The Penn's Grove record., 1886-04-17
OUT In THE COLD WORLD.


1t is a glorious morning In early
April. Flo Brymer is sitting alone in
a gorgeously.furnished morning-room
awaiting the advent of Mrs. Fitz-Mau.
rice Smith. When Flo arrived, that
lady was absent at an entertainment:
but this morning she has intimat9d
through her maid that it, is her pleasure
to hold an interview with her new gov.
erness at ten O'Clock precisely in her
mornIng-room.
1t is half-past ten; but no Mrs. Fitz.
Maurice Smith has as yet put in an ap-
pearance. Flo is tired of contemplat-
ing the tables and cabinets crowded
with brio d'6rdc; she is equally weary
of the photograph Of a large stout wo-
man much bedizened with lace adorn-
ing the gold-fringed mantelshelf, and
which instinct tells her is the portrait
of Mrs, Fltz-Maurice Smith. Finally
the door handle turns slowly, and Mrs.
Fitz-Maurice Smith enters the room.
She Is a tall and very portly woman
of between forty and fifty. Her COM
plexion is ford, her hair of golden
hue, deliberately dressed, and surmorn-
ted By an airy cap; her hands are very
big, very white, and very much bediz.
ened with diamonds. She is clad in a
rich manipulating silk oVerladen with
trimmings, and she wears on her Shout
ders a pale-blue Shetland shawl, not
for the sake of It's warmth, but because
the shade suits her pinky-Whlte skin.
She advances with dignified step to-
ward Flo, who has risen to meet her,
and holds out the tips OF two broad
white fingers from the folds Of her
Shetland shawl, saying, in a slightly
nasal tone. and with a decided lisp
"Miss Brymer, / suppose? l am afraid
have kept you waiting; but my little
dog had no appetite this morning for
his breakfast, and l have been trying
to coax him to eat a little"
Flo tries to repress a smile as she an
swers, reseating herself on herlowchair
and shutting up her pocket-book-
az have been busy with my accounts
SO the time did not seem very long"
Mrs. Smith establishes herself in a
roomy c~auseuse, and contemplates her
new governess through her double
eyeglasses for some moments in silence
After a while the scrutiny becomes en-
barrasslng to Flo, who feels desperately
inclined to laugh; so she proceeds to
business.
"You wish to speak to me about the
children, 1 think, Mrs. Smith," she
asks.
"Mrs. Fitz-Maurice Smith, corrects
that lady severely.
Flo bows her head in meek accep-
lance of the rebuke.
"Yes; l wish TO give you an idea Of
the general order of things, and a list
of the studies to be pursued, which /
have drawn up"
81 have hitherto made my own al
engagements about lessons" answers
Flo, smiling. "If you will kindly emu.
merate the various studies, and say
how many hours a day you would like
the children to work, l need not trouble
you further.n
"Ahl 1 see you have been aecuston-
ed to people who, having engaged their
g%overness. consider they have done
their duty to their children; but | an
not of that opinion. ] superintend every
thing. In this house there is a time for
everything and for everything a time"
Flo bends her head Slightly, and
awaits further particulars.
"You saw the children, of course, at
the school-room breakfast"
Eyes," assents Flo readily.
"Your chief charge will be Corneiia.
She is unusually advanced in all her
studies, far more 50 than most girls of
hnr aOn Ghn hos hnVunuar fpnr nggg.
ters-drawing, music, German, and
Latan-so that you need not feel diff
dent about undertaking her. Your
duty will simply be to prepare her for
the different lessons. You may have
observed that the dear child is very
d~elicate?" Mrs. Smith pauses.
"No." answers Flo honestly; ''she
made a hearty breakfastthis morning"
81 am glad to hear it." responds
Mrs. Smith with a frown; ''but Cor
nelia is nevertheless extremely delicate
so much so that, unless engaged in
out-of-door exercise, 1 wish her to lie
each day. In a recumbent position she
cannot, of course, study without great
inconvenience; consequently it will be
your duty to read and re-read her les
sons for her until she knows them by
heart, Whilst you are engaged with
Cornelia. Dot, Trot, and Tom will walk
with their maid.'
Sand what time shall l devote to
the little ones?" asks Flo, somewhat
aghast.
"Ah, l have a theory of my own re-
specting the little onesl | think 1t a
great mistake for small children to be
taught en- mdSsa; so you will kindly
take the little ones for an hour each,
separately, every day. have made out
a complete list of your duties, and !
think l placed it in that ~cupboard''-
pointing m~ajestically to a large black
cabinet embellished with much gliding.
Flo is beginning to feel amused; she
is still more amused when, having dis
inferred a full-sized piece of bristol
board closely covered with extremely
black caligraphy, she finds that it con-
tains full particulars of her work. She
holds it at arms length with both hands
and wonders vaguely whether Mrs.
Fitz-Maurice Smith is aware that only
twenty-four hours go to make a day.
81 am a thoroughly energetic and
methodical woman , continues Mrs
c~omplacently, ''and you will find that
you have there full occupation fer every
five minutes in the day. You will Oh
serve that in many instances / have
contrived to make the time serve two
purposes-'5 p. NJ. to 6 r. NJ, you see,
'Cornelia at German; Trot, Dot, and
Tom, needlework. Governess reads
French aloud again, $50 p. NJ. Co
nelia, calisthenics, questioned mean
time on mental arithmetic"
Flo is still gazing blankly at herhuge
sheet Of cardboard.
"Don't you sect" asks Mrs. Smith
impatIentlY.