CHAPTER XII.
At the time appointed, Mrs. Meridith and family returned to Rosewood;every one was pleased at the thought of once more seeing it. The villagebells rang as they entered it; and all the women and children, whowere not at work, or at school, were on the road to welcome their kindbenefactress home.
Anna shed tears on observing their simple and hearty effusions of joy;and while Mrs. Meridith nodded to one and the other, observed how muchsuperior these congratulations were, to all the expressions of form andpoliteness they had lately witnessed.
"We know the value of each now," returned Mrs. Meridith, "and _these_are endeared to us, from being conscious that we have deserved them, byour endeavours to make the poor people happy."
"_You have_, my dear mamma," said Anna pressing her hand; "_I_ am onlyan instrument of your bounty."
"And am I any more," said Mrs. Meridith, "in the hands of the Almighty?I am highly favoured to have such a place assigned me, and a heart tofulfil, in some measure, the duties belonging to it."
The gardens and pleasure grounds of Mrs. Meridith were her chiefpleasure, and she spared no expense for labour, or whatever might adornthem, or render them productive; but no conservatory or hothouse wasadded to her domains; she was content with the flowers the naturalsoil would produce, and these were brought to the highest perfectioncultivation would effect. Her fruit too was of the finest kind; andwhile she could see every sort which the season produces on her table,she wished not for pines or melons. Almost as soon as they were out ofthe carriage, she and Anna, attended by Bella, Syphax, and little Betty,visited her favourite seats and walks, and were pleased at finding everything in the highest order, and the violets and primroses ready toappear at their feet. The most grateful feelings were excited in Mrs.Meridith at the beauties around her.
"Can I complain," thought she, "who have such a place as this allowedme, and the means in my power to make so many people happy? theaffection also of this amiable girl and her family! Oh! why did I saymine was a blank in society!" and she sat down and wept on the firstseat she met with.
Anna and her young attendant had strolled farther, but Bella perceivingher mistress in tears, hastened towards her.
"Why do you weep, dear madam!" said she, with the most affectionateattention.
"Sit down, dear Bella, and I will tell you," said Mrs. Meridith, wipingher eyes: "you have witnessed all my sorrows, and much of repining underthem; but I weep now from a sense of the blessings I have still left me,and with shame for my former ingratitude."
"Oh, dear lady," said Bella, her eyes overflowing, "and what have Ibeen delivered from? and what dreadful things did I know before I cameto you? and yet my heart sometimes complains, because people do callme black woman; but you love me for all that, and I do wish to be morethankful and more useful to you, my dear mistress, I am not too old yet."
"And when you are, my dear Bella, that will not alter my affection foryou; have I not received your former services? and I can never forgetyour faithful attachment to me."
"I have seen so much of your goodness, madam," said Bella, "that I donot doubt it, and so has Syphax; we never grieve to know what willbecome of us in old age, but lest we should forget what you have been tous."
Syphax now brought his mistress the first opening violet, which he hadbeen carefully looking for among the shrubs which sheltered them, andMrs. Meridith received it with her accustomed kindness; and shakingboth her faithful attendants by the hand, she told them she once morewelcomed them to Rosewood, with the sincerest pleasure.
"And I am sure I am glad enough we are got back again," said Syphax,"for I do not like the town at all; the boys did all run about me, andwhisper black man, black man, to each other; not that I did mind that,but so much company, and saucy footmen, and chairmen, that I thought tomyself, my good lady will be soon tired of this; and I am glad I was notmistaken."
"But my mistress knew nothing of the footmen and chairmen," returnedBella, observing a smile upon her features.
"No more she did," replied Syphax; "but unless their masters andmistresses were something like herself, I am sure she could not like_them_; and if they _had_ been, I conclude they would not have kept sucha set of unruly servants; and, therefore, I suppose, my lady did notlike those _she_ met there, any more than I did."
Mrs. Meridith told him, "you are right, good Syphax, there was nothingat L-- to compensate for leaving Rosewood at this time of the year."
Anna now rejoined her kind friend, and they returned to the house,resolving to visit the other part of the grounds after dinner.
In the afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell came to express their pleasureat Mrs. Meridith's return; and while they sat with her, Anna went to seeher cousins, and give them an account of John. Her absence from them hadmade no difference in her behaviour; on the contrary, her regard forthem was increased, when she contrasted the plain simplicity of theirmanners, to those of the gay ladies with whom she had lately associated.
"We shall now have an opportunity of observing," said Mrs. Meridithto Mr. Campbell, "whether Anna really prefers my quiet life to thepleasures of the town. Before this visit she knew no other, but now ifshe does not recur to the scenes she has left with a wish to return tothem, she will gain still more of my confidence and esteem."
Mr. Campbell said he thought she would not; and he was not mistaken, forthough Anna often talked of the balls and routs, it was only to say howfar preferable the woods and walks about Rosewood were; and which wereevery day improving. Those of her acquaintance in the town, who couldproperly estimate her character, though she was so meanly born, and "thebeggar's brat," which was the appellation she was now generally knownby, amongst the opposite party, were happy to accept Mrs. Meridith'sinvitation to visit them during the summer; and Anna had often one ortwo young friends to stay with her: though she could never be persuadedto leave Mrs. Meridith, to return their visits. In the course of thenext three or four years, Mrs. Meridith and her usual retinue visitedthe great metropolis, and almost made the tour of England, in order toshew Anna every thing worth noticing in her native country, and teachher duly to appreciate the comforts and advantages which are attachedto it, as well as its numberless beauties, and variety of scenery.William Campbell, and sometimes John, when he could be spared from theoffice, accompanied them in several of these excursions; they visitedthe Dock-yards at Portsmouth, and the different manufactories in thetowns they passed through, as, in whatever Mrs. Meridith proposed,improvement was blended with amusement.
Little Betty now began to be a great girl, and could read, write, andwork as well as any child of her age; and she promised fair to be whatMrs. Meridith wished to make her (after the model of Bella), a faithfuland affectionate servant; but she was not allowed to forget her father(whose health still continued very poorly), and his family. Everypresent she received from the young ladies who visited Anna, she carriedthe largest part to them, and when, at ten years old, Mrs. Meridith,wishing to reward her dutiful behaviour to him, allowed her to receivea yearly recompence for her services; he had his share of what shecalled her wages. Her eldest sister continued in Mrs. Campbell's familytill she married, and the rest of the family were all put in a way toget their living.