The Penn's Grove record., 1885-05-30
A SCHOOLROOM ROMANCE.

1t was all very well for the Claver.
ings' German Fraulein to tell Cissy to
sit up and attend, and all very well for
sober little t~en-year-old Minnie to wade
bravely in monotone through one of the
dullest chapters in Niebuhr; the school
room was distressingly hot, and Algy
would keep peeping through the half
open door to make faces. and the Ger
man band in the square would persist
III playing that delicious tr0iS-tempS,
and, altogether, lessons we're such a
mistake, and German was so odious'
Down went Clssy's two arms flop upon
the sticky oilskin t~able-cover, and her
two black eyes roamed %plteOusly from
the Ffaulein to the ceiling, while from
her poor laden heart there burst one,
two, three signs.
oh, it's so hot, and so dull and stu
pidl' she cried. What a horrid thing
1t is to be a girl and not grown-upl'
MY dearl" demonstrated the Frau
lein, with irritating ealmness-the Frau
lein was phlegmatic.
"Oh, yes, continued Cissy pettishly,
''of course it's all very well to be like
Flora and Gertrude, and do no lessons,
and get taken everywhere with mamma,
and go to balls and dances, and have
lovely dresses and locketS and bracelets.
but to be just fifteen, like | am, and be
made to practice scales, and read nasty
dry books-oh, it is unbearable!"
From which outbuTst it might be in
ferred that Miss Cecilia Clavering was
a young lady of insubordinate and dis
contented character, given to envy heI
elders their legitimate pleasures and be-
wall with unnecessary freedom her own
state of bondage in the schoolroom.
Such however was not the case .gener-
ally. Cousin Jack was downstairs in
the drawing-room, and Flora and Ger.
trude we're having him-her W par.
ticular ally-all to themselves. This
was a grievance, and, like many Older
and wiser people, Cissy made the most
of it; but on ordinary occasions the
Fraulien did not find her by any means
the most unmanageable of the young
Claverings under her especial care.
There were six of them-boys and
girls-in the schoolroom, ranging in age
from fifteen. summer Cissy to little four,
yeaT-old Ben, besides the two Older
girls, Flora and Gertrude, and a young
MILDLY whose dirk and sun0urned cheeks
were the pride and delight of CIssy's
heart, when he got leave from his ship
and come home to tease and kiss hi
slsters-altOgether a formidable family
to provide for out of an uncertain pro
fesslonal income, such as that of Hugh
Claverh,g, Q. G. But then the girls
were sure to marry well, except perhaps
poor Cissy, their mother assured him
dwelling with pardOnable maternal van.
ity on the charms of her daughters
minds and persons.
IAN things are sure to come to az
end if one only has patience to wait,
remarked Cissy philosophically.
So she waited; and at last Minnie:
shrIli little voice came to the concluding
sentence in the chapter, and at the SAINT
time, although less desirable perhaps
the band outside ended the ''Manolo'
valse with a grand simultaneous fortiS
sinl0.
The Fraulein laughed good-humor
edly, and, assuming a non-profeSsiona
attitude, told Cissy and Minnie to put
up their books and make the room tidy
for tea.
Cissy moved about rather lazily Il
obey this behest. She was awkward
looking, %ungainly, and gaunt, present
ing in appearance an unprepossessing
contrast to pretty, graceful little Min.
ME. Aud, besides being loosely knit
and angular. she was extremely untidJ
about her hair aud clothes, and many
ink-stains fingered about the front OF
her dress, and on her thin brown nerv.
Gus hands. She was ''the plain one Of
the family, Mrs. Clavering complained
fretfully sometimes; but the girl wa
young yet, 80 that 1t was impossible
clearly to foretelI what effect good
dressing and the magic enchanter hap.
piness might do for her in the way OF
good looks.
Cissy stood on the landing, and peered
wistfully over the balusters, while the
youthful footman placed upon the
schoolroom table sundry mugs and tea,
cups, and two plates of thick untempt
ing bread. and butter; Algy, by way Of
assisting operations, shooting at inter
walls a stray pea or two from his pocket
at the unoffending youths legs and back,
1t was the same weary old routine re.
peating itself.
"Why is there never anything new2'
Cissy asked herself.
Then the Fraulein called to her tC
come TO tea; and Cissy left off puzzlinq
oven the mental problem that never
could be answered, and took her place
hstlessly in front of n of the piles OF
thick bread-and-butter, while the Frau,
lein poured ont tea and scolded Algy.
All at once the dooI opened.
"Hallo," cried Algy, with his mouth
full, sits Jackl"
"Don't disturb yourself, pray" SAID
the interloper politely, as, dealing a
friendly box on the ear to Algy en- route
he made his way boldly up to the tea
tray.
"Please may l have some tea. Frau
leinfn he said. "Mrs. C~lavering SAID
you would give me a cup if l asked
prettily."
And Jack Dane seated himself be,
tween the Fraulein and Algy. He was
a fair-haired, tall young fellow Of two
or three and twenty, with sleepy blue
eyes and a pair of broad shoulders caseC
in brown homespun.
sob, isn't it primeln cried Algy tri'
umphantly. "But what made you
come. Jack? It's stupid up here, yoU
know, and the teas vile, and the bread,
and-butter nasty, and"
''Be quiet, Algy; you know very well.