THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.
Marietta was full of grief, because her mother insisted on her writinga second copy, her first having been badly done; and she had alreadyspent nearly half-an-hour, in crying and pouting, a period long enoughto have finished her task in, had she been so disposed. In fact,Marietta, though nine years old, and possessed of many good qualities,was often very unreasonable, and the slightest whim or irritability wassufficient to make her forget her best resolutions.
"My dear child," said Madame Leroi, who had been quietly working at theother end of the room, "as there is no help for it, I would advise youto make up your mind to do what I require."
"No help for it!" exclaimed Marietta, pettishly; "and where is thegreat necessity for my writing this copy?"
"It must be done, because I wish it."
"And why do you wish it, mamma?"
"Because it is necessary."
"It is necessary because you wish it. Can you not do just what youplease about it?"
"No, certainly!"
Then Marietta broke out into a new fit of passion, and throwingherself back in her chair, she repeated, as she struck her clenchedhands upon the table, "You cannot do as you please, you cannot do asyou please! when I am obliged to obey you in everything. And then theother day, you said to Madame Thibourg, in speaking of me: I belongto that child. To say that you belong to me when you are constantlycontradicting me!"
"It is precisely because I do belong to you," said Madame Leroi,smiling, "that I am obliged to contradict you."
"Then, mamma," said Marietta, turning to her mother, with herarms folded, and speaking in a tone which her anger had renderedimpertinent, "will you have the kindness to explain that to me?"
"I shall explain nothing to you at present," replied her mother, ina severe tone; then ordering her to be silent, she compelled her toresume her work, which, as may be imagined, did not tend to calmMarietta's irritation; she rebelled in silence, wrote badly, incurredfresh punishments, and spent the day in alternate faults and despair.But the next morning she awoke in such good humour, dressed so quickly,said her prayers with so much fervour, and had so soon put all herthings in order, and completed her early tasks, doing even morethan was required, in order to repair her past misconduct, that atbreakfast-time she at last perceived a smile lighten the countenance ofher mother, who had not laid aside her severity since the previous day."At last, mamma," she cried, "you are once more pleased with me."
"And tell me why I am pleased. Is it on your account, or on my own?"
"I know it is because I have done my duty; nevertheless, mamma, itis still true that my duty is your pleasure, and that you are alwaysmistress, and can do whatever you like with me."
"What! even drown you as they did the kittens born in the attic lastnight."
"Oh! mamma, I do not mean that; but you can make me do whatever youwish."
"So, then, if I should wish you to steal our neighbour's sugar, whenshe leaves her door open, or her syrup, or her cups, I should have aright to order you to do so?"
"What an idea, mamma! as if you could wish me to do such things!"
"That is to say, then, that there are things which I have no right towish for, nor, consequently, to order you to do. This certainly is afine sort of authority. But can I help wishing? If I had not wished toteach you to read and write; if, when you were an infant, I had notwished to attend to your wants, or to get up at night when you cried,should I have had a right to do as I pleased?"
"But, mamma, you know very well that it would have done me harm if youhad not."
"Oh! then I must not wish anything that can do you harm, I must onlywish what will be for your good, and this you call following my ownwill?"
"But still, mamma, it is your will that I always obey; since it is youwho command me."
"And when do I command you to do anything?"
"When you think it is right."
"And have I, then, the power of believing just as I please that a thingis right or wrong?"
"Certainly, mamma, nobody hinders you."
Madame Leroi made no reply, but a moment after she said to herdaughter, "Marietta, I am thinking next week of beginning to teach youto draw with your elbow."
"What, mamma!" exclaimed Marietta, with a burst of laughter, "To drawwith my elbow! And how shall I hold my pencil?"
"With the point of your elbow; nothing is easier."
"Why, mamma, what are you talking about?" continued Marietta, laughingstill more vehemently.
"Something, my dear, which I beg you to believe for my sake."
"But, mamma, how am I to believe that?"
"Did you not tell me just now that we can believe what we please?"
"But, mamma, that is quite a different matter."
"For you, perhaps, my child, but as for me I can assure you that whenyour copy is badly written, it is impossible for me to believe it welldone, let me examine it as I will. And when you do not choose to dowhat you ought, it instantly comes into my head that I must force youto do it by punishment. How am I to manage? I cannot believe otherwise,and I am just as much compelled to obey my judgment, as you are to obeymy will. It is no more in my power to bring you up badly than it is inyours to disobey me."
Marietta was accustomed to regard duty as an inevitability, though,for all that, she often failed in it; neither did she think that anyreasonable person could escape from it, any more than they could escapefrom superior force. "At all events, mamma," she said, "you must allowthat it is not correct to say that you belong to me."
At this moment, Madame Thibourg entered. "Come, make haste," she saidto her friend, "I have a ticket for Malmaison; my little girls arewaiting for me in the coach, and I have brought a basket of provisionsfor dinner, so make haste."
"But I have promised to send home this piece of tapestry this week,"replied Madame Leroi, looking anxiously first at her frame and then ather daughter, who, after having hailed the proposal of Madame Thibourgwith a cry of delight, now stood motionless with anxiety, on beholdingher mother's hesitation.
"I would with pleasure take charge of Marietta," said Madame Thibourg,"but my nurse is ill, and as there is water there, I shall have quiteenough to do to take care of my own little girls. You must work alittle more the following days."
"But if I am ill, as I was last week?... I am afraid it is not right."
"Oh! you won't be ill, and it is quite right. There are some splendidpictures there, which you really ought to let Marietta see. Come!"
"Well then, I suppose I must, since it is right," said Madame Leroi,smiling, as she looked at her daughter, whose countenance had changedcolour half-a-dozen, times in the course of a minute.
We may easily imagine what were the raptures of Marietta, how rapidlyher toilet was performed, and how perfect were the enjoyments ofthe day. It is needless to expatiate on the delights of a dinnerspread upon the fresh grass, without cloth and without plates; on thedeliciousness of a salad gathered by one's own hands; or upon thesurpassing pleasure of running after every draught to rinse one's glassin the clear fountain at the entrance of the garden. Marietta, alwaysaffectionate when she was happy, kissed her mother fifty times in thecourse of the day, and at night, notwithstanding her fatigue, thepleasure of talking of these delights kept her so wakeful, that MadameLeroi was almost obliged to scold her to make her go to bed. "Youforget," she said, "that for having afforded you this gratification,I shall be obliged to get up at four o'clock for several successivemornings."
"But you know, mamma," said Marietta, "that it was for my good; it wasabsolutely necessary that I should see the pictures at Malmaison."
"And why, my child," inquired Madame Leroi, smiling, "must I preferyour advantage to my own? Am I made for your use? Tell me, do you thinkI belong to you?"
"Oh! mamma," said Marietta, embracing her, "do belong to me, I shallbe so delighted, since it is to do what will give me pleasure." AndMarietta went to sleep upon this idea, which added a new charm to herdreams.
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p; No mother, indeed, could have more completely belonged to her childthan Madame Leroi. She was the widow of a clerk, who had left herunprovided for while Marietta was still an infant. It had neveroccurred to her that she had any other object in life than to educateher daughter, to render her an estimable member of society, and toenable her to earn for herself a respectable livelihood. The educationof her child was her first object, and to it she sacrificed all theadvantages she might have derived from the exercise of her talents.Madame Leroi was a skilful musician; in her youth, she had beendestined to teach singing and the harp, but, when eighteen yearsold, her chest became so much weakened in consequence of an attackof measles, that she was obliged to abandon this pursuit. She thenturned her attention to painting, which was natural enough, as herfather was an artist, and had given her lessons in her childhood. Butnot long afterwards, she lost her father, and having such limitedmeans, she considered herself fortunate in marrying M. Leroi, a manalready advanced in years, and of an eccentric character, who would,on no account, have consented that his wife should pass her time awayfrom home in giving lessons. As his income was sufficient for theirmaintenance, she confined her occupations to the care of her household,and to the cultivation of her mind, the better to prepare herself forthe education of any children she might be blessed with. After losingtwo, she gave birth to Marietta, and from that time all her affectionswere concentrated on this child. At the death of her husband, she foundherself once more without resources, or very nearly so, for M. Leroihaving had no idea of marrying until late in life, had sunk all hissavings in the purchase of an annuity, and since his marriage had notbeen able to add anything of consequence to them. She now, therefore,had to consider whether she should not resume the pursuit for which shehad been previously destined, but to do so it would be necessary toabandon Marietta to the care of strangers, to give up all thoughts ofmaking her profit by the knowledge, the ideas, and the sentiments whichshe had in a manner acquired expressly for her sake, and to sufferthe excellent tendencies which her maternal eye already detected, tobecome perverted, or at least weakened. She considered that the pointof most consequence to her daughter's welfare, in the difficult path oflife, which she was probably destined to tread, was to be fortified,at an early age, by the principles of a virtuous and solid education.She therefore limited the exercise of her talents to the instruction ofMarietta, whose taste for music seemed to promise great success in thatart. "I shall have lived for her! I shall have made her happy!" shewould sometimes repeat to herself.
But meanwhile, it was necessary to live. She therefore endeavouredto discover some sedentary occupation, which would enable her toprovide for their simple wants. She applied herself to tapestry, andher knowledge of painting rendered her very successful in tracingand shading every variety of design, whether of flowers, figures, orlandscape. Chance favoured her in this respect; she had soon as muchwork as she could attend to, and was well paid for it, for her work wasvery superior to that of ordinary hands, and, while affording her themeans of subsistence, it had the additional advantage of enabling herto attend almost without interruption to the education of her daughter.Marietta would sometimes say to her, "Mamma, when will you leave offworking so much?"
"When you are able to work for me," she replied. And if Mariettahappened to be in good humour, this answer made her run to her harp.
Marietta's tendencies varied within very wide limits. Though possessedof an elevated character, and great tenderness of heart, she sometimesyielded to fits of passion, and obstinacy, which rendered her atotally different being from what she ordinarily was, and made herwish to annoy her mother, as much as at other times she was anxious toplease her; so that one was alternately charmed by her natural love ofexcellence, or indignant at her perversity. Nevertheless, by a mixtureof kindness and firmness, her mother had succeeded in subduing, toa great degree, all that was harsh in her disposition, and the daypreceding the excursion to Malmaison was the last time Madame Leroi hadseriously to complain of her.
Still, the morning following this treat, on getting up she began tofeel the effects of the previous day's fatigue. She dressed listlessly,threw herself into every chair which happened to be in her way, andwhen the portress, who came up every day to do their household work,knocked at the door, she rose so languidly to let her in, that onemight almost have said she was glued to her chair. Then, as if unableany longer to support herself, she sank into a large arm-chair near thedoor, and said to her mother:
"Indeed, mamma, if you really belonged to me, as you say you do, Ishould certainly make you do all my work to-day."
"Oh! my child," replied her mother, in a half-serious, half-playfultone; "I expect something much more fatiguing, which is to make you doit yourself."
"Really, mamma, that will fatigue you very much!"
"You cannot think how tired I am, yet for all that I shall be obligedto say to you, 'Marietta, go and open the door, or go and close thewindow, or pick up my ball.'"
"Well, mamma, and is it you that will be fatigued by these things?"
"But think, Marietta, how cross you will be! Think how often I shall beobliged to scold you, in order to make you do your duty; for you knowI must make you do it in order to fulfil my own: for although we havebeen to Malmaison, we must nevertheless do our duty. What a day I shallhave! for you are not the girl to spare me in these things."
"And what makes you think that?" inquired Marietta, somewhat piqued.
"Oh! it would be all very well," replied Madame Leroi, "if you wereolder, and had more sense; I should then say to you, 'My child, so longas I was necessary to you, I devoted myself to you; now it is yourturn to devote yourself to me, and endeavour to be useful to me; do,therefore, what I ask you, in order to spare me the trouble;' and youwould do it, for you would be reasonable."
Marietta immediately got up, put away her things so quickly, andcommenced her lessons with such a firm determination to overcomeher lassitude, that she soon quite forgot it. She carried out herresolution bravely during the whole morning, and at all points. Shenever once hesitated to get up the moment her mother required her to doso, and even anticipated her commands and wishes as often as she could.Noticing that Madame Leroi was looking for her footstool she was thefirst to perceive it, and hastened to place it under her mother's feet.On another occasion, when the ball of worsted had rolled to the fartherend of the room, Marietta was there as soon as it, and brought it backto her mother, who said to her, smiling, "Indeed, Marietta, I shall betempted to believe, that to day it is _you_ who belong to _me_;" andMarietta, full of joy, threw her arms round her mother's neck. However,the moment after, having stumbled through a passage on the harp, shebecame cross with her mother because she made her repeat it.
"Marietta," said Madame Leroi, "do not force me to remember that it is_I_ who belong to _you_, and that if you persist I shall be obliged, inspite of myself, to scold you."
Marietta immediately resumed her task, and this morning, which hadcommenced so unfavourably, terminated without a cloud, and in thehappiest manner possible.
At their dinner, which was always very simple, they had two muttoncutlets. "Mamma," said Marietta, "will you give me the one with a bone?"
"Certainly not, my child," replied her mother, "for you know that Ilike it best; and," she added, smiling, "I have your interest too muchat heart to permit you to contract the bad habit of thus preferringyourself to others."
"And yet, mamma, you pretend to belong to me."
"Oh! my child, I know my duty too well to allow you to abuse mydevotion:" and she helped herself to the cutlet.
"Well," said Marietta, "you profit by it, at all events."
"Certainly," replied Madame Leroi, in the same strain; "there isnothing like doing one's duty." Marietta shook her head; but she wastoo well satisfied with herself this day to feel any temptation to beout of humour, and when, soon afterwards, while eating their half-poundof cherries, Madame Leroi only took two or three, saying, that she didnot care for them, Marietta easily unders
tood that it was only becauseshe wished to leave more for her.
In the afternoon, a friend came to pay them a visit; he was old anduninteresting, and remained the entire evening, much to the annoyanceof Marietta, who was so completely rested from the fatigues of theprevious day, by her morning's labour, that she was very anxious for awalk: she, therefore, ventured some hints upon the subject, but theywere instantly checked by the severe looks of her mother, while thedeafness of M. Lebrun prevented him from noticing them. Poor Mariettatherefore endeavoured to be patient, and settled herself down as wellas she could. "Mamma," she said, as soon as their visitor was gone,"has M. Lebrun amused you very much?"
"No, my child, but he is a man to whom I owe respect; he has come agreat distance, and on no account would I have shortened his visit."
"Well, then, mamma," replied Marietta, with a confident air, thoughwith a heavy sigh, "I am, at all events, glad to find that there aresome things which you can do contrary to my interests; for mostassuredly it was not to do me a service, that you deprived me of mywalk, a thing beneficial to my health."
"Ah, my child! you little think how much it was to your interest that Idid not take you for a walk to-day."
"Come, mamma, let me see how you will prove that."
"You will not die in consequence; at least I trust not; consider, then,how injurious it would have been to your education had I granted arequest which you ought not to have made, for you must allow that youought not to have asked, or even wished me to be in any manner wantingin respect towards M. Lebrun."
"Very well, mamma, I see that you find duties on all sides, whichoblige you to contradict me."
"And make yourself quite easy, my dear child," said her mother, pattingher cheek caressingly, "I will not fail in a single one."
Marietta pouted a little, though with a smile; the good conduct of themorning guaranteed that of the evening.
The following day she accompanied her mother, to purchase some dresseswhich they required. They were first shown two remnants exactlysimilar, which were very cheap, and contained sufficient to makeMarietta a dress, with a jacket for the winter, leaving besides a gooddeal for mending. Marietta was greatly tempted by another piece, verymuch prettier, but as it did not seem that Madame Leroi's dress couldbe got out of the two remnants, it was necessary that she should becontented to take them for her share. While she was vainly exertingher eloquence, to induce the draper to let her have a dress cut fromthe pretty piece at the same price as the remnants, Madame Leroi, bydint of measuring and calculating had come to the conclusion, that byjoining the sleeves, and by making a plain dress instead of a pelisseas she had at first intended, the remnants would answer for her, andshe could thus leave the other for her daughter. Marietta at firstopposed this arrangement, but at length allowed her scruples to beovercome, and full of joy carried off her pretty dress under her arm,opening the paper every moment on her way back to have a peep at it.When, on reaching home, she spread it out upon her bed to admireit, and allow the portress to do so too, she cast her eyes upon hermother's remnants, and sighed; then seating herself upon Madame Leroi'sknees, and throwing her arms around her neck,--"Mamma," she said, ina somewhat saddened tone, "was it also for the sake of duty that youallowed me to have the pretty dress?"
"No, my darling," replied her mother, tenderly embracing her, "it wasfor my pleasure." And Marietta, her heart beating with delight, yieldedwithout restraint to the happiness she felt in the acquisition of hernew dress, for she saw that the more it was admired, the greater washer mother's satisfaction at having made this sacrifice for her.
In proportion as Marietta increased in sense, she perceived moreclearly that, if it be the joy of a mother to sacrifice herself forher children, it is her duty to teach them not to abuse her kindness;and being at length persuaded that her mother contradicted her onlywhen she was obliged to do so, she exerted herself to spare herthis necessity, and succeeded so well, that their mutual confidenceincreased daily, and they were almost like two friends.
However, when about fourteen years of age, Marietta having grown veryfast, fell into a kind of languor, which made her sad and fretful.Although she had acquired sufficient self-control to overcome someportion of her irritability, there still remained quite enough toexercise the affectionate indulgence of Madame Leroi, who, fearing toexcite to a dangerous degree the irritable disposition of her daughter,displayed the utmost patience in bringing her back to reason; andMarietta, when her better feelings returned, was almost ready to adoreher mother for her condescension.
One day, Madame Thibourg happened to be present at one of theseoutbursts of temper. She began by reasoning with Marietta; thenbecoming provoked by her asperity, and unreasonableness, and the tonewhich she assumed towards her mother, who was endeavouring to quiether, she ended by telling her a few severe truths, which threw Mariettainto such a state of excitement, that she rushed out of the room withcries and tears, and almost in convulsions. Her mother, who went toseek her after the departure of Madame Thibourg, found her stilltrembling, but calm, and deeply ashamed of what had taken place; thoughshe endeavoured to excuse herself by urging that Madame Thibourg hadtaken a pleasure in pushing her to extremities.
"She took pleasure, my child," replied her mother, "in proving toyou, that she was right and that you were wrong. You wished to do thesame with regard to her; and even supposing that you both consideredyourselves right, was it not your place to yield?"
"Oh, mamma! that is not how you act towards me," said Marietta, meltinginto tears at the conviction of her error, for at that moment sheremembered all her mother's kindness.
"My child," said Madame Leroi, "it is because I belong to you that Iought to sacrifice every personal feeling, rather than cause you asingle emotion capable of injuring your character, or your health; buttell me, Marietta, do you think there is any one else in the world whobelongs to you, except your mother?"
Deeply moved, and still excited by the scene which had just occurred,Marietta threw herself, sobbing, into her mother's arms. "Oh,mamma!" she exclaimed; "it is you who treat me with indulgence andconsideration, you to whom I ought always to yield more than to any oneelse."
"Yes, my child, you ought to do so, and you will do so. What Isacrifice to you now, you will return to me one day with interest.Be calm, my dear child, be calm; your mother has patience enoughto wait for you." Marietta vowed in her heart to devote herself tothe happiness of her mother, and consoled by her gentle words, shegradually returned to her ordinary state of feeling. From that day,also, she laboured with increased diligence to overcome her faults,and, with her mother's assistance, succeeded in obtaining an almostcomplete self-control. But she became daily more thin and melancholy,and at last the physician declared, that unless she had country air hecould not answer for her life.
This was a terrible sentence for Madame Leroi, whose slender funds werealready well nigh exhausted in the purchase of the necessary remediesfor her daughter. Madame Thibourg, to whom she related her grief andembarrassment, proposed that they should hire in common a small countryhouse at Saint Mande, which she knew was to be let for six hundredfrancs. "We shall easily," she said, "save the hundred crowns it willcost us each, by the advantage of living in common." Madame Leroi,however, knew very well that her expenses would be quite as heavy, tosay the least, in living with Madame Thibourg, who was better off, andless economical, than herself; but, too happy to discover any practicalmeans of overcoming her difficulty, she trusted to make up for anyadditional expense that might be necessary, by working harder, and nowonly thought of procuring the hundred crowns, which it was necessary topay in advance, for the hire of the house. For this purpose she soldher coverlet of eider-down, together with four beautiful engravingswhich ornamented her room, and she made up the remainder of the sum, aswell as what was necessary for the expenses of the journey, with themoney destined for the purchase of a stove to be placed in the littleroom where they usually took their meals, for as she would not admitinto her sitting-room anything like
ly to soil her work, and was verysensitive to the cold, she was obliged in the winter to take her mealsin the kitchen, where the fumes of the charcoal frequently gave herheadaches, and pains in the chest.
These arrangements, which could not be concealed from Marietta,gave her great annoyance. She had become excessively sensitive onall points, and notwithstanding her ardent desire to go into thecountry, the sale of the coverlet of eider-down, which she knew to beso necessary to her mother's comfort, threw her into such a fit ofdespair, that Madame Leroi was obliged to remonstrate with her, evenwith some degree of severity, in order to bring her to herself. "Doyou forget, Marietta," she said, "that it is your duty to endeavourto regain your health and strength, in order that you may one day beuseful to me."
This idea had a beneficial effect, by diverting her thoughts towardsother objects. She busied herself in preparations for their departure,with an alacrity and zeal which revived a ray of joy and hope in hermother's breast; and, indeed, scarcely were they beyond the barriers ofthe city, than she seemed to regain new life; and at the end of a week,after their arrival in the country, she was hardly to be recognized forthe same person, to such an extent had that thin and pallid form, whichbefore seemed ready to sink into the grave, regained the freshnessand vigour of health. Madame Leroi, her eyes filled with tears ofhappiness, was never weary of looking at her; and the eyes of Mariettaconstantly sought those of her mother, as if to confirm the hope thatgave her this happiness. With health returned the cheerfulness andbuoyancy natural to her years, accompanied by an energy of purposewhich enabled her to accomplish whatever she undertook. As her judgmentwas remarkably developed, she employed the new powers, which she feltrising within her, in the attainment of those acquirements of whichshe stood in need, and of those qualities in which she was deficient.The devoted tenderness of her mother had made upon her, especially oflate, an impression so profound, that she was tormented with the desireof being able, in her turn, to consecrate to her all her faculties.With this thought ever before her, she applied herself with a kindof passion to regain, in her studies, the time she had lost throughher illness; and the pleasure of satisfying her mother was, besides,the daily recompense of her efforts. Nevertheless, when the smilesand words of Madame Leroi expressed this satisfaction, "It is allvery well, mamma," she would say, with a kind of impatience; "you arepleased, but it is for my sake, and because you think the progress Imake is advantageous to me. When shall I be able to do something solelyfor you?"
"Patience!" replied her mother; smiling, "I promise you the time willcome."
"May it come speedily, then!" continued Marietta, with an eagersigh; and she applied herself to her labours with redoubled energy.She also endeavoured, with great care, to regain the good opinionof Madame Thibourg, which she had forfeited by the late display oftemper, of which that lady had been a witness; for young people knownot the injury they do themselves when they give way to their faultsin the presence of strangers, who can only judge of them by what theycasually see, and who, in consequence, often receive an impression veryunfavourable to them, and very difficult to be removed. At first MadameThibourg was prejudiced against her, and attributed to her faultswhich she did not possess. Marietta was amazed at this, but her motherexplained to her the cause of the injustice.
"Well, if she is unjust," said Marietta, with the natural pride of herage, "so much the worse for her."
"No, my child! so much the worse for you, since it is your faultthat has made her so. Had you not been the cause of this injustice,by appearing before her in an unfavourable light, you need not havetroubled yourself about it, provided you bore it with gentleness; butsince you have caused it, you ought to endeavour to remove it."
After a few outbursts of impetuosity, which her naturally hastydisposition led her to indulge in, but which her good sense alwaysovercame in the end, she perceived the truth of her mother's words,and strove so earnestly to watch her temper, that in a short timeshe gained such a complete mastery over her feelings, that she couldbarely be reproached with an occasional momentary irritability, whicha look or a word from her mother was always sufficient to repress.Sometimes, even, Madame Leroi only cast down her eyes, when Marietta,warned by this movement, instantly recollected herself, and withcharming grace and frankness hastened to repair the incipient fault; sothat in the opinion of Madame Thibourg, as well as in that of all whoknew her, Marietta, after a residence of some eight or nine months atSaint-Mande, was in every respect so completely changed for the better,that she was scarcely to be recognised for the same person. At thistime she was nearly sixteen years of age.
They returned to Paris at the commencement of the winter, MadameThibourg not wishing to pass it in the country, and the bad weatherrendering more inconvenient the journeys which Madame Leroi was obligedto make to town to obtain or return work, especially as they had oftento be made on foot. These journeys, too fatiguing for her at all times,had already injured her health; the winter, which was very severe, laidher up completely. Marietta, persuaded that the loss of the coverletof eider-down contributed to her mother's sufferings, was sometimesseized with a sort of feverish impatience, at seeing so long delayedthe time when she should be able to add to her comforts, and her onlyconsolation was to apply to her studies with redoubled energy. Thespring was cold and late; their provision of wood had come to an end.Madame Leroi, who had been prevented by the state of her health fromworking as much as she wished during the winter, and was not willing toget into debt, pretended to be able to do without a fire; but Marietta,who saw her suffering, wept with vexation and anxiety when, on openingher window each morning, she found the weather as cold as on theprevious day. She would have been very glad if her mother would haveallowed her to assist her; but although she worked very fairly, MadameLeroi, who did not wish her to waste her time in becoming a proficientin this kind of work, was afraid to trust her, and always sent herback to her studies, saying, "Never mind, Marietta, you will have timeenough to work for me by-and-by."
One day, when Madame Leroi had been obliged to lie down on account of aviolent head-ache, an order came for a piece of tapestry, intended toreplace a similar piece of her execution, which the fall of a lamp hadcovered with oil. The chair corresponding to the one spoiled was alsobrought, in order that the latter might be covered exactly like it.Marietta received the order, and promised that it should be executedby the next week, as it was much wanted; and, trembling with a thoughtwhich had just occurred to her, she carefully put away all the thingsin a place where her mother could not find them.
Madame Leroi, being asleep at the moment, had heard nothing of allthis. Marietta flew to the box where her mother kept her silks, andwith a transport of joy discovered, as she had expected, all thatwas necessary for her undertaking. An old frame, which she had oftennoticed, was removed from the attic, with the assistance of theportress, who was taken into her confidence, and who lent her for herwork an empty room of which she had the key, and before Madame Leroiawoke, the frame was set up, the chair placed in front of it, andher needle threaded. The following morning as soon as it was light,Marietta, awakened by her impatience, slipped away without any noiseand commenced her work. The two hours during which she usually walkedout with Madame Thibourg and her daughters, were consecrated to thesame labour, Marietta, however, merely informing them of her desire tosurprise her mother by an unexpected talent, and carefully avoidingall allusion to the privations she was so anxious to save her, and ofwhich Madame Thibourg was to remain ignorant. For the first few days,the harp suffered somewhat from Marietta's preoccupation, for whilerepeating her difficult passages, she thought only of the assortment ofher silks, but at last she triumphed over her difficulties. As it wasonly necessary to copy, and as Marietta, like all persevering persons,possessed that love of excellence which is not to be repelled by anydifficulty, her first attempt was completely successful, and on theseventh day, the portress, Madame Thibourg and her daughters, assembledin consultation, decided that the copy could not be distinguished fromthe orig
inal. The portress was immediately commissioned to take homethe work, and to receive its price, which was destined for the purchaseof half-a-load of wood.
The following morning, while Madame Leroi was still in bed, Marietta,who that day felt inexpressible joy that the weather was even colderthan usual, noiselessly arranged the wood in the fire-place, whilstthe portress, almost as pleased as herself, brought a large pan ofburning charcoal. Madame Leroi, awakened by the crackling of the flame,inquired what it was, and scolded Marietta for having, as she imagined,bought a faggot. "A faggot indeed!" exclaimed the portress, proudly."Come into your kitchen, Madame Leroi, and see whether there are anyfaggots of that kind;" and Marietta, opening her mother's curtains,displayed to her a fire such as she had not seen for two months before;then, without answering her questions, she threw a dress over hermother's shoulders, and made her accompany her into the kitchen, wherethe kind portress had already arranged the half-load of wood. Shethen led her back to the fire-side, and, in a voice broken by joyfulemotions, related to her what she had done.
"Dear child!" said her mother, placing her hand on her shoulder. Shecould say no more. Marietta took her hand, and, with an earnest andanimated voice, said, "Dear mamma, now, at last, it is I who belong toyou."
"Yes, my child," said Madame Leroi, with deep emotion, "I takepossession. Your time has come, Marietta; it is now your turn to devoteyourself to your mother." And Marietta, kneeling before her, kissed herhands in a delirium of joy impossible to be described.
From that day, she assisted her mother without encroaching on her otherstudies; her strength and activity were equal to everything, for theirsource lay in an inexhaustible affection. At the age of eighteen, shewas in a condition to give lessons; indeed, for some time previously,she had exercised herself successfully in teaching Madame Thibourg'syoungest daughter. Her first regular pupils were in a ladies' school,but by degrees her connexions extended, and she taught in privatefamilies of respectability. At the beginning, the portress accompaniedher to her pupils, and also went for her; but in time, her greatprudence, her modesty, and the reserved and somewhat distant deportmentwhich the consciousness of her position induced, satisfied Madame Leroithat she might go alone without any inconvenience, an arrangement whichpermitted her to take more pupils. She was soon able to earn sufficientto cover their household expenses, and when on her return home shefound her mother a little fatigued, she would take the work out of herhands, saying, "Since it is now my turn to work for you, you must obeymy wishes." The health of Madame Leroi grew daily worse. "It is all thesame to me," she would sometimes say. "Marietta has to keep well forme;" and at such moments Marietta, with indescribable joy, felt risingwithin her the consciousness of her youth and vigour.
An advantageous offer of marriage was made to her, but it was amarriage which would have separated her from her mother, deprived herof the pleasure of working for her, and deprived Madame Leroi of theinterest and happiness which she experienced in the society of herdaughter. Fortunately, the subject was first broached to Mariettaherself, who begged that nothing might be said about it to her mother,as she felt persuaded that Madame Leroi would not consent to therejection of such an offer. Having given her refusal, she then informedher mother of what she had done, and, seeing her deeply grieved, andindeed, almost angry, she knelt before her, and said with affectionateearnestness, "My dear mother, there is but one privilege in the worldwhich I have to beg of you, and that is, that you will let me continueto belong to you."
"Go! Marietta," replied her mother, with a sigh; "be happy in your ownway;" nevertheless, the remembrance of this sacrifice long continued topain her.
Some time afterwards, mention was made, in Marietta's presence, of anofficer whose wounds had compelled him to retire from the service,though still under thirty years of age. His left arm had been shotoff, his right leg broken, and although it had been set, it left himlame, and caused him a great deal of pain. Such an accumulation ofevils had destroyed the natural attractions of his person. Resigned,but melancholy at seeing his career so early closed, he devoted himselfto solitude, and even refused to marry, considering as he said, thathe was but a poor present to offer to a woman. Marietta, whose cast ofthought rendered her susceptible to every generous sentiment, repliedwith vivacity, "That for all that, to entrust to a woman's keepingthe entire happiness of her husband, was to make her a very noblepresent." These words were repeated to M. de Luxeuil, the officer inquestion, and the remarks added, relative to the character of Marietta,made him curious to learn more about her. On hearing that she hadconsecrated her life to the happiness of her mother, it occurred tohim that to aid her in this task would be a means of obtaining hergratitude and affection. The person who had spoken of her, and who hadnot done so without design, penetrated his thoughts, and took care toencourage them, and in fact, managed so well, that from first feelinga pleasure in hearing of Marietta, he began to wish that Mariettashould also hear of him, and at last ended by believing that it mightnot be impossible for him to render her happy. In short, the proposalwas made, and accepted with mingled feelings of joy and gratitude,and immediately after his marriage, M. de Luxeuil conducted his wifeand mother-in-law to his country residence, situated about thirtyleagues from Paris. On arriving, he immediately led Madame Leroi tothe apartment destined for her use, and Marietta's first movement, onentering it, was to give a look of grateful affection to her husband,for all the care he had taken to render it convenient and pleasant.The remainder of the house was visited with feelings of gratitude,which every moment became more intense. In the drawing-room, in thedining-room, the place reserved for Madame Leroi's easy chair wasalways the one most likely to be agreeable to her. The greatest carehad been taken that in all the details of their daily life, every thingshould be conformable to her health, her tastes, and her habits. "Myfriends!" she said, with emotion, to her son-in-law and daughter, "Isee that you have already talked a great deal about me."
Marietta was truly happy, and for M. de Luxeuil commenced a felicitysuch as he had never hoped for, nor even thought of. It has butincreased with time. Formed by their mutual virtues for a union whichevery day renders more intimate, and constantly more grateful for thehappiness they mutually bestow, they have arrived at that point offelicity which leaves no pain, beyond the fear of its being disturbed.As for Madame Leroi, she is scarcely able to bear the twofold affectionof which she is the object. "Let me alone!" she sometimes says,playfully, "How can you expect me to bear two happinesses at once?"