A Peep Behind the Scenes

had, for a time, restored to her much of her former strength. She was able, with Rosalie's help, to dress herself and to sit on one of the boxes beside her bed, resting her head against th

'would you like to hear about the tim

ie, nestling up to her side; '

ou, and I had rather tell it to you myself than have any one else tell it. And you're getting a great girl now, Rosalie; you will be able to understand many things you cou

ear,' said Rosalie, as he

said the poor woman, with a sigh,

mie dear,' s

nd, mind, you must never speak of what I'm going to tell you bef

mie dear,' said

wards-no sound to be heard but the cracking of T

begin, mammie?' sai

it cuts me up so to think of it; but never mind, you ought to know, and you will k

or woman, as the c

myself to it. I chose it,' she said bitterly; 'and I

osalie crept still closer to her, and put her little warm hand in her mother's co

elf, or I shall never be able to tell it. I'll try and fancy I'm on the stage, and talking about the sorrows and

There was a large conservatory at one side of it, filled with the rarest flowers, and in a shady corner of the grounds my mother had a kind of grotto, filled with lovely ferns, through which a clear stream of water was ever flowing. This fernery was my mother's great d

d of his children; but he was obliged to be often from home, so th

ad been several children between us, who had died in their infancy, so that he was

en we got on very well together, and shared every pleasure and every grief. My father bought us a little white pony, and on this

d man gave it to you, only in mine the shepherd was just drawing the lamb out of a deep miry pit, into which it had fallen, and the text underneath it was this: "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." We used to learn these texts, and repeat them to our nurse when we looked at the pictures; and then, if w

ternoon there was a great thunderstorm; the lightning flashed in at the window, and the thunder rolled overhead. It made me think of what nurse had said, and of the Judgment Day. And then I knelt down, and prayed that God woul

me time, but I lay awake with my eyes closed. When I opened them I saw one bright star shining in at the closed window. It seemed to me like the eye of God watching me; I could not get the thought out of my mind. I shut my eyes tightly, that I might not see it; but I

to live with her mother, and then I was completely unmanageable. My mother engaged a governess for us, who was to teach us in a morning and take us out in the afternoon. She was an indolent person, and she took very little trouble with us, and my mother did not exert h

ry fine-looking lad, and my mother was very proud of him. She thought much more of him than of us, because he was a boy, and was to be the heir to the property. She liked to drive out with her handsome son, who was admired by every one who saw him, and sometimes we were allowed to go with them. We were generally left outs

o the door an

she said; 'my f

rd,' said her mother

ical manner, 'I thought I might as well enjoy the felic

profound bow towards

t, that your health and spirits have revived immediately we have left the inspir

ne me good; there was such a close, stifling smell

e at Lesborough', but the probability is that the moment we arrive on the scene of action, you will be seized with that most unpleasant of all m

speak to me like that

smoke. The fumes of the tobacco brought on his poor wife's cough, but he took very little notice of her, except to ask her occasionally, between the

at from?' he inquired

osalie; 'an old gentleman in the f

' he said scornfully. '

g; we shall never ge

,' said Toby; 'he's had a l

the road? The wild beasts are a mile ahead, at the very least, and the marionettes will be there

own upon himself his master's wrath and abuse. Augustus cared nothing for the comfort or welfare of those under him. To get as much work as possible out of them, and to make as much gain by them as he could, was all he thought of. They might be t

s already straining itself to its utmost, the additional weigh

e whip from Toby's hand, and then beat the poor horse unmercifully, causing it to start from side to side, till nearly ever

imed at Toby's head, Augustus threw do

llustration: