Agnes Grey

enjoying a brief space of rest and liberty in that dear, familiar place, among the lov

while, at the same time, he is responsible for their conduct to a higher power, who exacts from him what cannot be achieved without the aid of the superior's more potent authority; which, either from indolence, or the fear of becoming unpopular with the said rebellious gang, the

y done; but my design in writing the few last pages was not to amuse, but to benefit those whom it might concern; he that has no interest in such matters will doubtless have skipped them over with a cursory glance, and

ties; but this can give no adequate idea of being worried by the whole three together; when, as was

utmost difficulty to restrain my tears: but I have restrained them, till my little tormentors were gone to dessert, or cleared off to bed (my only prospects of deliverance), and then, in all the bliss of solitude, I have given mysel

s appointed task. Meantime, Fanny had possessed herself of my work-bag, and was rifling its contents-and spitting into it besides. I told her to let it alone, but to no purpose, of course. 'Burn it, Fanny!' cried Tom: and this command she hastened to obey. I sprang to snatch it from the fire, and Tom darted to the door. 'Mary Ann, throw her desk out of the window!' cried he: and my precious desk, containing my letters and papers,

ld their parents think of me, if they saw or heard the children rioting, hatless, bonnetless, gloveless, and bootless, in the deep soft snow? While I stood in this pe

What, in the devil's name,

and beholding Mr. Bloomfield, with his hair on end,

in!' cried he, approaching nearer

lf, if you please, for they won't lis

you every one!' roared he; and the children instantly

hen you

ontrol over 'em than that!-Now, there they are-gone upstairs with their nas

sed the drawing-room door, I had the satisfaction of hearing the old lady declaiming aloud t

their death as sure as-! Do you think, my dear

more; but t

nowing winks, her sense of the injudicious conduct of their mamma in so restricting my power, and neglecting to support me with her authority. Such a mode of testifying disapprobation was not much to my taste; and I generally refused to take it in, or understand anything more than was openly spoken; at least, I never went farther than an implied acknowledgment that, if matters were otherwise ordered my task would be a less difficult one, and I should be better able to guide and instruct my charge; but now I must be doubly cautious. H

her with the same cheerful smile and tone of respectful cordiality as before; but I could not, if I would: my manner altered with my feelings, and became so cold and shy that she could not fail to notice it. She soon did notice it, and her manner altered too: the fa

uccess than I could have anticipated. At one time, I, merely in common civility, asked after her cough; immediately her long visage relaxed into a smile, and she favoured me with a p

a shake of the head); 'but I'm one of the pious ones, Miss Grey!' (a very significant nod and toss). 'And, thank heaven, I always was' (another nod), 'and I glory in it!' (an emphatic clasping of the hands and shaking of the head). And with several texts of Scripture, misquoted or misapplied, and religious

rightened up, and from that moment she became as gracious and benign as heart could wish-in outward semblance at least. From what I now saw of her, and what I heard from the children, I know that, in order to gain her cordial friendsh

y of the elder could thaw away the wall of ice which the younger interposed between them. But with her son, the old lady had better success: he would listen to all she had to say, provided she could soothe his fretful temper, and refrain from irritating him by her own asperities

I, meanwhile, wearily standing, by, having previously exhausted my energy in vain attempts to get them away. Often, too, he would unexpectedly pop his head into the schoolroom while the young people were at meals, and find them spilling their milk over the table and themselves, plunging their fingers into their own or each other's

ever chide them for leaving it, or trouble herself to send them back. But this day they appeared satisfied with, their present abode, and what is more wonderful still, seemed disposed to play together without depending on me for amusement, and without quarrelling with each other. Their occupation was a somewhat puzzling one: they were all squatted together on the floor by the window, over a heap of broken toys and a quantity of birds' eggs-or rather egg-shells, for the c

hought I. But he was of a different opinion. Advancing to the window, and seeing

egg-shells, pa

at confounded work you're making of the carpet?' (the carpet was a

s,

kne

es

at there and permitted them to g

k they were do

No wonder your room is not fit for a pigsty-no wonder your pupils are worse than a litter of pigs!-no wonder-oh! I declar

the poker, I dashed it repeatedly into the cinders, and stirred them up with

moments on my knees upon the floor, in painsfully reducing things to order. Once I told them that they should not taste their supper till they had picked up everything from the carpet; Fanny might have hers when she had taken up a certain quantity, Mary Ann when she had gathered twice as many, and Tom was to clear away the rest. Wonderful to state, the girls did their part; but Tom was in such a fury that he f

atter with my

did was to send for the nursery-maid to put the ro

is mouth almost too full for speech. 'There now, Miss Grey! you see I'v

r she had suffered like afflictions, though in a smaller degree; as she had not

ld say, 'you have some t

tty; and I daresay

slap sometimes: and them little 'uns-I gives 'em a good whipping now and then: there's

I heard you were

istmas how it mud be, if I hit 'em again; but I couldn't hold my hand off 'em at no