A Flat Iron for a Farthing

and as my penmanship was not of a rapid order, it cost me

ear

verry glad. Ant Maria said well he cant be sent back now so he sleeps on my bed and i like London it is a kweer pla

uite well

r very l

ald D

it does not leave much to be added to the portrait of my cousins. But it wi

egan the scramble again, and stuck once more, and so on. And as, whilst finding the running passage quite too much for one hand, she struggled on with a different phrase in the other hand at the same time, instead of practising the two hands separately, her chances of final success seemed remote indeed. Then I heard the performance in peculiar circumstances. Nurse Bundle had opened my window, and about two minutes after my cousin commenced her practice, an organ-grinder in

resolution; and then off she went up the key-board; "one and t

t-"Three and four and one and two and," etc.; but at the old place the nasal notes of the other instrument evoked "al-wa

in the middle of her run, and Nurse took

. There were two long windows, the lower halves of which were covered with paint. This mattered the less as the only view from them was of backyards, roofs, and chimneys. Living as I did, so much a

quickly forward and s

ndle? Very glad to see

hands first, and

Reginald Dacre, ma'am. This lady is Miss Blomfield, Master Reginald

exchanged on this occasion between the girls.) Miss Blomfield was very kind to me. Indeed she was kind to every one. Her other peculiarities were conscientiousness and the fidgets, and tendencies to fine crochet, calomel, and Calvin

, there's

ment my au

ing, Miss

governess hastily interposed. "

ys he shall send it to the 'Gentleman's Magazine.' Well, he can't be sent back now, so I suppose he'll have to stop. And you must keep him out of mischief, Regie.

Ascott," interpos

ria's? She doesn't seem

rs. As

s been practising

Mrs. A

nsteady when he's shaving in the morning,

ened visibly, and her crochet-needle trembled in her han

Of course, Mrs. Ascott, I know you've a right to expect an improvement, and I shall be most happy to rise half an hour earlier, so as to give her a longer practice than the other young ladies, and only consider it my duty as your governess, Mrs. Ascott. I've felt it a great trouble, for I cannot imagine how it is that Maria does not improve in her music as Jane does, and I give

arge doses of calomel, her malady increased with painfully rapid strides. On this particular morning she had been busy since five o'clock, and neither she nor the girls (who rose at six) had had anything to eat, and they were all somewhat faint for want of a breakfast which was cooling on the table. Meanwhile a "humming in the head," to which she was subject, rendered Ma

Mrs. Ascott. "However, perhaps it will be well to let Maria practise half

ly, Mrs.

er. This is Helen; she is nine, and as tall as Jane, you see. This is Harriet, eight. And this is Mary-Polly, as papa calls her-and she is nineteen months younger than you, and

iked Polly's hand the best. It was

chair after a fashion that would certainly have drawn a rebuke from Miss Blomfield if

akfast. When we became more intimate, I used to keep watch on the clock for the benefit of the one who was practising. At half-past eight she was released, and shutting up the book with a bang would scamper off, in summer to stretch herself, and in winter to warm her hands and toes. I used to watch their fingers with childish awe, wondering how such thin pieces of flesh and

Blomfield became fairly conscious of the presence of

liar worries, it seemed melancholy to have to add to her b

ometimes bite when you least expect it, and that some bites end in hydrophobia; and it

y particular affection for Polly was also probably due to the discovery that with an incomparably stolid exp

reparing tasks for the next day. By a great and very unusual concession, Polly's lessons were shortened that she might bear me company. For the day or two before this was decided on

arden, with trees, and grass, and gravel-walks; and here Polly and I pl

or two older than myself, and caught my eye immediately by his remarkable beauty, and by the depth of the mourning which he wore. His features were exquisitely cut, and, in a child, one was not disposed to complain of their effeminacy. His long fair hair was c

o find my companion and guide, "wh

," said Polly. "Good-morning, L

his head with a melancholy and yet

mourning fo

Polly. "They were drowned toge

too! This indeed was sorrow deeper than mine. Surely his mother, like mine, mus

sisters, Pol

"I don't think he ha

lso was a