The Republican journal., 1872-05-09
In Sir Rupert's Room.

4
felt so young and inexperienced to
enter or an engagement of trust and re-
sponsibilitv, such as | knew that OF a GOV
erness to be, that when drove to my first
situation | saw nothing of the beauty
which surrounded me. | went through
| the w de-spreading park, and saw nothing
OF the rich vast extent OF green, OF its
slvery cleaning waters, of its giant
springfield trees. could only sit quite
still in the corner of the long luxurious
my aheart that | would try with all my
might to make my pupil love me, and to
60 well whatever | should have to DO.
And when Crayden Abbey came IN sight
at last, looked upon its thick red walls
and heavy stacks of chimneys, thinking,
in vague and dreamy way, that it was
Il very grand old place, but still wonder
ing above all, would my pupil love me ?
! Could do all that ought to do?
| In a long oak wainscoted room with
| four narrow stone-mullioned windows
| down one side. sat after my solitary tea,
| waiting tor the promised visit from my
pupil. | had waited for considerable
| time, when Lady Hurst brought her in to
| me.
And such winsome child she was
| All, little Dolly, It's twenty long, long
years since you came in to me that night,
| and leaving your mothers side, threw two
| little arms around my neck and pressed
two warm red lips upon my own; but
| from that moment, |, who had been feel
ing so inexpressibly lonely in the big
strange house until you came, took your
| image into the utmost depths OF my heart,
and through those twenty years it has lain
| there undisturbed, loved and cherished
always, with Il more sacred if stdder love,
dear than could have been if you were
| now happy and beautiful young mother
in your turn.
This is Dolly, Miss May" said Lady
Hurst laying her white ringed hand with
inetfiable tenderness on the child's bri ight
hair which fell to her waist in rlch wide
natural waves-"This is Dolly; and |
| would not let her come before, because |
knew you would have no rest after her
coming, and therefore your only chance
was to take it before"
She left Dolly with me then, and went
to dinner, but later when the child was
gone to bed. she came in again and sat
down before the fire, telling me all |
should be expected to do in my new posi-
ton, and speaking kind and encourag ging
words to me. We talked a long time Of
my little pupil; and the mothers voice,
| naturally rather chill and naughty, thrilled
with unutterable pride and tenderness.
And while | watched the freight play
upon her rich dress and cleaning jewels,
1 wondered many things about this
mothers life, SO wrapt and folded was it
| round her Youngest child.
"Perhaps Dolly may be a little too much
! indulged among us ALL" she added, smil-
| ing contradiction OF her words; but |
hope not if, though being our only little
girl and several years younger than her
brothers, and the only one always at home
| with US, she is perhaps more thought Of,
Besides which, she is such little winning
| thing, and such a pet with us all. | fear
that her father is really inclined to spoil
her. His loving indulgence would be
dangerous for another child; but hope
it will do Dolly no harm" The voice was
so very confident that | could not help
smiling too.
''My reason for wishing for so young q
governess," resumed Lady Hurst, ''was
this: | want you sometimes kindly to Join
| in the child's play, as there are few
children near us of her age and position.
| | am sure that you will sometimes amuse
! as well as instruct your little pupil, and
| hope we will be able to make you happy
| in your new home.''
Need | tell how gladly promised to do
So or how grateful | felt that night as I
stood at one of my narrow deep-set win
dows, looking over the wide fair moonit
park, and thinking how kind had been my
md hoxu ,1x1o nj Iaarlv ] oonlI
| love my little pupil
81 will take you over the house now,
Miss May, if you would like" said Dolly,
| after breakfast next morning, in her
| quaint little half-shy, -patronizing
way. Would you?"
| told her | should like it very much,
| and we went together, sometimes walk
ing, sometimes running along the intri-
cate. endless-seemirg passages, and in
and out of the high, ,richly-furnished rooms,
and Dolly told me what they We're called,
and who occupied them, and the history
of many rare AMI valuable curiosity.
| What grand old house it was felt as
if | never should be able to venture
alone about it. knew that if Dolly had
| not been with me, should have lost my
self irrecoverably. Even when she only
darted on before me into one of the rooms,
or up one OF the staircases, | felt so be
wldered that hastened after her lest
should lose sight of my little guide.
| "Shall we 90 on to the unused part,
Miss May?" she asked, her light feet
dancing at my side; ''or shall you be
frightened ?"
II don't think I shall be frightened in
this very daylight, Dolly" said with
great apparent deliberation. "Are there
ghosts about then ?"
so, plenty of GHOSTS she laughed
softly, plenty. But We'll go on, as you
say so. Wen 60 into Sir Rupert's room,
Miss May-shall we?"
20 yes" said readily, (which is Sil
Rupert's room ?'
"I'll show you," rejoined Dolly, little
! gravely; "we shall come to it presently
| We turned into long arched corridor
lighted by small high windows, round
which the ivy grew so thick that, though
it was carefully cut, its depth shadowine
the narrow windows, made the noonday
light in there rather heavy and oppres
sive gloom.
sThere are no inhabited rooms down
here" Dolly said, land no one comes
here except Sir Rupert's ghost, as the
boys say. But Of course, we don't be-
lieve that sort of thing, do we ?"
"Only as the boys joke" | answered
promptly, having firm conviction tina
governesses ought not to allow theil
pupils to encourage belief in ghosts.
oh of course there are no ghosts
really said Dolly with little bit Of awe
in her lustrous eyes. ''Yet do you know
that none OF the servants will pass the enc
of this corridor after dark P"
Every silly of them," | put in conclu
sively.
"Yes. it is silly" replied Dolly, thought.
fully, "and yet do you know, Miss May
l was frightened too. a good while ago ?'
"Were you, really2" inquired, gaz.
ing with feigned astonishment into the
beautiful little upturned face.
eyes, was, indeed. never liked tt
come anywhere near here except in broat
daylight, and with somebody. But Hugt
and Harry laughed at me, so l left it off
But l can never leave off believing one