Mrs. Fairchild's Story
"I sat down on one of the branches to eat cherries"]
The next morning, when Lucy and Emily were sitting at work with Mrs.Fairchild, Henry came in from his father's study.
"I have finished all my lessons, mamma," he said. "I have made all thehaste I could because papa said that you would tell us a story to-day;and now I am come to hear it."
So Henry placed himself before his mother, and Lucy and Emilyhearkened, whilst Mrs. Fairchild told her story.
"My mother died," said Mrs. Fairchild, "many years ago, when I was avery little child--so little that I remember nothing more of her thanbeing taken to kiss her when she lay sick in bed. Soon afterwards I canrecollect seeing her funeral procession go out of the garden-gate as Istood in the nursery window; and I also remember some days afterwardsbeing taken to strew flowers upon her grave in the village churchyard.
"After my mother's death my father sent me to live with my aunts, Mrs.Grace and Mrs. Penelope, two old ladies, who, having never beenmarried, had no families to take up their attention, and were so kindas to undertake to bring me up. These old ladies lived near thepleasant town of Reading. I fancy I can see the house now, although itis many years since I left it. It was a handsome old mansion, for myaunts were people of good fortune. In the front of it was a shrubbery,neatly laid out with gravel walks, and behind it was a little risingground, where was an arbour, in which my aunts used to drink tea on afine afternoon, and where I often went to play with my doll. My aunts'house and garden were very neat; there was not a weed to be seen in thegravel walks or among the shrubs, nor anything out of its place in thehouse. My aunts themselves were nice and orderly, and went on from dayto day in the same manner, and, as far as they knew, they were goodwomen; but they knew very little about religion, and what people do notunderstand they cannot practise.
"_Mrs. Grace taught me to sew, and Mrs. Penelope taughtme to read._"--Page 10.]
"I was but a very little girl when I came to live with my aunts, andthey kept me under their care till I was married. As far as they knewwhat was right, they took great pains with me. Mrs. Grace taught me tosew, and Mrs. Penelope taught me to read. I had a writing-andmusic-master, who came from Reading to teach me twice a week; and I wastaught all kinds of household work by my aunts' maid. We spent one dayexactly like another. I was made to rise early, and to dress myselfvery neatly, to breakfast with my aunts. At breakfast I was not allowedto speak one word. After breakfast I worked two hours with my AuntGrace, and read an hour with my Aunt Penelope; we then, if it was fineweather, took a walk, or, if not, an airing in the coach--I, and myaunts, and little Shock, the lap-dog, together. At dinner I was notallowed to speak, and after dinner I attended my masters, or learned mytasks. The only time I had to play was while my aunts were dressing togo out, for they went out every evening to play at cards. When theywent out my supper was given to me, and I was put to bed in a closet inmy aunts' room.
"Now, although my aunts took so much pains with me in their way, I wasa very naughty girl; I had no good principles."
"What do you mean by good principles?" asked Lucy.
"A person of good principles, my dear," said Mrs. Fairchild, "is onewho does not do well for fear of the people he lives with, but from thefear of God. A child who has good principles will behave just the samewhen his mamma is out of the room as when she is looking at him--atleast he will wish to do so; and if he is by his own wicked heart atany time tempted to sin, he will be grieved, although no person knowshis sin. But when I lived with my aunts, if I could escape punishment,I did not care what naughty things I did.
"My Aunt Grace was very fond of Shock. She used to give me skim-milk atbreakfast, but she gave Shock cream; and she often made me carry himwhen I went out a-walking. For this reason I hated him, and when wewere out of my aunts' hearing I used to pull his tail and his ears andmake the poor little thing howl sadly. My Aunt Penelope had a largetabby cat, which I also hated and used ill. I remember once being sentout of the dining-room to carry Shock his dinner, Shock being ill, andlaid on a cushion in my aunts' bedroom. As I was going upstairs I wasso unfortunate as to break the plate, which was fine blue china. Igathered up the pieces, and running up into the room, set them beforeShock; after which I fetched the cat and shut her up in the room withShock. When my aunts came up after dinner and found the broken plate,they were much surprised, and Mrs. Bridget, the favourite maid, wascalled to beat the cat for breaking the plate. I was in my closet andheard all that was said, and instead of being sorry, I was glad thatpuss was beaten instead of me.
"Besides those things which I have told you, I did many other naughtythings. Whenever I was sent into the store-room, where the sugar andsweetmeats were kept, I always stole some. I used very often at night,when my aunts were gone out, and Mrs. Bridget also (for Mrs. Bridgetgenerally went out when her mistress did to see some of heracquaintances in the town), to get up and go down into the kitchen,where I used to sit upon the housemaid's knee and eat toasted cheeseand bread sopped in beer. Whenever my aunts found out any of my naughtytricks, they used to talk to me of my wickedness, and to tell me thatif I went on in this manner I certainly should make God very angry.When I heard them talk of God's anger I used to be frightened, andresolved to do better; but I seldom kept any of my good resolutions.From day to day I went on in the same way, getting worse, I think,instead of better, until I was twelve years of age.
"One Saturday morning in the middle of summer my aunts called me tothem and said, 'My dear, we are going from home, and shall not returntill Monday morning. We cannot take you with us, as we could wish,because you have not been invited. Bridget will go with us, thereforethere will be no person to keep you in order; but we hope, as you arenot now a little child, that you may be trusted a few days byyourself.'
"Then they talked to me of the Commandments of God, and explained themto me, and spoke of the very great sin and danger of breaking them; andthey talked to me till I really felt frightened, and determined that Iwould be good all the while they were from home.
"When the coach was ready my aunts set out, and I took my books andwent to sit in the arbour with Shock, who was left under my care. Istayed in the arbour till evening, when one of the maid-servantsbrought me my supper. I gave part of it to Shock, and, when I had eatenthe rest, went to bed. As I lay in my bed I felt very glad that I hadgone through that evening without doing anything I thought naughty, andwas sure I should do as well the next day.
"The next morning I was awakened by the bells ringing for church. I gotup, ate my breakfast, and when I was dressed went with the maid tochurch. When we came home my dinner was given me. All this while I hadkept my aunts' words pretty well in my memory, but they now began towear a little from my mind. When I had done my dinner I went to play inthe garden.
"Behind the garden, on the hill, was a little field full ofcherry-trees. Cherries were now quite ripe. My aunts had given me leaveevery day to pick up a few cherries if there were any fallen from thetrees, but I was not allowed to gather any. Accordingly I went to lookif there were any cherries fallen. I found a few, and was eating them,when I heard somebody call me, 'Miss! Miss!' and, looking up, saw alittle girl who was employed about the house, in weeding the garden,and running errands. My aunts had often forbid me to play or hold anydiscourse with this little girl, which was certainly very proper, asthe education of the child was very different from that which had beengiven me. I was heedless of this command, and answered her by saying:'What are you doing here, Nanny?'
"'There is a ladder, Miss,' she replied, 'against a tree at the upperend of the orchard. If you please, I will get up into it and throw youdown some cherries.'
"At first I said 'No,' and then I said 'Yes.' So Nanny and I repairedto the tree in question, and Nanny mounted into the tree.
"'Oh, Miss! Miss!' said she as soon as she had reached the top of theladder, 'I can see from where I am all the town, and both the churches;and here is such plenty of cherries! Do come up! Only jus
t step on theladder, and then you can sit on this bough and eat as many cherries asyou please.'"
"And did you get into the tree, mamma?" said Lucy.
"Yes, my dear, I did," said Mrs. Fairchild; "and sat down on one of thebranches to eat cherries and look about me."
"Oh, mamma!" said Emily, "suppose your aunts had come home then!"
"You shall hear, my dear," continued Mrs. Fairchild. "My aunts, as Ithought, and as they expected, were not to come home till the Mondaymorning; but something happened whilst they were out--I forgetwhat--which obliged them to return sooner than they had expected, andthey got home just at the time when I was in the cherry-orchard. Theycalled for me, but not finding me immediately, they sent the servantsdifferent ways to look for me. The person who happened to come to lookfor me in the cherry-orchard was Mrs. Bridget, who was the only one ofthe servants who would have told of me. She soon spied me with Nanny inthe cherry-tree. She made us both come down, and dragged us by the armsinto the presence of my aunts, who were exceedingly angry; I think Inever saw them so angry. Nanny was given up to her mother to bepunished; and I was shut up in a dark room, where I was kept severaldays upon bread and water. At the end of three days my aunts sent forme, and talked to me for a long time.
"'Is it not very strange at your age, niece,' said Mrs. Penelope, 'thatyou cannot be trusted for one day, after all the pains we have takenwith you, after all we have taught you?'
"'And,' said my Aunt Grace, 'think of the shame and disgrace ofclimbing trees in such low company, after all the care and pains wehave taken with you, and the delicate manner in which we have rearedyou!'
"In this way they talked to me, whilst I cried very much.
"'Indeed, indeed, Aunt Grace and Aunt Penelope,' I said, 'I did mean tobehave well when you went out; I made many resolutions, but I brokethem all; I wished to be good, but I could not be good.'
"When my aunts had talked to me a long time, they forgave me, and I wasallowed to go about as usual, but I was not happy; I felt that I wasnaughty, and did not know how to make myself good. One afternoon, soonafter all this had happened, while my aunts and I were drinking tea inthe parlour, with the window open towards the garden, an old gentlemancame in at the front gate, whom I had never seen before. He was dressedin plain black clothes, exceedingly clean; his gray hair curled abouthis neck, and in his hand he had a strong walking-stick. I was thefirst who saw him, as I was nearest the window, and I called to myaunts to look at him.
"'Why, it is my Cousin Thomas!' cried my Aunt Penelope. 'Who would haveexpected to have seen him here?'
"With that both my aunts ran out to meet him and bring him in. The oldgentleman was a clergyman, and a near relation of our family, and hadlived many years upon his living in the North, without seeing any ofhis relations.
"'I have often promised to come and see you, cousins,' he said, assoon as he was seated, 'but never have been able to bring the matterabout till now.'
"My aunts told him how glad they were to see him, and presented me tohim. He received me very kindly, and told me that he remembered mymother. The more I saw of this gentleman, the more pleased I was withhim. He had many entertaining stories to tell; and he spoke ofeverybody in the kindest way possible. He often used to take me outwith him a-walking, and show me the flowers, and teach me their names.One day he went out into the town, and bought a beautiful little Biblefor me; and when he gave it to me he said: 'Read this, dear child, andpray to God to send His Holy Spirit to help you to understand it; andit shall be a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path.'"
"I know that verse, mamma," said Lucy; "it is in the Psalms."
"The old gentleman stayed with my aunts two months, and every day heused to take me with him to walk in the fields, the woods, and in thepleasant meadows on the banks of the Thames. His kind words to me atthose times I shall never forget; he, with God's blessing, brought meto the knowledge of my dear Saviour, and showed me the wickedness of myown heart, and made me understand that I never could do any good butthrough the help of God."
"When the good old gentleman was gone, did you behave better than youdid before he came, mamma?" said Lucy.
"After he left us, my dear, I was very different from what I wasbefore," said Mrs. Fairchild. "I had learned to know the weakness of myheart, and to ask God to help me to be good; and when I had done wrong,I knew whose forgiveness to ask; and I do not think that I ever fellinto those great sins which I had been guilty of before--such as lying,stealing, and deceiving my aunts."