Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-11
"oh, I'll take look at my lady, never

lear.
She came round TO the door and looked,
aud in return she encountered the indignant
look OF an honest English girl, who, al
though almost heart broken, had enough
spirit and energy left to hold her own. Di.
rectly the landady saw me she became sud-
denly and strangely altered. She gave me
smile and courtesy, and came forward TO
greet me. She did not know that | had
overheard this strange conversation, and ]
am glad TO say that had enough tact TO re-
frain from alluding to it at the time.
"Dear me, miss" she exclaimed, " Mrs.
Wilmslow will be so dreadfully sorry that
you have been prevented coming 10 her 10.
night by an accident or unpleasantness.
How tired and hungry you must be. Come
in, come in"
She led the way into a very pretty little
room furnished as drawingroom, where a
tall, handsome, bouncing girl was sitting at
a table copying music, and introduced her
to me as her daughter Kate. Rectors'
daughters and inn-keepers' daughters do not,
as rule, see much of each other, but this
was wholesome, pleasant, pretty, ladylike
girl, as much of lady as any girl whom !
had ever met We shook hands heartily,
and at once became great friends. The
good people brought me tea and cold chicken,
and made me as comfortable as could have
been at home.
"You have never been at an inn before,
have you, my dear ?" said Mrs. Brown, now
notified beyond all description.
"Not to sleep, ma'am only now and then
! have had lunch with my father when we
have been at hotel at market town."
"Perhaps you will be little nervous at
night in strange place." she rejoined.
"Not at all, ma'am," answered, attempt
ing to be polite although in reality ex.
pected that l should feel rather uncom-
| Portable.
al think, my dear, if you don't mind, you
had better sleep in my daughter Kate's
| room. There is little bed there which will
just suit you, and you will not feel lonely"
Hates room was perfect boudoir. She
had all sorts of pretty things, and had been
at good boarding-school near London. She
had little swinging bookcase, Just like my
poems and devotional works. My little
white couch was charming. In girls fash
| ion we lay in bed ever so long talking. / told
her all the story of my day, from first start
in the morning until Mr.. Curtis drove me
into Manningham. | was glad to hear her
gossip little about William Curtis. He was
the son of big farmer, or rather Squire,
Just such another as Mr.. Wilmslow, to whose
house | was going He had been the head
boy of the Manningham grammar school,
and then at an agricultural college, and he
had also travelled in foreign parts. 1t was
quite clear that Kate regarded him as one of
the aristocracy of the neighborhood. There
was no difficulty in identifying the young
man who had been driving tandem Kate de
nounced him as "perfect brute" and
heartily agreed with her energetic language.
1t was the very Mr.. Blades whom / heard
her mother alluding to in her conversation
with William Curtis. Whenever he came
to the inn she took care that she never came
near him. She had seen him the worse for
liquor once-which she believed was his
usual condition-and her mother would
never let her run the chance of seeing him
thus a second time.
The morning came, genial and brilliant.
| slept soundly, and rose refreshed. A pleas
ant breakfast was spread in the stting-room,
where had been over night. There was q
little matter, which was sorely perplexing
me. Being at the inn, ought to ask for
and pay my account, but on the hand, had
been treated with such motherly kindness
and hospitality that really did not like to
offer them money. 1 remember, however,
having heard my dear father say that it was
very rarely indeed that you could offend
people by offering them money which might
be thought their due, and he also used to
say that whether they took it or not they at
least liked to have the offer of it. Accord
ingly, though with some stammering, asked
for my bill. As soon as ever had uttered the
monosylable was ashamed of it, for my
good landlady took both my hands in hers
| and said that | mnGt not apnfhar ,xyor1
on the subject, for they were charmed to
have me there, and were thankful that /
should have been their guest.
"Ah now, my DEAR" she said, al declare
there are visitors coming to see you already"
Aud sure enough, just underneath the
archway, there was a low pony-carriage with
a pair of white ponies, aud dear old lady
and gentleman, white-headed, who exactly
matched the ponies. In a minute they were
within the room shaking hands with me very
warmly.
"We are the father and mother of Viii.
liam Curtis, who brought you here last
night" said the old lady introducing herself.
ave are 80 very glad that he was able to
render you any service. The Wilmslows are
old friends of ours, and we thought that it
might be nicer for you if we drove you over
this morning in our pony chaise. We are
afraid that they must have been very much
alarmed as you did not turn up"
Nothing could be kinder than this beauti-
full old lady was as we drove along. She
knew all about my going to be governess
at the Wilmslows, and said that she hoped
that she should be often seeing me, and that
| must come and spend my shorter holidays
at their home-Langley Manor House, on
the other side of Manningham. In due time
we came to bennington, when the Wilm-
slows gave me very kind reception. They
had been greatly perturbed and dismayed by
my non.arrival Mrs. Wilmslow, with nat
ural feminine sagacity, laid all the blame
upon her irrational husband, who at once
meekly accepted her reprimand.
This, then, was the one CLEAN of romance
which Illuminated my girlhood. 1t did not
last so very long. That is to say, it lasted
O'Clock that memorable September day.
Since then | really cannot say that have
ever met with anything in the shape of an
adventure. 1t is said by wise people that
the nation is happy which has no history,
and think that the same may be said Of a
woman. But from this adventure, such as
it was, there flowed several important re-
suits. found in the Curtises the kindest
aud most loving friends | ever made in my
life. As made some mention of my fam
lily at the outset, | may say that the young
squire married my eldest sister, and through
her influence our curate got living, which
enabled him to marry my second sister. As
for myself, often say that am still gov.
erness, but with this important difference
that | am governess to children of my
own, and as my boys grow up they are some.
times " cheeky" aud call my dearest Will
liam the governor. | often bless the day
when that one gleam of romance, through
tears and troubles, brought me to the settled
sunshine of my life.
LITTLE Bobby, aged three years, has at
tended Sunday-school one or two months
lie is an apt scholar, aud gives early promise
of being rich ethical fruitage At play with
an older brother the other day, his original
Adam so far got the better of him as to
cause him to clinch his little fists and strike