The Stokesley Secret

Lessons were always rather a scramble; so many people coming to speak to her, and so many interruptions from the nursery; and then came a time when Mamma a

Papa looked graver than he had ever done before; and Mr. Braddon, the doctor, came very often: and at last Susan was called into Mamma's room, and it was explained to her that Mamma was thought so ill, that she must go to be under a London doct

the window, gazing at the bright young green of the horse-chestnut trees, and thinking ma

ing whether she had said or done the wisest things for them, or what their mother would have most approved. She was just going to move away from the window,

want to

e to have a great g

ide. Johnnie pulls th

in because they called you those fool

Elizabeth, her throat sw

ak to give your reasons; and who

ets as well as they have

t her, and she turned wistful

k, will you k

t I

n he was gone out to the Crimean War, and that's to have a frigate on it, because of the Calliope-his ship, you know; and there's one bundle of dear Aunt Sarah's-that's to have a rose, because I always think her memory is like the rose in my hymn, you know; and Grandmamma, she's to have-I think p

ld not expect the others to under

if they had not called

such things good-naturedly, they become better;

ntinued Bessie. "If it had been anything

e a more useful present than even your pretty contrivance

end all my money on a great horrid pig, when Mam

for a little girl to try to make a pretty present to please her mamma. There is plenty of time before you, an

ar more than those who said the word understood; and she presently went on, "If they knew ever so much, th

by nature," said Miss Fosbrook; "putting on manner

do things prettily, they teaze me for being affected, and I'm forced to be as plain and

hy, my

. "Everything is so plain and ugly, and one gets so t

if we do not sacrifice be

ght in her dark eyes, and sai

very much please

mma said it must be Charlotte, because you signed your letter Ch. A. Fosbrook, but your little si

d Miss Fosbrook, laughing. "M

les. "Christabel Angela! that's a prettier name

reasons," said Mis

pier if our names were pretty ones; but I don't know, I feel as if one wou

me ugly; it is such a digni

they call

nt-jelly," said Miss Fosbrook, laughing and sighing, for

ood to you!" exc

n such a matter. I like my name beca

gerly asked t

a very young man, and he was

ht your papa

el

nd poets, and idle silly

has been one of his great helps. Well, in those days he was very fond of a poem about a lady called Christabel, who was so good a

ice!" cried

d at for my pretty name, and so has Papa; and I do not think he wo

at is it you call

h in London, full of poor people, worse off than you can imagine, and often very ill. He is obliged to be always hard at work in the narrow close streets there, and to see everything sad, and dismal, and disagreeable, that can be found; but,

ry? I thought poe

ore than the verses they sang to-night about the bread and butter, because, you know, wanting thick butter was not exactly a beautiful feeling. I think

d, "That wasn't what you meant about

e has a little bit of leisure, it is his great treat to open a book of that sort, and read a little bit to us, and tell us why we like i

s home question; and Miss Fosbrook wink

bout some of those bills; and then I was glad to come into

here was anything

how many things are beautiful to me here! I want to

wing-room, but she keeps them out of the way; and everything

the room, and was so threadbare, that only a little red showed here and there. All that was needful was there, but of the plainest kind; and where the other children only felt ease and freedom, and were the more cont

the knives in the knife-house, and Martha washing out her pans before the dairy-door; but that was not where she lo

e not

ll so gracefully down, as if lifting them up, and then falling back to do them honour." Bessie smiled, and her eye lighted up. "And see the colour against the sky-look at the contrast of that bright light green with the blue, so very deep, of the

ser to her, when in b

I suppose you and Miss Fosbrook are

t something about those noble flowers of the horse-chestnut, an

er lilac-spotted sun-bonnet-a shapeless article it must be confessed, with a huge curtain serving for a tippet, very comfortable, and no trouble at

th it?" said the chi

usan? If I might put it in water in the schoolroom fi

enjoyment. "I see," she said, "the flowers are not really white, they each have a patch of pink or yellow on them, which gives them their sof

rd, till Susan came back, when she began to show her what Miss Fosbrook had pointed out. Susan smiled with her really good nature, and said, "How fu

nd she settled the branch in the chimney, where it looked very graceful

wards a quiet river, beyond which there rose again a beautiful green field, crowned above by a thick wood, ending at the top in some scraggy pine-trees, with scanty dark foliage at the top

atterns running this way and that, so that it must have been v

e tallest and biggest at the top. It was a house of a very sober pleasant countenance, that looked as if it had always been used to have a large family in it; and there was a vine, with all its

ike to see her little brothers and sisters have one free run and roll on that delicious greensward, instead of now and then walking to one of the parks as a great holiday. Y

mmy Tittle

p gold an

eyes cast round about them for Hal, who was pursuing Susan in and out, up and down till, with sc

e made prisoner. A catch at the brown-holland blouse-a cry-a shout of laughter, and Davy is led up behind the standard maiden-blush rose, always serving as the prison. And now the tug of war rages round it, he darts here and there within his bounds, holding

nly gapes at the pursuit of Susan, and Sam will touch him without his being aware! No-here's Hal back again. Sam's off. What a scamper! Now's the time-here's Miss Fosbrook, lighter-footed than any of the children, softly stealing on tip-toe, while Hal is scar

tuck them up and sew them in by and by; but really, Hal, you need no

it for an apology, though it did not sound like o

d to be our rule,"

ld take pity on her; and come to release her; and so alert was she in skipping towards her allies from behind the rose-bush, that Bessie presently succeeded in giving the rescuing touch, and she flew back quick as a bird to the

r after all; and Elizabeth lying awake to whisper over to herself, "Christabel Angela, Christabel Angela! That's m

ntirely under Mrs. Merrifield's direction. Poor Mrs. Merrifield had said much of regret at leaving her to such a crew of little savages, and she had only tried to set the mother's mind at rest by being cheerf

ul to the children for having beh