Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26
CHAPTER ".
YOU ARE GOING TO SPOIL srY LIFE"

TWO days had passed since Miss Hastings
arrival. On beautiful morning when the
sun was shining and the birds were singing
in the trees, she sat in the study with an ex-
preston of deepest anxiety, of deepest
thought on her face. Pauline, with a smile
on her lips, sat opposite to her, and there
was profound silence. Miss Darrell was the
first to break it.
We'll" she asked. laughingly, what Is
your verdict Miss Hastingsp'
The elder lady looked up with a long,
deep-draWn sigh.
II have never been so completely puzzled
in all my life" she replied. MY dear Pau
line, you are the strangest mixture of igno-
rance and knowledge that have ever met.
You know great DEAL but it is all of the
wrong kind; YOU ought to unlearn all that
you have learned"
You admit then that know something"
Yes; but it would be almost better, per-
haps, if you did not L will tell you how I
feel. Pauline. / know nothing OF building,
but feel as though had been placed before
heap of marble, porphyry, and granite. of
wood, glass, and iron, and then told from
those materials to shape magnificent palace.
am at a loss what to do"
Miss Darrell laughed with the glee of a
prise, continued:
You know more In some respects than
most educated women; in other and equally
essential matters you know less than child.
You speak French fuently, perfectly; you
have read large number of books in the
French language-good, bad, and indifferent,
it appears to me; yet you have no more idea
of French grammar or of the idiom or con-
structiOn of the language than child"
THAT indeed, l have not; l consider
grammar the most stupid of all human in
yentOnS"
Miss Hastings offered no comment.
Again" she continued, ''you speak good
English, but your spelling is bad, and your
writing worse. You are better acquainted
with English literature than [ am-that is,
you have read more. You have read indis-
criminately; even the titles of some of the
books you have read are not admissible."
The dark eyes flashed, and the pale, grand
face was stirred as though by some sudden
emotion.
There was large library in the house
where we lived" she explained, hurriedly,
'and read every book in it. | read from
early morning until late at night and some
times from night until morning; there was
no one to tell me what was right and what
was wrong, Miss Hastings"
''Then," continued the governess, ''you
have written spirited poem on Anne Bo-
leyn, but you know nothing of English his
tory-neither the dates nor the incidents of
a single reign. You have written the half
of story the scene of which is laid in the
tropics, yet of geography you have not the
faintest notion. OF matters such as every
girl has some idea of-Of biography, of bota-
ny, of astronomy-you have not even glm-
mer. The chances are that if you engaged
in conversation with any sensible person,
you would equally astonish, first by the clev-
er things you would utter, and then by the
utter ignorance you would display"
81 cannot be flattered, Miss Hastings"
Pauline put in, because you humiliate me;
nor can be Inundated because you flatter
| me-"
But Miss Hastings pursued her criticisms
steadily.
You have not the slightest knowledge of
arithmetic. AS for knowledge of a higher
class, you have none. You are dreadfully
deficient You say that you have read Au-
guSte COmte, but you do not know the an
swer to the first question in your church cat
echism. Your education requires beginning
all over again. You have never had any set
tied plan of study, | should imagine"
mo. | learned drawing from Jules La
croix. Talk of talent Miss Hastings. You
should have known him-he was the hand
soonest artist | ever saw. There was some
thing so picturesque about him."
Doubtless" was the dry response; ''but |
think picturesque is not the word to use in
such a case. Music, 1 presume, you taught
yOurSelfp'
The girls face brightened-her manner
changed.
Eyes I taught myself; poor papa could
not afford to pay for my lessons. Shall l
play to you, Miss HastingsT'
There was a piano in the study, beauti-
full and valuable instrument, which Sir OS-
wald had ordered for his niece.
II shall be much pleased to hear YOU"
said Miss Hastings.
Pauline Darrell rose and went to the piano.
Her face then was as the face of one inSpr-
ed. She sat down and played few chords,
full, beautiful and harmonious.
II will sing to YOU" she said. 1--WE often
went to the opera-papa, Jules, Louis, and
myself. used to sing everything I heard.
This is from I'll Purtani.'"
And she sang one of the most beautiful
solos in the opera.
Her voice was magnificent, full, ringing,
vibrating with passon-a voice that, like her
face. could hardly be forgotten: but she play
ed and sang entirely after fashion of her
own.
Now, Miss Hastings" she said, 81 will
initiate Adeina Patti"
Face, voice, manner, all changed; she be-
gan one of the far-famed prima-dOnna's most
admired songs, and Miss Hastings owned to
herself that il she had closed her eyes she
h.,yo holi Daft ~
"Ths is q Ia Christine Nilsson" contin-
ned Pauline: and again the imitation was
brilliant and perfect.
| The magnificent voice did not seem to tire,
| though she sang song after song and imtat-
| ed i'll the most marvellous manner some OF
the grandest singers of the day. Miss Hast
lngS left her seat and went up to her.
| you have splendid voice. my dear, and
| great musical genius. Now tell me, do you
/ know single note of music?'
Not one" was the quick reply.
| ~ on know nothing of the keys, time, or
| anything else?''
"Why should trouble myself when could
i play without learning anything of the kindY'
But that kind of playing. Pauline, al
though it Is very clever, would not do for
| educated people,
rs it not good enough for them?" she ask
ed serenely.
| No: one cannot help admiring it, but any
| educated person hearing you would detect
directly that you did not know your notes. !"
would they think much less OF me on
/ that account she asked, with the same Sc
] renitv.