The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-10-07
INTERESTING STORY.
FANNY'S FAILURE.


" My Dear Aunt"
What will she say ?p pondered Fanny.
"What will she think? VIII she scold me
very hard? Will she turn me out of doors ?
And what will become of me ? Oh, if only
1 were man who could saw wood or dig
up potato-feld for my living But when
Fate made me woman, Fate ought surely
to have provided some way to keep me from
starvation !"
Fanny Lynn belonged to the noble army
of goyernesses. Had she desired independ-
ence, peu, ct simple, she had deal better
have gone to the nearest respectable intelli-
gence Office and applied for place rs wait
ress or housemaid. But her aunt, hard
featured, high-nosed matron, had yearned
for gentility,-so Fanny had been compell-
ed to go out as governess.
"Why couldn't l stay here with you,
aunt ?" she questioned, wistfully.
Because we're poor" her aunt answer
sd, tartly. And because every mouthful
counts. How am to find bread, I'd like
to know, for every great indolent girl that
is unwilling to earn her own liying?'
but" said Fanny, with crimsoning
cheek, 81 could educate Bee and Dosa and
Thalia."
g Bee ard Dora and Thalia will get all
the education they need at the public
Schools" said her aunt. That's what /
pay taxes for. And you must get situation
where you can clothe yourself out of your
wages, and send home q little money now
and then to pay some portion of what we've
been obliged to expend ON you"
So, after many a..bootless trial and more
disappointments than one, the situation had
at length offered itself, and Fanny Lynn
had gone to Percy Hall, out ON the sylvan
shores of sweet Lake George, to teach three
lads.
az hope you are n good disciplinarian,
Miss Lynn" said the specialized old house,
keeper, cycling the new governors with
rather discontinued look. " For really the
young gentlemen are something quite dread
full"
Fanny's heart sunk within her.
Are they very big boys ?" she asked,
faintly.
well, there's Master Lnunce is four.
een,-and Sidney is twelve, Leopold
is nine,-and OF all cantankerous torment
ing niischievous lads Oh, but don't cry,
miss-don't cry !" as Fanny dropped into
chair and buried her face in her pocket.
handkerchief. " It's just possible that they
may take fancy to obey you. They chased
the last tutor off tho place with stones aud
sticks and an air-gun; but he wasn't
young lady, You see Miss Lynn, our boys
have never had any training. 1t worried
Mr. Avenel, their elder brother, to hear 'em
scolded at He's weak in the mind, is Mr..
Avenel, although very harmless if he amt
meddled with nor crossed in any of his no.
tons, and he's got fancy that the boys
mustn't be seolded at nor vexed. He's a
literary gentleman, is Mr. Avenel, and
spends deal of time in writing and read
ing. And its our orders that the place must
be kept quiet and him never disturbed"
Fanny Lynn's blue eyes grew big. Three
demons and lunatic What sort of a
place was this that she had come TOT But
here she was, bag and baggage, her fare
paid, her aunt's hands joyfully washed of
her. 1t was very plain that she must do the
best she could; SO she drank her cup of tea
in the big, desolate dining-room, and tried
to swallow some bread and butter and sliced
tongue, conscious the while that she was
being stealthily observed from the crevices
Of windows and Sits of partially opened
doors.
Boys" she at last ventured to say,
"wont you come in and speak to me?
am the governess."
A death-like silence followed this invoca-
ton, but at last big, lubberly fellow
came shutting in, followed by two smaller
youths, cycling her with dubious glances.
"Pm Launcelot," said the first " You're
the new governess, are you? Why, you
amt much bigger than a white kitten !"
Brains and inches do not always cor
respond, you know" said Fanny, trying TO
speak cheerfully, but Master Launcelot an
swered by dipping his fingers in the cherry
preserves, and licking them noisily, while
the other two, dispensing with any triaing
ceremony of introduction, skirmished
around the rusks and sponge-cake with ex-
cellent appetites.
IOu Gull tthCu iuo bhiu Dluucy iiibO-
lently. "There amt q woman Twin that
knows enough to teach me 1t takes men
10 do that I"
81 amt going to learn" said Leo,
freckled, fat-faced little boy, with sandy
hair, and eyes of the palest skim-milk blue.
81 hate multiplication table and spellingl"
"Well, we'll see tomorrow" said Fanny.
"And if you are very good boys I'll tell
you story when lessons are over"
Bother stories |" said Launce.
They amt true, not one of EN-" growl
ed Sidney.
g. always go to sleep when the maids
tell me stories," said Leo, with yawn.
This was the beginning of Miss Lynns
career at Percy Hail. The end can easily
be conjectured, she was defeated by the
three boys. Perhaps they could not learn.
Certainly they would not And Fanny was
abjectly afraid of them. The only time in
which she ever ventured to assert herself =.
was once when she came on them, climbing
and swarming over tall, slender young
man beside the lake
+" Boys ?" she cried, "go away! How
iare your"
Slight, slim girl though she was she
charged into the midst of them with stick,
plying ii to such good advantage that they
fled screaming!
81 hope they haven't hurt you" said she
flushed and trembling, as she turned to
their amazed victim, who seemed scarcely
| to credit his own good luck.
Not much" he answered, rubbing his
shoulders. Thanks, awfully, though.
They're dreadful young pirates, those boys.
You are the new governess, no doubt? ?"
Yes,-and you are the young gentle
man who-who mustn't be disturbed, sup
pose ?" faltered Fanny, beginning to feel
The awkwardness of the situation.
!" Hem /" he commented F." do get dis
turbed pretty often, however !"