The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-26

Qnlleeueu OY Elm,
Marion's entrance into the storeroom that
morning may be said to have been figur-
alive as we'll as literal entrance. With it
she entered upon the scheme &c which Miss
Jane had given the earnest concentration of
her peculiarly earnest mind The scheme
had been written out the night before by
Miss Jane Ia small pointed Italian hand,
aud now, on a sheet OF fOolseap paper. 1t
faced Marion on the storer0Om wall
The terms were general rather than de-
scriptive.
The morning was divided into three por-
tons From to II was dev0ted-in the del
icate handwriting-tO Domestic Employ"
From II to ! the foolseap sheet displayed the
inscription, Mental Improvement" From
l 10 , was 10 be given up to Exercise"
Two was the dinneT-hOur st Laurel Cottage,
and the after hours were repetition of the
morning But at o'clock there was an in
seription which was written rather indis-
tincty, and of which every letter in the
word looked as If it deprecated its own.
At o'clock the day at Laurel Cottage
practically terminated, with supper and
prayers, after which Marion was TO so to
bed. These were the written rules. There
was, however, an unwritten injunction run
ming, az it were. all through them. This un-
written law became instantly TO Marion, by
Miss James uneeasng reiterat0n OF it. far
more real and stringent than any OF the
former. 1t was that she was never to be
happen, or be neglected. this command was
to be kept before her eyes. ITO annoy MIR.
Laagdon" was to be the one objectionable
offense.
Marion went through The hours of that
first day with a dfldent, anxious acquias-
ceDce in every rule, and a terrible fear OF
infringing this last and most stringent of
all At dinner time she dared not even
glance In Mr.. LangdOn's direction, and
could scarcely find voice to answer him
when he offered her more roast mutton;
and at tea time when Miss Jane desired her
TO hand him the crumpets she did II with
carefully aYerted face. lest even that trifiing
reminder Of her presence might seem ag-
gre siye. After prayers. TO her infinite re-
lief. he disappeared without word and her
goOd-nights were made TO Miss Jane and
Miss Lucia alone.
In her own room, which, though small,
Miss Jane had made very comfortable for
the child, Marion sat down on the floor at
the end of the bed and leaned her head
against the small hair travelling trunk.
which had brought all her worldly goods
from her home in Leinster to the gray stone
house In DeyonshiUe, and began to try and
think things over, and fud out what she
almost doubted, whether in this utterly
strange world she were indeed the same
girl who had left that home three days De-
fore.
Marion had through all her II years been
rather spoiled darling. She had had her
own way in everything; she had in the
half-Tuined old Irish house done exactly as
she liked all day long; learned lessons or
not, according as Father Clare. the parish
priest, had had time to impart them ridden
with her father and ruled old Bridget, their
one servant, with the hand OF n UYerln-
dulged but sWeet-natuTed child.
And now, the girl thought, everything
was ended. She could never feel the same
or be the same any more. In this dreadful
priSOn-h0use, with these terrible, solemn,
methOdical people, hemmed in On every
side by rules and regulations, how could
she liye-hOw could she spend her days2
Shs hid her face Ia her hands, and S0bbed
sharply as she thought of her father,
Bridget and her home. Then, with quick
reaction, inherent in that impulsiFe Irish
nature, she told herself that everything
might have been much worse; her most ter
ribe fear might have been reaiized-she
night have been sent 10 school.
The word "schOOl" contained for Marion
underlined horrors, comTared to which the
fortunes Of the Inquisition would have ap-
peaTed trIfing 10 her Imagination. She
said to herself that Mr. LangdOn had been
very good to take her into his own heuse.
when he might so easily, and with so much
less trouble TO himself, have sent her 10
school. 1t was kind, very kind of him not
TO have sent her to school. And in her
than she had done when Miss Jane spoke
TO her that same morning, that never in any
way would she annoy Mr.. LanRdOn"; and
that all her most diligent pains should be
directed to taking care not to be in his
way" With this reflection the Girl IN
dressed, placed the Tushlight Miss Jane had
given her on the floor, and laying her head,
Whosc pretty outline was unspoied by the
stln nightcap border round her little face,
on its pillow, was soon asleep.
After this first day the weeks and months
rolled on almost impeTceptibly for Marion.
The domestic employ" n conducted by
Miss Jane taught the girl everything neees-
sary for the woman to know, Of which
teaching Marion stood not little in need.
The mental Improvement taught her
! many strange things. II was chiefly carried
I on from the y Dung Females PreceptOr,"
and another volume known as the Gentle
wOman's Guide" These. with a treatise
on the use Of the globes and a great deal Of
elementary arithmetic through the medium
Of Miss James housekeeping bills, had IN
tr0duced a sOliQ stratum Of what 1t would
be scarcely correct TO call facts-for mod
ern research has found much Of the works
~ question impeTfect-but certainly in
formation in Marion's mind. Her recreation
consisted OF Tambies IN the garden In fine
weather and Of exploration in the garnet
when il was wet, and her Exercise" of a
daily constitutional with Miss Lucia and
Miss Jane.
Only two untoward incidents broke the
even flow OF the days, and these were two
occasions on which she had very narrowly
escaped annoying Mr. Langdon."
On one occasion she had been sent into the
kitchen garden by Miss Jane to gather
herbs. 1t was a bright mild day, and
Marion had kDelt down on the graveled
path aud turned up her white worked apron
TO hold the herbs in. She had gathered
nearly an aprOnful, and was singing softly
to herself over her work, when, glancing
mp, she suddenly saw Mr.. LangdOn coming
down the same path. he was entirely un-
aware Of her proximity, tor he was en-
crossed 10 a book, but Marion, terrified
beyond expression lest he should find her
"in the way" caught up her herbs and
rushed breathlessly away, to arrive crimson
and painting in Miss James stoTeroom !;
while Mr.. Iangdon, gancng around and
thinking vaguely that he must have started
bird in the hedge, sauDtered calmly past
the heTb-bed.
The second was more important, and to
Marion more alarming. One day when Mr..
Langdon was out Marion had been sent by
Miss Jane TO the study with a parcel of
books, which had arrived by wagon from
London for him. She went up TO the mar
row stone passage which led to the study
door, aud, as a matter Of form and TO re-
assure herself that she could safely enter,
she knocked. To her nnspeakable horror
Mr.. Langdon's voice said, abstractedly,
Come in" Marion nearly dropped the
books in her fright She stood in crimson
confusion until Miss Jane, who CHANGED at
the moment to ascertain her brothers pres
ence within doors, came uD the passage and
summoned her hurriedly thence.
With these two exceptions her life In the
gray stone house was so placid and monoto-
n Gus that it was Christmas, and Marion, in
! a large black beaver bonnet which was like
| a dark picture-frame to her little delicate
face, was listening TO the bass-yiol and flutes
! of the church choir playing "Hark, the
| herald angels sing" before she had realized
| that she had really come to live in Maybury.
| And Easter had followed, and the black
beaver was changed for white bonnet, of
! Miss James careful providing, almost be-
/ fore the girl had noticed the lengthening of
! the spring days.
1t was nearly week after Easter, and a
| lovely spring day. The prmroses and the
/ danndiIs the rrhitn .tAIarnh Ma,,II n M thn