The Penn's Grove record., 1886-04-17

NThank you; yes, 1t Will certainly DC
as well to have it to refer to" responds
Flo. in a tone where self-complacent
Mrs. Smith detects no tinge Of satire.
Then she rises, and Is about to leave
| the room, when the lady of the house
calls her back.
HOh. Miss Brymer, | think l men,
toned in my letter that my children
had most gentle and affectionate dispo-
sitionsi You must be very l9nlent with
them, or | can't answer for the conse.
queIces."
81 dare say ! shall be able to manage
them, " answers Flo. somewhat impa-
t%iently; and she is about to retire, when
a tall f~air-haired girl of eighteen en-
ters the room.
my daughter, Miss Fitz-Maurice
SMITH" announces Mrs. Smith conde-
scendingly. "Louie, this is the new
governess."
Flo smiles, and holds out a hand of
friendship. The girl looks so sweet,
she cannot surely have inherited the
mothers pompous mannerj
But Miss Louie seems considerably
taken abaek by the proffered hand; she
shakes it however after a very limp
fashion, bestowing at the same time a
long cold stare on Flo.
''The children are making the most
demoniacal noise in the sehool-room, "
size observes to her mother, with a dis
gusted shrug Of her dropping shoulders.
Flo waits not for the command she
sees lowering on the lips of Mrs. Smith
but; passing swiftly out of the room,
mounts to the school-room. Here, as
she anticipated, anarchy reigns supreme.
IL Is Il lofty well-ventilated room,
and the long French window opening
out on to a broad iron balcony stands
wide open to admit the mild spring sun
shine. In the distance, beyond the
well-kept fiower-beds and more dis
tant meadows, lies the sparkling sail
dotted English Channel.
what a delightful retreat were it
not for these little wretchesl' thinks
Flo to herself, as she pictures the bare
back room in which her poor mother is
bound to spend so many sunless hours.
There is a lull on her first appear
ance, armed with her square yard of
cardboard, then a renewed outburst of
shouts and yells, broken at length by
Toms voice raised shrill and loud above
the rest.
"Tyrant, vampire, viperl Three his
ses for the governessl"
The called for Kisses are readily
given.
Don't think that 1 am one of your
knock-under mllk-and-water missesl"
screams Cornelia.
There is nothing like a hornpipe to
quiet ones nervesl" cries Tom. isA
"Yow, VOW, yowl" yells Trot, not -
be b"ehindhand in the tumult.
Flo makes no attempt to quell the
noise; she simply sits down in a low
chair by the open window, and breaks
into a hearty laugh.
This unprecedented behavior on tho
part of Miss Brymer goes farther in
producing silence than any exercise of
authority could have gone; the children
cease their noise to investigate the phe-
nomenon; then Flo speaks pleasantly
pleasantly enough, bus with a little
satirical smile.
what pretty welcomed But your
mamma told me you were all sweet
children"
Cornelia, being the oldest, looks a
tIife ashamed of herself.
II have four masters and a French
maid" she announces vainglorlously,
'and | hunt twice a week."
"Indeed!' responds Miss Brymer
carelessly. 81 must have misunder-
stood your mamma; l thought she said
there was something the matter with
your SPINE"
"Oh, ma always tells the g~overnesses
thatl The truth is l have to lie on my
back for my figure. Loule-have you
seen Louie?"
"Yes.n
swell, Louie is a splendid figure,
only eighteen inches round the waist
and as straight as a dart. 1t was lying
or her back did it ALL"
"What-lying on her back reduced
her waist to eighteen inchesP" ques-
tons Flo. laughing.
But Cornelia's reply IS lost amid the
noise of Toms powerful young lungs;
he evidently thinks it is his turn to be
heard.
II say, how long did you stop where
you were last?" he demands, planting
himself well in front of Flo, with his
hands in his NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
About three years." answers Miss
Brymer.
Three years!' repeats Tom, with a
whistle of amaZement. "Well, you
needn't think you are going to stop
here three years-you couldn't do itP'
confidently. THE longest we ever had
stopped three months, and some stop
only a day."
81 am afraid you must be very
naughty Children" says Flo r~eproach.
fully.
well, you see, the fact is there is a
gram OF wlckedness in me every morn
ing when l get up, and l have to dance
it OUT" explains Tom,
"And wickedness in me, too" Dot
hastens to announce.
And me tool" echoes Trot, giving
evidence of her degenerate nature by a
shIill shrek.
81 have kept a list of my governess-
es," continues Cornelia triumphantly.
Il have had forty-seven. Last year
we had seventeen, and the year before
only six"
lone was a nigger-quite black,n
explains Dot-"and another had long
red curls."
And n slapped me-" puts in Trot,
with a deeply injured air.
"hly dear child, | don't wonder at
It'll" remarks Flo mildly.
There is ageneral yell of disapproval.
You need not think you are going
to slap us, mamma would send you
away directly if you did,"
~ should not take the trouble to
Slap any little girl" declares Flo, smil-
ing. IF | find you won't be good, l
shall go away.
"Ah, then l expect you'll go to-mor-
rOwI' remarks Tom thoughtfully.
81 hope you won't-that is, if you
know ANYTHING" i~nterposes Cornelia,
in a complaining tone. sit is such a
nuisance having to study by oneself.
You see, my English master gives me
such frightfully difficult lessons that l
really want some II to help me-"
Then suppose we set to work at
onee2" suggests Flo cheerfully.
Very well. Tom, Dot, and Trot,
you naughty children. you know you
- A.