Susan Aked - Horntip

113 Pages·2014·98.82 MB·English

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THE SIMPLE TALE OF
AN INSTRUCTIVE STORY
THE SIMPLE TALE
OF
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CHAPTER L
GENESIS.
W
E used to live at the foot of th
continuation of the range of the
Malvern Hills, on thc borders of Here-
fordshjre and Worcestershire. That is,
• my father, mother, 1, and an old faithful
servant, Martha Warmart, who were in-
separable. Martha had been my moth er's
maid before she married my father, and
was quite a confidential member of the
family. Indeed, the idea of her l'I
us never entered either her head or that altogether, though completely veithout
of any of us. Our other servants rarely society, my education would have done
stayed longer than a year or so, because me credit had I had the advantages of a
we lived in such a quiet humdrum spot town maidens life. As I have said he-
and" amongst such perfect clodhoppers, fore I was as happy as the day was long
that there was a scarcity of beaux and never knowing what a violent emotio'
havoman, saving a staid elderly one, was like.
ceo be expected to like a place v, et, But all this was to come now to an
the engaging male sex is so sadly want- end. One fine morning in the early
ing? summer, oh! I have cause to remember
Until I was sixteen years old I had the h of June! my'ns other came down
loved, in this dear old house, and so even to breakfastwithouc my father. She told
end tranquil was my life that I never me she supposed it was a long walk he
• contemplated leaving it. If my father had taken with me the day previous
and mother had grown any older during wl1icmust have tried him, but that he
those years I did not notice it. To me was so sound asleep she had not the
they were ever the same, and so indeed heart to waken him. We ate our break-
was Martha. My father was a great reader fast as usual, only taking care to make
of hooks, much versed in science, and his as little clatter as possible with our
delight and my pleasure was my being knives, forks, cups and spoons, lest any
taught by him. Botany, geology, animal: little clink, clink, might reach the ears
and insect nature formed the chief and of the dear sleeper above, and waken
most in (cid:9) portion of our studies. him from a sound and refreshing sleep.
but history, geography, French and 1va.- Ah! me!
han also found their place. I learnt to I went out into the garden to see what
play the piano fi om s(cid:9) riother , new flowers had blossomed into beauty,
I
and to pick a nice posy for my father,
but what followed intensifled our grief
who loved flowers, when I heard 'my
and horror, and made it seem as thougl
mother shrieking out for Martha. The
all the miseries man was capable of
tone of her voice alarmed me, and I
enduring were being showered down
flew to see what was amiss. My mother,
upon our devoted heads. My darling
seeing me rushing upstairs, called louder
mother never spoke again She sank
still for Martha, who, with the servants
into a chair, gasped once or twice, and
is alarmed as myself, came running as
before anyone could run to her help,
fast as such an ancient body could, all
she fell to the floor, literally heart-
with faces full of consternation. My
broken. I must beg permission to
poor mother, seeing us all coming, went
cease from any further details of the
into her bedroom, and, pointing to my
most excruciatingly agonizing moments
father, said: ''I dont know what is the
I ever spent. I do not even remember
matter with him but I cannot wake
how the hours, the days, and the weary
him ' I ran forward, but Martha.
nights passed. I was stunned with the
pushed me on one side, saying, Not
overwhelming grief and desolation that
yet, Miss Susan dear(cid:9) and went and
came upon me, and I can only liken
gazed earnestly in my fathers face. He
myself to, a happy bird, a native of
was lying on one side in the position of
the tropics, suddenly moved from its
a person sound asleep.
joyous surroundings to an Arctic desert.
Oh he was dead dead He had
The first distinct thing I can remember
died probably very early in the morn:
was aid Martha telling me I should brif
Ing, for he was quite cold and stiff: to my fathers maii of business, old Pen-
he must have been dead hours. The
wick, whom I had seen several times
agony of the discovery was unbearable.
when he came to see my poor dear
It was such a dreadful, dreadful shock!
father on business. I did so. Worcester
where he resided, was not very distant My fathers will had to he discovered,
from us but news from our part of the and whilst all this was being done, as
world travelled s'owly along the country my presence was necessary, Mr. Pen-
roadS, and my letter reached Mr. Pen- wick said I ought to have some one to
wick before rumour. The old gentleman stay and live with me, to cheer me up
was inexpressibly shocked and grieved and divert my unhappy thoughts into
I find that suddenness has a. great deal some brighter and altogether different
to do with(cid:9) feelings of that, kind—not channel. J felt too languid, too indif-
that I think Mr. Penwick would have ferent. My simple prayers were that I
shown less sympathy had my parents too might die, and go to that happy land
died(cid:9) after a(cid:9) long illness instead(cid:9) of in where I had been taught to believe my
the sudden manner they did; but the loved parents had ogne, and where I
blow, coming like a thunderclap as it might be with them for ever.
happened, certainly caused him intense Had my cousins the Althairs been still
pain, and made his benevolent old heart at Leigh, Mr. Penwick would have called
open towards me in a most tender and on his way in and out from Worcester,
fatherly(cid:9) manner.(cid:9) He..' advised(cid:9) me(cid:9) to and asked my aunt to let one of the girls
think of some of my nearer relations come to keep me company; but they ..(cid:9) '
and to write and ask some one of them had gore to live in Fr nee There wc
to come and stay with me awhile, until other less well-known cousins of mine,
some plan for the future could be made one of whom my mother had invited to
for there would be some work for the make short stays with me sonic six
lawyers, and much to be done before years back. I did not care much for
my affairs could be put into good order. her, as she was a town girl, with ideas
I was(cid:9) a minor, too, and must have a and pursuits altogether different froin
guardian.(cid:9) tnine, and I remembered being offended
.
- '4 - - '5 -
with her for sneering, as I thopght, at by storm. It is true she was the means
my beetle and pebble hunting" occu- of making my tears gush forth again,
pations, which to tier were tiresome and but they were not the same bitter tears
uninteresting. Somehow her name came of desolation and despair, for I felt I
into my head—Lucia Lovete—and it was had in her a true supportiag heart to
to her that Mr. Penwick wrote. Lucia lean on. Poor old Martha had indeed
had lost her parents when very young; given me hers;, but she was old, Lucia
like myself, she was an only child,ind wa new, and Lucia was more of my
she lived at Sunninghiil with another age, being nineteen whilst I was six-
cousin a little hider than herself, Gladys teen. So to Lucia I clung. Shall I tell
Spendweil. In my heart I thought Lucia you what she was like? Lucia was just
would never care to come, and I really a little above the middle height for girls.
hoped she would not. I was in that She had a most lovely flgur, with beau-
morhidlyunheaithy frame of mind when tiful arms, hands, and feet. The lines
it seems unbearable to have to speak to of her bosom were singularly beautiful.
others. The only person I cared to seeS she was full there without beirg too
was dear old Martha, for she would cry plump, and her breasts seemed things of
with me, though she, too, scolded me life. She had a waist naturally small but
for not trying to bear up better. not in the least waspish, and from this her
But Lucia came: the moment she hips gradually and gracefully expanded to
heard the dreadful tidings she left all a most exquisite fulness. Her head was
her joys behind her, and packed up a small, and beautifully poised on a thronc
trunk, and came as quick as steam and of snow. But her face was too exquisite.
horseflesh would bring her. Nothing Not only had she the most lovely dark
could exceed her gentle, sweet sym brown eyes, most perfect nose, mouth
pathising manner. She took m heart and teeth, but her expression was for