Princess Sarah and Other Stories

s about to leave dingy old Bridgehampton behind for ever to

s was a woman of very good feeling, and encouraged the child to go

last day. "She brought me all that frui

eturned Mrs. Stubbs; "and we must go and see your pore

hat, please," said Sar

ho, being stout, was not good at walking exercise. "We'll have

s. Stubbs away to the other side of the pretty churchyard to show her a curious tombstone about which she had been telli

not a woman in whose presence it was possible to grieve in comfort. Her remarks about "your pore pa"

Sarah knew that s

ferent to you, so different to when there was just you and I together. Nobody will ever understand me like you, dear Dadd

ss the grass between the graves to fetch her. Mrs. Stubbs

; "'e's better off, pore thing, than when he was 'er

her aunt understand that her tears had not been so much for him as for herself. And Mrs. Stubbs stood for

bear ill-will for what's past and gone, and so beyond 'elp now; and I'll be as much a mother to Sarah as if 'im and me had always been the best of friends. 'E once said I was vulgar--a

h, whom she found at the gate waiting for her. By the time she had reac

knows how good you are now,"--and then she flung her arms r

at the end of their journey, "you have ne

answered, and flushing up with joy at the ant

children's ways; that is, if you want to get on peaceable. If you get a knock, you must just bear it without telling, or else you get called a 'tell-pie,' and treated

r new life, though she gathered no true idea of the nest o

me again with a fluent and boisterous torrent of joy truly appalling to the little quiet and

have you b

Ma? My, ain't

. Yes, and our kao-kao was burn

t, because he wouldn't be was

has torn he

May

g savages. Miss Clark can't have taken much care of you whilst I've bin away. Really, you're enough to frighten Sarah out

attention on their new cousin, and said their gre

stout, like her mother, and had her nice fair hair plaited into a tail behind and tied with a bunch

est things she had ever beheld about any human being before. Then there came the redoubtable Flossie, who had torn her best frock, and was twelve and a hal

; "shake 'ands with your cousin Sarah at once. Ah! this

e could have shrieked with the pain, but, taking it as an expression of kindness and welco

ay before; and last of all, Janey, the prettiest, and Sarah fancied the swe

ddressing herself to Flossie, "t

yet," retur

and was enjoying a cup of sweet-smelling tea in the large and shady drawing-room--to Sarah a perfect dream of beauty--he came! Came with a bustle

Stubbs was altogether too much for her resolution. In apologi

d when he had kissed his wife. "Oh, there! Wel

e," said S

o him, and turned he

r ma," put in

d Mr. Stub

at all," Mrs. S

father and me wasn't friends, yet, as long as I've a 'ome to call my own, you're welcome to a shelter in it.

th an effort; "he knows how good you and Auntie are

ly; then, struck by the pleading look on the child's wistful

t Mrs. Stubb

eal fond of one another already, aren't we, Sarah? So say no more about it; what's past and gone is beyond '