The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-18
THE LF-CASTE.
AN OLD GOVERNESS'S TALE
FOUNDED ON FACT.
BY MISS STULOCK.

d MISS b.
I'VE know what we are but we
know not what we may be- as nv
quantity clever niece and name-child
SdSSIa, great reader and quOter of
SnakSpeare, would say. And truly.
VINO could have thought that l, plain
PONerneSs, should in my old age have
become writer. Yet I cannot invent
apIot-I must write nothing but truth
iieIe L pause, TecOllecting painfully
Jhat IN my first sentence | have sinned
against truth by emitting Cassia my
niece and name-child," F" when, strictly
speaking, she is neither the one nor the
other. She is no blood-relation at all.
ana my own name happens to be Cas-
Sandra. | always disliked it heartily
until Mr.. Sutherland called me But
L forgot that l must explain a little.
Ar sutherland was-nO thank Heay-
en!-ls, very good man; a friend of
my late father, and of the same bust
neSS-an Indian merchant When in
my IWenty-htth year my dear father
dled, and we were ruined-a quiet way
OF expressing this, but in time one
leaInS TO speak so quietly of every pang
Mr.. Sutherland was very kind to nv
mother and to me. [ Remember as
though 1t We're yesterday. one day,
WIen ne sat with us in our little parlor.
ana hearing my mother calling me
cassie; said laughingly that I always
put him in mind of certain Indian
lsplce. In fact, he added, looking af-
lIectIonately at my dear, gentle, little
Imother, and apprOvinglySyes it was
tapproYmgly, at me-''in fact, [ think
we three sitting thus, with myself in
the center, might be likened to mvrrh.
aloes, and cassia." One similitude was
untrue; for he was not bitter but
= GHTF 11.rr-r
that time he always called me Cassia.
rather IKE the name, and latterly it
was very kind of him To There
1 am foreStalling my history again!
Nhen | was twenty-five, as | said, [
hrst went out as gOverness. This plan
was the result of many consultations
between my mother and myself. \
nard thing was my leaving home; but I
found l 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.
1,.cR fIo e, We're her PIannlngs and hopes for
ihe future. As for my Own--Butit
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 I
got my first situation. He wrote nv
mother hurried letter, saying he had
arranged for me to enter a family con-
Gernfng whom he would explain before
my departure. But something hin
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
ldence 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
er. 1t was a Yorkshire village. and the
gentleman whose family l was going to
was a Mr.. lie POer.
My long journey was dreary-God
knows how drearyl in youth one suffers
so much; and parting from my mother
was any time sufficient grief. In
those days railways were not numer-
Gus, and had to journey a good way
by coach. About eleven at night |
found myself at my destination. At
the door a maid-Servant appeared: no
one else: it was scarcely to be expected
by 1.-The gOyerneSs.' This was a new
and sad coming home to me. was
shown to my bedroom, hearing, as l
passed the landing, much rustling of
dresses and ''squittling" away Of little
feet. / ought to apologize for that odd
expression, which | think | learned
when | was quite child, and used to
go angling with my father and Mr..
Sutherland. 1t means a scattering off
in all directions. as a shOal of minnOws
do when you throw a pebble among
them.) | asked if the family were gone
to bed, and was Informed mo- | ar
ranged my dress and went downstairs,
mcOnsciously reassured by the fact
that the house was neither so large nor
50 aristOcratic as my very liberal salary
had inclined me to expect. --.s
Who shall L say. missI' 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" 1 said, thinking re-
gretfully that l should be henceforth
that, and not " "Cassia;" and seeing the
maid still stared, L added, with an
effort: Il am the new governess."
So under that double announcement
/ 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 | entered. At first [ saw
nothing clearly: then perceived a lit
tie pale lady sitting at one end of the
table, and two halfgroWn 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 l entered the other.
Miss Pryor, L believer" said timid
voice-so timid that could hardly be-
lieve that it was a lady addressing her
governess. glanced at her: sheywas a
little woman with pale hair and light
ewes - -frightened-lOoking eyes = that
Just rose and fell in a minute. / said
Il was Miss Pryor, and concluded I adj
dressed Mrs Le RaHT.5i She answered,
'Y es, yes;u and, held out. hesitatipgly,
a thin. cold. bird-iiSe hand. which
took rather warmly than otheFYise; for
felt really sorry for. her evident ner-
vOuSneSs. 1t seemed so strange for
anybody to be afraid of me. My
daughters. Miss Pryor. she then said,
in q louder tone. Whereupon the two
girls rose. cOurtesied, blushed-seem-
inglY more from awkwardneSs than f
sat down again. / shook .
hands with both, trying to take the in
itiative, and make myself sociable and
at home-a difficult matter my position
feeling much like that of fly in an ice
house.
"These are my pupils. then2' said I,
(which is Miss Zillah?'-
fer I remembered Mr.. Sutherland had
that name in his letter, and
its popularity naturally struck me.
The mother and daughters looked
rather blankly at each other; and the
and Miss Matilda-Ziliah is not in the
room at present"
"Oh, third sister," L observed.
NO" rather pertly answered Miss
lie Poer: ''Zill is not our sister at all.
but only a sort of distant relation of
pas, whom he is very kind to and
maintains at his own expense, and who
mends our stockings and brushes our