must be very ugly."
_Oscar._--"And you need not bother about it any more, Lilly, for I hate
singing."
_Felix._--"And we must take care of ourselves, because we are the only
two men you have got to take care of you all."
_Sybil._--"Ah! indeed that is very true, you must be very careful,
because what should we do without our protectors."
_Felix._--"Yes, but, Aunt Sib, don't you think it is very wrong of Lilly
to frighten us. Pray tell us, do mermaids really steal men away?"
_Schillie._--"What is all this nonsense about mermaids, eh? Felix." She
was told; then added, "Don't alarm yourselves, if an army of mermaids
were to come, they would not take either of you for men; so comfort
yourself, my boys, with that notion."
As most of the party agreed with her the subject dropped. After dinner
we all took a siesta for two or three hours, a necessary rest during the
heat of the day. Afterwards the same scene occurred as before dinner the
"green parasol" meandered up and down, the little ones ran about, being
now assisted by the boys, the elder ones hung about us two until
tea-time, when all had some employment again. Afterwards we chatted and
worked until the sun went down. This sometimes occurred so suddenly that
we had to run like lapwings, from the great chestnut down to the tents,
in order to scramble into bed before it was quite dark. So passed the
first few days, I purposely proposing neither work nor any employment
that the girls might be thoroughly sickened of idleness. Each day,
however, the "green parasol" became more elevated, the measured tread
more majestic. Madame was getting seriously angry, having no idea that
their love of idleness would last so long. Even to me monosyllables only
were vouchsafed, and matters assumed a lowering aspect. Schillie's
temper had been gone two days, and she was at open war with the three
girls, extremely cross with me that I did not order them away, though
too proud to acknowledge it. Sybil had taken refuge in books, and was
always so deeply immersed in her stories and novels, that she could
think of nothing else. Her wits were anywhere but where they ought to
have been, and she was of no use to any one. Serena was making a child
of herself, with the little ones, which pleased them very much, and gave
her some employment for her useless activity. As for Gatty, having
nothing else to do, she was in every boy's way. When every handkerchief
she had was full of holes, she proceeded to destroy other people's
private property. The "green parasol" having been inadvertently left
alone for a short time, was used as a mark to throw stones at, and, ere
its owner appeared to rescue it, had several great holes in it. An offer
to assist the boys in their fishing tackle caused inextricable confusion
amongst their work. The necessity of making some use of such restless
activity occasioned Jenny to be gratuitously assisted in cooking the
dinner, which ended in there being nothing eatable that day. Cross with
Serena because she would make a baby of herself with the little ones,
angry with Sybil because she was buried in silly stories, irate with the
little Mother because she had called her a great plague, afraid of the
big Mother because she looked so gravely at her, not on speaking terms
with any of the little ones for various misdemeanours, the poor Gatty
wandered up and down on a particular evening (the fourth day) like a
perturbed young elephant shut up in a cage. She wanted something to do,
and she glanced around each party to see which she might venture to
join. The "green parasol" was to be avoided at all rates, the two
Mothers had forbidden her approach for an hour. Jenny had declined a
kitchen maid's help with a stammering apology that clearly told why. She
was too proud to join those who had called her cross. Sybil sat alone;
her feet almost in the stream, her head buried in her book, so absorbed
that she saw and heard nothing. Gatty approached her from above, and,
being obliged to do something, saw at one glance a most beautiful
opportunity of startling Sybil out of her studies, and became quite
exhilarated with the work. With a little trouble she moved some stones,
made a channel in the sand, and in a few minutes a rippling stream ran
down it, gathering force as it went, and, stopping for neither stick nor
stone, dashed upon Sybil, as if animated with Gatty's own spirit of
mischief. Up she jumped, her cry of surprise being in chorus with
Gatty's shriek of delight. Thoroughly roused, her usual meek spirit gave
way, she threw down her book, sprang towards the aggressor, her fair
face blushed with anger, her dark eyes flashing indignantly. So nimble
was she, that she was almost upon the delighted culprit ere she
restrained her laughter. In endeavouring to avoid the injured one her
foot slipped, over she rolled just as Sybil reached her, and down they
both went into the brook, rolling over and over several times.
Having watched the whole business from our resting place, we were down
at the spot, ere they had recovered themselves, and risen from the
water.
The conch-shell sounded for tea, at the same moment, and in a high state
of excitement, every body talking their loudest we all adjourned. Then
every body opened their hearts. I confessed I had let them be so idle,
in order to make them resume their lessons with pleasure and zest.
Schillie allowed she was very wrong to take them from their books, which
were much better for them than idling about and bothering her. Madame
had wondered at my permitting such disorderly doings, as had been going
on from day to day, but would excuse it as I seemed to have a motive,
and the young ladies were penitent. Sybil confessed she was tired of
reading so much, and would much prefer doing something rational. Serena
said she and the little ones had been privately learning something, just
to employ themselves. Gatty alone still declared it was a great shame to
do lessons in this hot climate, but she would not mind music and
summing. Zoe and Winny joyfully agreed to learn anything, so that they
might have something to do. Lilly made a stipulation about having time
to pick up shells, before she finally capitulated; and the boys having
been very good up to this minute, neither troublesome or quarrelsome,
but on the contrary very useful, turned round completely, became naughty
and rude, declaring that lessons were humbug, French a bore, German a
nuisance, and almost openly declaring a complete rebellion.
This mutiny of course was quelled, we retired to bed in harmony and good
humour, and rose the next morning determined to do our best, to be
industrious and useful. Madame was in high spirits. Schillie most
benign. The boys happy in the privilege of not having to go to their
studies until an hour after the girls, and to do part of them with the
Mothers. The girls all in high spirits, so that when the conch-shell
sounded twice as indicative that school time had commenced, great
alacrity was shown on all sides, and good humour reigned supreme.