The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-21
The HALF.CAsTE.
AN OLD G0vERNESS'S TALE.
FOUNDED ON FACT.
BY MISS UNLOCK.
BY MISS UNLOCK.

know not what we may De, as my
quantity clever niece and name-child,
Cassia, a great reader and quoter of
Shakespeare, would say. And truly,
who could have thought that |, a plain
governess, should in my old age have
become writer. Yet | cannot invent
a plot must write nothing but truth.
Here l pause, recollecting painfully
that in my first sentence | have slnned
against truth by emitting CaSsia my
"niece and name-child," when, strictly
speaking, she is neither the one nor the
other. She is no blood-relation at all,
sandra. always disliked it heartily
until Mr.. Sutherland called me But
l forgot that | must explain little.
Mr.. Sutherland was-no, thank Heav-
enl-is, a very good man; a friend of
nv late father, and Of the same busl-
ness-an Indian merchant. When in
my twenty-ffth year my dear father
died, and we were ruined-a quiet way
of expressing this, but in time one
learns to speak so quietly of every pang
Mr.. Sutherland was very kind to my
mother and to me. | remember, as
though it were yesterday, one day,
when he sat with us in our little parlor,
and hearing my mother calling me
Cassie, ~ said laughingly that | always
put him in mind of certain Indian
spice. "In fact, he added, looking af-
fectionately at my dear, gentle, little
mother, and approvingly..yes, 1t was
approvingly, at me-'in fact, think
we three sitting thus, with myself in
the center, might be likened to myrrh,
aloes, and cassia." One simllltude was
untrue; for he was not bitter but
sweet as summer" However, from
that time he always called me Cassia.
rather like the name, and latterly 1t
was very kind of him TO- There
am forestalling my history again!
When | was twenty-five, as | said, |
first went out as gOverness. This plan
was the result of many consultations
between my mother and myself. n
hard thing was my leaving home; but
found could thereby earn larger and
more regular salary, part Of which be-
ing put by, would sometime enable me
to live altogether with my mother.
Such were her plannings and hopes for
the future. AS for my own-But it
is idle to dwell upon things so long
past. God knew best, and it all comes
TO the same at the end Of life.
1t was through Mr.. Sutherland that
got my first situation. He wrote my
mother a hurried letter, saying he had
arranged for me to enter family con-
Qerning whom he would explain before
nv departure. But something him
dered his coming; it was a public meet
ing, | remember; for, though still a
young man, he was held in much honor
among the city merchants, and knew
the affairs of India well, from early res
idence there. OF course, having these
duties to fulfill, it was natural he
should not recollect my departure; so |
started without seeing him, and with
out knowing more of my future abode
than its name, and that of my employ
err II was Yorkshire village, and the
gentleman whose family was going to
was Mr.. lie Poer.
My long journey was dreary-God
knows how dreary i'll youth one suffers
50 much; and parting from my mother
was any time sufficient grief. In
those days railways were not nllmer-
Gus, and l had to journey a good way
by coach. About eleven at night |
found myself at my destination. At
the door q maid-servant appeared; no
one else: it was scarcely to be expected
by 1.-The governess This was new
and sad coming home" to me. ! was
shown to my bedroom, hearing, as |
passed the landing, much rustling Of
dresses and "squitting" away OF little
feet Il ought to apologize for that odd
expression, which | think | learned
Nlen | was quite child. and used TO
90 angling with my father and Mr..
Sutherland. 1t means scattering of
in all directions, as ShOal of minnows
do whom throw nphIIp among
them.) asked if the family were gone
to bed, and was informed no. 50 ar
ranged my dress and went downstairs,
unconsciously treasured by the fact
that the house was neither SO large nor
so aristocratic as my very liberal salary
had inclined me to expect.
"Who shall | say, MISS" asked the
rather untidy servant, meeting me in
the lobby, and staring with all her eyes,
as If stranger were some rare sight.
Miss Pryor" | said, thinking re-
gretfully that | should be henceforth
that, and not "Cassia;' and seeing the
maid still stared, ! added, with an
effort: IL am the new governeSS.
So under that double announcement
j appeared at the parlOr-doOr. The
room was rather dark; there were two
candles; but one had been eXtin-
guished, and was being hurriedly re-
lighted as l entered. At first | saw
nothing clearly: then l perceived lit
tie pale lady sitting at one end of the
table, and two half-grown up girls,
dressed in going-out-to-tea" costume,
seated primly together on the sofa.
There was third but she vanished out
of one door as entered the other.
Miss Pryor, believer" said timid
voice-so timid that could hardly be-
lieve that it was lady addressing her
governess. glanced at her: she was
little woman with pale hair and light
eyes - frightened-l0oking eyes - that
just rose and fell in a minute. | said
III was Miss Pryor, and concluded adj
dressed Mrs. lie Peer" She answered,
"Yes, yes;" and held out, hesitatingly,
thin, cold, bird-like hand, which /
took rather warmly than otherwise; for
l felt really sorry for her evident ner-
yOusness. 1t seemed so strange for
anybody to be afraid of me. MY
daughters, Miss Pryor" she then said,
In louder tone. Whereupon the two
girls rose, courtesied, blnshed- SEEM
ingly more from awkwardness than
modesty-and sat down again. shook
hands with both, trying to take the in
itiative, and make myself sociable and