Year: 1874

we took couple of decent rooms in Xii


burn. Yes, an out-ofthe-way plac


enough, but cheaper than more comfort


able neighborheods, and economy wa


the first law.


l soon got an engagement. Our docto


had given me an introduction to a LADY


living in KensingtOn, and she engaged


me at once to teach her three little chill


dren, from nine A. M. to one p. NJ, fo


forty pounds year.


l shall expect you to be very pune


tual about coming, Miss A." she said


"and, as we dine at one, you are quit,


sure not to be delayed; so if you get ar


afternoon engagement on the same terms


/ should think you would do very well


and have the whole of Sunday, as wei


as all your mornings and evenings t.


yourself"


thought SO, too, and l used to make
as much of those mornings and evenings


as l could; getting up before six so as t
dress my mother, prepare her breakfast


and see her on the sofa for the day, be


fore starting at eight precisely to catch
the omnibus. had five minutes brisk


walk to do that, and it took me down tc


the Marble Arch for threepence. There


l got out and walked across the park
and gardens to the Kensington Road


and thence on to Mrs. BIS, which / gen


orally managed to reach within minute


or two of nine. 1t was long walk but


though could have made it lighter by


taking an omnibus on the other side Oi


the park, did not dare to 60 beyond the
sixpence a day for coach hire, when ]
had only forty pounds year for every
thing. Besides, it was spring time then,


Oh, yes, I began to look out for another
engagement at once. 1 dined at the
children's dinner, and then went to see
after situations Sometimes, in fact,
spent the whole afternoon walking about
from agency to agency, and from house
to house, reaching home at last almost
too worn out to care for the tea and
bread and butter awaiting me.


No, not very nourishing food; but
think of the price of meat and drink and
rent and dress and washing, and all the
thousand and one necessaries of life.
A young charwoman might perhaps
have done the same or even less physical
labor for the same price, and Jared well (;
but she would have slept and eaten in



half crown week; her clothes might
have been tied up in a handkerchief and
her washing represented by 0. A gov
erness is obliged to dress like lady.
Ladies will positively offer you ten
pounds moro a year if you 60 in new
pair of well-ftting gloves; twenty pounds
if you happen to possess a seal-skin
jacket; and there is no injustice in the
fact. 1t is maxim accepted and carried
out by all classes and in all professions.
If poverty-stricken, miserable-looking
drab comes to offer herself as servant,
don't we offer her the half of what we
would have given to trim, well-attired
domestic?


/ had forgotten that, and one of the
first luxuries / sold after we went into
our Kilburn lodgings was my seal-skin
jacket. GA cloth one will do very WELL"
I thought, "when the winter comes"


Other governesses have made like
mistake.


About the middle of the season l got
an afternoon engagement to give twin
sisters Of fifteen, lessons in French, Ger
man, and history, from halfpast two to
half.past four. They lived In Russell
Square, so / was under the necessity of
hurrying through my dinner as quickly
as possible, in order to be with them at
the proper time. Sometimes could not
catch an omnibus at the right place, and
sometimes it would be FULL never did
it under three-quarters of an hour at the
soonest, for swift walking was not as easy
in the afternoon as in the morning.
Three children in robust health and wild
spirits takes good deal out of woman's
energy, and when you only get one sub
stantial meal in the day, and that eaten
in hurry, between seeing that Harry
doesn't put his knife in his mouth, or
Kitty crumble her bread on the floor, it
is folly to expect to do as much as per-
son who has three good meals in the day
and time to enjoy them. Even thus
early began so suffer from indigestion,
headache, and constant feeling of wear
iness, almost greater at getting up in the
morning than at lying down at night.


No, I could not rest of an evening.
There were clothes to be made and
mended then, letters to be written, some
times studies to be worked up, till late
hour at night, in order to fit me for the
following afternoons teaching. Also,
there was my dear mother to be amused
with game of chess and little cheerful
conversation, after her long and lonely
day.


Don't think complain of that. Many
a weary governess would give anything
in the world to have kindred face to
welcome her on her return home and no
one ever had better parent, more pa
tient, accomplishing and gentle; but
l was so tired / could hardly
find energy for talk at all. Business men
coming heme in the evening, tagged in
body and mind, will know the feeling
mean.


And at that time friends were writing
to congratulate me on my good fortune:
" Two nice, superior engagements, bring
ing in eighty pounds year, and all your
evenings to yourself for going out and
How lucky you are !"


Well, l dare say was lucky. / am
not grumbling, mind you. 1t might have
been much worse had / not got either |
or been thrown among coarse,
unkind people. There were many worse
off than /.


At the beginning of July Mrs. B. came
W IuC hnu shius


40! forgot to tell you yesterday
that we are going out of town on the first
Of next month; first to my brothers. in
Kent, for two or three weeks, and then
10 some seaside place. ] expect we shall
be absent about two months. The chill
iren want change, and Pm sure you'll
be glad to get rid of them. You have a
tired expression. Take my
advice, and 20 away somewhere into the
country yourself Lodgings are just as
cheap there, and London is now getting
too hot for endurance"


"I am afraid can't do that" / said.
[ think had grown very pale. "There
are my afternoon pupils, you know"


"Ol tell them you want holiday. /
should say, come TO the same watering
place as we do, and the chicks could go
IN with their lessons; but Mr.. b. only
likes Brighton or Torquay, and really
hey are 80 expensive, we cant afford a