CHAPTER XIII.
The happy family-party at Mr. Harewood's was necessarily soon broken up,as Mrs. Hanson took a house at Brompton, on account of the mildness ofthe air, and the young friends were then separated. Their removal wasfacilitated by the arrival of that West-Indian lady and her little girl,whom we have already mentioned, as being stripped of nearly all herpossessions, and whom Mr. and Mrs. Harewood were desirous of accommodatingin their house, until some plan for her future situation should be fixedupon. They were not of that number who can receive a rich friend withpleasure, and leave a poor one to shift for themselves; on the contrary,Mrs. Weston and her little Harriet were received by them, not only withaffection, but with all consideration due to her former situation.
As soon as Mrs. Hanson had arranged her household at Brompton, she hastenedto invite Mr. and Mrs. Harewood and their family to spend an early daywith her, and was then introduced to Mrs. Weston, whom she knew well byreport, and for whose altered situation she was truly concerned, especiallyafter she became acquainted with her, as the suavity of her manners, thequiet dignity of mind, and unaffected resignation with which she bore hermisfortunes, could not fail to prepossess her in favour of so wise and gooda sufferer, who was likewise so cheerful and willing to be happy.
Harriet was a little girl, about six years old at this time, a tolerablygood child but certainly subject to the same errors (though in a far lessdegree) which had formerly distinguished Matilda; and as she wantedincessantly somebody to do something for her, and there was no longer aslave at her command, her mother was too frequently obliged to be thatservant--a circumstance which rendered the young Harewoods much less fondof Harriet than they would otherwise have been, and which, at times, triedthe temper of even the gentle Ellen.
Matilda's whole mind was absorbed by this little girl, on whom shecontinually cast looks of the deepest interest; her mother imputed theserious air she wore to a regret very natural at her age, on revisitingthe house where she had been so happy, and she felt some fears lest itshould continue to haunt her mind: she had likewise many forebodings as tothe future education of her daughter, being sensible that she had enjoyedadvantages in Mr. Harewood's house of no common character; and she verycandidly related all that was passing in her mind to that kind lady, whosematernal love for her child rendered her the most proper judge for thefuture, as she had proved herself the truest friend for the past.
Mrs. Harewood very strenuously recommended her to procure a good governessfor her daughter, as it was hardly to be expected that she could bringherself to part with her only child, otherwise a school might have beenmore advantageous to a girl of such an active and social disposition; but,above all, she pressed Mrs. Hanson to endeavour to preserve in her thatspirit of humility which never fails to produce obedience, subdue passion,and open the mind for the reception and nurture of every virtue.
On the arrival of Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Harewood had left the real improvementsof Matilda to be discovered by circumstances; and as the mother anddaughter were seldom apart, she had not spoken of the kind and charitableactions which Matilda had performed, fearful of injuring by praise thoseblossoms which were now only beginning to expand; but she now dilated onthem with pleasure, both to the happy mother and Mrs. Weston; and such wasthe effect of this discourse on the former, that tears of pleasure andgratitude to Heaven ran down her cheek. Matilda, although still engagedwith the child, catching a view of her mother under this emotion, could notforbear running up to her, and tenderly inquired what was the matter.
"Nothing at all, my love, at least nothing painful; we have been speakingof you--I am anxious to engage you a governess."
"Well, mamma, and will Mrs. Weston be so good as to undertake me?"
The ladies all started, but by no means with any symptom of dismay,although Mrs. Hanson said, with some confusion, to Mrs. Weston--"My littlegirl takes a great liberty, ma'am, but you must pardon her prematurerequest; she fancies you are an old friend, I believe, because you are hercountrywoman."
"I wish sincerely I had any other claim to being considered her friend,madam, as in that case----"
Mrs. Weston suddenly checked herself, her colour rose, and the tears stoodin her eyes.
"Suffer me, my dear friend, to interpret your silence for Mrs. Hanson;--in_that_ case you would not object to undertaking the charge which Matildahas very innocently, though very abruptly, been willing to assign to you?"
"If you are a faithful interpreter, I will call you a most agreeable one,"said Mrs. Hanson, "for Mrs. Weston would be an equal acquisition to both meand my daughter."
Mrs. Weston wiped her eyes--"Believe me, dear ladies," said she, "I amgrateful for your good opinion, and truly desirous of profiting by yourkind offer; but you are both mothers, and will, I am certain, consider mysituation as such. I am but newly arrived; it will take some time to weanmy poor child from her habits; and to send one so very young to school, isa painful consideration; in a few months I shall be happy indeed to availmyself of your goodness, and enter with pleasure on so promising a task."
Mrs. Hanson was just going to express her entire approbation of thisproposal, when Matilda, with a modest, but earnest air, entreatedpermission to speak, which was immediately granted.
"Do not think me vain nor presuming, dear Mrs. Weston, if I say, that,whilst you are my governess, I will, with my mamma's permission, becomelittle Harriet's governess; I am quite sure it will do us both a greatdeal of good, for she will every hour remind me how much more naughty andtiresome and provoking I used to be when I first came over, and teach me toendure with patience, and remove with gentleness and firmness, the errorswhich, in so young and engaging a child, claim my compassion rather thanblame. I shall love her very dearly, I am certain, because I see she is ofa loving temper, notwithstanding her faults; and I am certain, if she feelsas I do, she will love me for curing her of them; then I will teach her allI know, and as I shall improve every day, you know I shall improve heralso! Dear mamma, pray let me try! I do not know any way in which a girllike me can show gratitude to God so effectually, as in endeavouring tomake my fellow-creature as happy as myself, and especially my own littlecountrywoman."
The tenderness and earnestness with which this request was urged, aswell as the excellent motive, ensured its success; and in a few days themother and daughter removed together to Brompton, and a regular system ofeducation was entered upon, which was indeed attended with the most happyeffects, although it is probable that Matilda found her new office aboundwith trials, of which she could form no idea until experience taught her.It is however certain, that she received as much benefit as shecommunicated, and that she learned the lessons of virtue whilst impartingthem to her little pupil, who proved a very tractable and intelligentchild, after she had become weaned from those habits which were in a greatmeasure inseparable from her late situation in life. It is probable thatbut for this stimulus to her exertions, Matilda would have neglected hereducation, and sunk into indolent habits, for want of those excitementswhich she had found in the society of Ellen and her brothers; whereas nowshe endeavoured, at every meeting with this dear family, to exhibit someimprovement or attainment in her pupil, and these were inevitably connectedwith her own.
But notwithstanding the advantages Matilda possessed, and her earnestdesire to profit by them, and even the actual improvement she evinced, ouryoung readers must not suppose either that she was perfect, or that she hadattained that standard of excellence of which she was capable. Many amoment of petulance occurred with her provoking little pupil, and airs ofarrogance were apt to swell her bosom, upon those occasions which calledout the superiority of her fortune, or the exhibition of those talentswhich could not fail to be remarked in her situation of life. But on theseoccasions it was never difficult for Mrs. Weston or her good mamma torecall her to a sense of the folly and guilt of indulging such a temper;for her religious principles were deeply ingrafted, and her sensibilitygenuine and active; so that the moment her mind perceived that she waswounding a f
ellow-creature, and thereby offending God, her heart revoltedfrom her own conduct, and she lost not a moment in retracting theassertions of anger, and rendering, as far as she was able, every atonementfor her error.