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The Bracelets. Edgeworth.]
THE BRACELETS;
OR,AMIABILITY AND INDUSTRY REWARDED.
BYMARIA EDGEWORTH,
AUTHOR OF "POPULAR TALES," "MORAL TALES," ETC. ETC.
With Illustrations from Original Designs.
1850.
THE BRACELETS.
* * * * *
In a beautiful and retired part of England lived Mrs. Villars, alady whose accurate understanding, benevolent heart, and steadytemper, peculiarly fitted her for the most difficult, as well as mostimportant of all occupations--the education of youth. This task she hadundertaken; and twenty young persons were put under her care, with theperfect confidence of their parents. No young people could be happier;they were good and gay, emulous, but not envious of each other; for Mrs.Villars was impartially just. Her praise they felt to be the reward ofmerit, and her blame they knew to be the necessary consequence of illconduct; to the one, therefore, they patiently submitted, and in theother consciously rejoiced. They rose with fresh cheerfulness in themorning, eager to pursue their various occupations; they returned in theevening with renewed ardour to their amusements, and retired to restsatisfied with themselves and pleased with each other.
Nothing so much contributed to preserve a spirit of emulation in thislittle society as a small honorary distinction given annually, as theprize of successful application. The prize this year was peculiarly dearto each individual, as it was the picture of a friend whom they alldearly loved--it was the picture of Mrs. Villars in a small bracelet.It wanted neither gold, pearls, nor precious stones, to give it value.
The two foremost candidates for the prize were Cecilia and Leonora.Cecilia was the most intimate friend of Leonora, but Leonora was onlythe favourite companion of Cecilia.
Cecilia was of an active, ambitious, enterprising disposition; moreeager in the pursuit than happy in the enjoyment of her wishes. Leonorawas of a contented, unaspiring, temperate character, not easily rousedto action, but indefatigable when once excited. Leonora was proud,Cecilia was vain. Her vanity made her more dependent upon theapprobation of others, and therefore more anxious to please, thanLeonora; but that very vanity made her, at the same time, more apt tooffend. In short, Leonora was the most anxious to avoid what was wrong,Cecilia the most ambitious to do what was right. Few of their companionsloved, but many were led by Cecilia, for she was often successful; manyloved Leonora, but none were ever governed by her, for she was tooindolent to govern.
On the first day of May, about six o'clock in the evening, a great bellrang, to summon this little society into a hall, where the prize was tobe decided. A number of small tables were placed in a circle in themiddle of the hall; seats for the young competitors were raised oneabove another, in a semicircle, some yards distant from the table; andthe judges' chairs, under canopies of lilacs and luburnums, forminganother semicircle, closed the amphitheatre. Every one put theirwritings, their drawings, their works of various kinds, upon the tablesappropriated for each. How unsteady were the last steps to these tables!How each little hand trembled as it laid down its claims! Till thismoment every one thought herself secure of success, but now each felt anequal certainty of being excelled; and the heart which a few minutesbefore exulted with hope, now palpitated with fear.
The works were examined, the preference adjudged; and the prize wasdeclared to be the happy Cecilia's. Mrs. Villars came forward smiling,with the bracelet in her hand. Cecilia was behind her companions, on thehighest row; all the others gave way, and she was on the floor in aninstant. Mrs. Villars clasped the bracelet on her arm; the clasp washeard through the whole hall, and a universal smile of congratulationfollowed. Mrs. Villars kissed Cecilia's little hand; and "now," saidshe, "go and rejoice with your companions; the remainder of the day isyours."
Oh! you whose hearts are elated with success, whose bosoms beat highwith joy, in the moment of triumph, command yourselves; let that triumphbe moderate, that it may be lasting. Consider that, though you are good,you may be better, and though wise, you may be weak.
As soon as Mrs. Villars had given her the bracelet, all Cecilia's littlecompanions crowded round her, and they all left the hall in an instant.She was full of spirits and vanity--she ran on, running down the flightof steps which led to the garden. In her violent haste, Cecilia threwdown the little Louisa. Louisa had a china mandarin in her hand, whichher mother had sent her that very morning; it was all broke to pieces bythe fall.
"Oh! my mandarin!" cried Louisa, bursting into tears. The crowd behindCecilia suddenly stopped. Louisa sat on the lowest step, fixing her eyesupon the broken pieces; then turning round, she hid her face in herhands upon the step above her. In turning, Louisa threw down the remainsof the mandarin; the head, which she had placed in the socket, fell fromthe shoulders, and rolled bounding along the gravel-walk. Ceciliapointed to the head and to the socket, and burst out laughing; the crowdbehind laughed too. At any other time they would have been more inclinedto cry with Louisa; but Cecilia had just been successful, and sympathywith the victorious often makes us forget justice. Leonora, however,preserved her usual consistency. "Poor Louisa!" said she, looking firstat her, and then reproachfully at Cecilia. Cecilia turned sharply round,colouring, half with shame and half with vexation. "I could not help it,Leonora," said she.
"But you could have helped laughing, Cecilia." "I didn't laugh atLouisa; and I surely may laugh, for it does nobody any harm." "I amsure, however," replied Leonora, "I should not have laughed if Ihad----" "No, to be sure you wouldn't, because Louisa is your favourite.I can buy her another mandarin the next time that old pedlar comes tothe door, if that's all. I _can_ do no more. _Can_ I?" said she,turning round to her companions. "No, to be sure," said they, "that's allfair."
Cecilia looked triumphantly at Leonora. Leonora let go her hand; she ranon, and the crowd followed. When she got to the end of the garden, sheturned round to see if Leonora had followed her too; but was vexed tosee her still sitting on the steps with Louisa. "I'm sure I can do nomore than buy her another! _Can_ I?" said she, again appealing to hercompanions.
"No, to be sure," said they, eager to begin their plays. How many didthey begin and leave off before Cecilia could be satisfied with any.Her thoughts were discomposed, and her mind was running upon somethingelse; no wonder then that she did not play with her usual address. Shegrew still more impatient; she threw down the nine-pins: "Come, let usplay at something else--at threading the needle," said she, holding outher hand. They all yielded to the hand which wore the bracelet. ButCecilia, dissatisfied with herself, was discontented with everybodyelse; her tone grew more and more peremptory,--one was too rude, anothertoo stiff; one was too slow, another too quick; in short, everythingwent wrong, and everybody was tired of her humours.
The triumph of _success_ is absolute, but short. Cecilia's companions atlength recollected that, though she had embroidered a tulip and painteda peach better than they, yet that they could play as well, and keeptheir tempers better: she was thrown out. Walking towards the house in apeevish mood, she met Leonora; she passed on.
"Cecilia!" cried Leonora. "Well, what do you want with me?" "Are wefriends?" "You know best." "We are; if you will let me tell Louisa thatyou are sorry--" Cecilia, interrupting her, "O! pray let me hear nomore about Louisa!" "What! not confess that you were in the wrong! Oh,Cecilia! I had a better opinion of you." "Your opinion is of noconsequence to me now; for you don't love me." "No, not when you areunjust, Cecilia." "Unjust! I am not unjust; and if I were, you are notmy governess." "No, but am I not your friend?" "I don't desire to havesuch a friend, who would quarrel with me for happening to throw downlittle Louisa--how could
I tell that she had a mandarin in her hand? andwhen it was broken, could I do more than promise her another? Was thatunjust?" "But you know, Cecilia----" "_I know_," ironically, "I know,Leonora, that you love Louisa better than you do me; that's theinjustice!" "If I did," replied Leonora gravely, "it would be noinjustice, if she deserved it better." "How can you compare Louisa tome!" exclaimed Cecilia, indignantly.
Leonora made no answer, for she was really hurt at her friend's conduct;she walked on to join the rest of her companions. They were dancing in around upon the grass. Leonora declined dancing, but they prevailed uponher to sing for them; her voice was not so sprightly, but it