Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-17
BOTH SIDES OF A STORY.


BOTH SIDES OF A STORY.
HER STORY.
> hin, and he was the new curate. I Was
not very happy, for l had charge
Of four tfresome. girls Just. get
ting s>ihto these most objectionable
ages-eleven to sixteen; and / was only
twenty mvseif. Sometimes I felt as if
could not cope with them; and was
obliged to be stern, prim and old
maidish to try to keep up their respect
When the sun shone and the flowers
doomed, longed to sing and dance in
tn illness of youth and health; for l
was only girl, after all.
l dare say l ought to have liked
$ steaehings butt did not. Ihated it and
.Iwas miserable. Those four girls tor
mented me; they were not lovable, and
/ yearned after the little ones in the
nursery. My employers were Kind. J.
think; but governess is rarely very
happy: and / was young and lonely.
an orphan, and alone in the world. L
had no relatives, save an uncle in Aus
traha, who sometimes wrote to me,
and occasionally sent me hve-pound
note.
MIR. Ponsonby was our rector, an old
clergyman of the humdrum style, and
the greater share of whose work fell to
the hands of neophytes. who came and
ssweht inssuccession. We--thatis, i and
my eldest pupil, Caroline-taught in
the Sunday-school. Mrs. Thomson
liked her girls to. be useful: and. as
Caroline was only sixteen. she wished
me to help her to teach by taking part
of her class. 1 was vexed at this, for
did not teach all the week? And yet
I grew to like the work. The solemn
faced, innocent little rustics were a
weekly relief, in their very simplicity
and awe-struck respect for teacher,
from the airs and graces of the young
ladies in the school room,
On the Sunday that l saw Mr.
Clitheroe first l was teaching my
small scholar. when the door
opened and the rector came in.
He yer minded me, and / continued
trying to impress some fact on the blue
eyed innocent who stood demurely be-
fore me. and who, as firmly believed,
was count.ng the b. ight buttons on my
Jacket instead of listening. Suddenly
/ raised my eyes, and saw a strange
face 1t was quiet grave and intellec-
tual l stopped, and hesitated. The
stranger, seeing that he had put me
out, moved aside; and at that moment
Mr.. fonsonby came up to him.
II must Introduce the teachers to
you," he said. MIR. Clitheroe, this is
Miss Hodgson, who has the first class"
A few words We're lntercnanged, then
they came to us.
S.Thissis Miss Caroline Thomson of
the Grange," said the rector. ..who5 is
so kind as to help us; and this-this is
eh-Miss-Mks',-
MORLEY said quietly, to help him
out of his difficulty.
..Oh, YES; Miss Morley" he said.
A formal bow then followed, and
they passed on.
Alter this L saw Mr.. Clitheroe very
often. He became the greatest comfort
to me, though he did not know it. His
sermons went to my heart. Gradually
nv life grew more tolerable TO me.
Poor. foolish little thing! 1 began to
look forward to undav, to cherish his
words and looks. TO tiiink, / am afraid,
more of the preacher than of the mes
sage he delivered. In nearly a year
had spoken to him dozen times; but
/ often fancied that his eyes rested
kindly and inquiringly on me. Then
came our school-treat; and, as Mr..
Thomson was the Squire and gave the
feast on his grounds, we had to meet n
good deal over the arrangements. 1
remember how carefully dressed my
self on that bright day. it was only a
plain muslin gown that l wore. but
with blue ribbon in my hair and a
nosegay in my dress, could see that [
looked nice. The day went on; MIR.
Clitheroe never came near me, never
sT,oke to me- He had talked and
laughed. PLAYED with the children.
ioined in the games, and helped with
the redreshments;I but he took no heed
of me, who was doing, all, this also.
NV hopes-though what had hoped [
knew not-drooped. and l thought it
was going to be blank day. Mr..
Clitheroe took hot the slightest notice
of me: and after tea / felt TOO lonely to
play. The children, fortified by tea.
were no longer shy and in need of help;
and / wandered away into the park.
I felt sad, and the tears came into my
eses. He m, ght have spoken q word
to me. l thought.
Presently tail figure appeared be-
side me, and avacs that thrilled me
said
..Tired. Miss Morley You have
worked too hard"
What glorious talk we had! He
drew all my simple story out of me, and
told him all my ''disagreeables" and
troubles. He was so kind; he cheered
me. he made me look on the sunny side,
and he spoke of himself also. In fact,
- we sat there chatting1 forgot that
s. Vas governess, forgot that | was on
earth: till some one called him away,
and I did not speak to him again that
day.
1vs enoughYyhen stupid little Caroline
tar11e si1npefing up, and began to tease
5 me- about him, Notwithstanding my
sharp rebuke.
II saw more .os Mr. Clitheroe after
that. and he and always seemed-at
least, / fancied soto, ,hayeas kind OF