Captain Carbonel had written to the President of Saint Cyril’s, and at once obtained his willing consent to the ladies attempting to form a little Sunday School. Dr Fogram said that he should come down himself on July 21, and should be very glad to take counsel with the Carbonels on the state of Uphill. He would be glad to assist if any outlay1 were needed.
The sisters were in high spirits. The only place they could find for the purpose was the wash-house and laundry. Once in five weeks two women, in high white muslin caps and checked aprons2, of whom Betsy Seddon was one, Betty Pucklechurch the other, came to assist the maids in getting up the family linen—a tremendous piece of work. A tub was set on the Saturday, with ashes placed in a canvas bag on a frame above; water was poured on it, and ran through, so as to be fitted for the operations which began at five o’clock in the morning, and absorbed all the women of the establishment, and even old Pucklechurch, who was called on to turn the mangle4.
Except during this formidable week, the wash-house and laundry were empty, and hither were invited the children. About twenty, of all ages, came—the boys in smocks, the girls in print frocks and pinafores, one in her mother’s black bonnet5, others in coarse straw or sun-bonnets. All had shoes of some sort, but few had stockings, though the long frocks concealed6 the deficiencies, and some wore stocking-legs without feet.
They made very low bows, or pulled their forelocks, most grinned and looked sheepish, and a very little one began to cry. It did not seem very promising7, but Mary and Dora began by asking all their names, and saying they hoped to be better friends. They, for the most part, knew nothing, with the exception of George Hewlett’s two eldest8, Bessie Mole9’s girls, and one sharp boy of Dan Hewlett’s, also the Pucklechurch grandchildren; but even these had very dim notions, and nobody but the Hewletts could tell a word of the Catechism.
To teach them the small commencement of doctrine10 comprised in the earliest pages of “First Truths” was all that could be attempted, as well as telling them a Bible story, to which the few intelligent ones listened with pleasure, and Johnnie Hewlett showed that he had already heard it—“from aunt,” he said. He was a sickly, quiet-looking boy, very different from his younger brother, Jem, who had organised a revolt among the general multitude before long. None of these had enough civilisation11 to listen or be attentive12 for five minutes together, and when Mrs Carbonel looked round on hearing a howl, there was a pitched battle going on between Jem and Lizzie Seddon over her little sister, who had been bribed13 into coming with a lump of gingerbread, which the boy was abstracting. He had been worked up enough even to lose his awe14 of the ladies, and to kick and struggle when Dora, somewhat imprudently, tried to turn him out.
The disturbance15 was so great that the sisters were obliged to dismiss their pupils at least a quarter of an hour sooner than they had intended, and without having tried to teach the short daily prayers that had been part of the programme.
Somewhat crestfallen16 they sped back to the house.
“Did you ever see such a set of little savages17?” cried Dora.
“Come, there was a very fair proportion of hopeful ones,” was the reply.
These hopeful ones made one class under Dora, while Mary, who had more patience and experience, undertook the others, who, when once wakened, proved very eager and interested, in a degree new to those who are not the first lights in gross darkness. Johnnie Hewlett was the brightest among the children, for though his weekdays were occupied in what his mother called “keeping a few birds,” or, more technically18, “bird-starving,” he spent most of his spare time beside his sick aunt, and had not only been taught by her to read, but to think, and to say his prayers.
As Dora gradually learnt, both Mary Hewlett and Judith Grey had been children of a little “smock-frock” farmer, and had not been entirely19 without breeding; but Molly had been the eldest, and had looked after the babies, and done much of the work of the farm, till she plunged20 into an early and most foolish marriage with the ne’er-do-well member of the old sawyer’s family, and had been going deeper into the mire21 ever since.
Judith, a good deal younger, and always delicate, had gone to the dame22 school when Mrs Verdon was rather less inefficient23, and at ten years old had been taken into service by an old retired24 servant, who needed her chiefly as a companion, and thence she had been passed on to a family where the ladies were very kind to the servants, and the children brought them their books and their information of all kinds, so that she had much cultivation25, religious and otherwise.
When her accident had sent her home to the only surviving member of her family, she hoped to be of use to her sister and the children; but, before long, she found it almost hopeless. Molly, indeed, was roughly kind to her, but Dan took no notice of her except to “borrow” her money, and any attempt to interfere26 with the management of the children was resented.
Johnnie, the eldest boy, was fond of his aunt, and soon became her best attendant when not out at the work that began at nine years old. He was willing that she should teach him, and when the ladies came to see her she was full of stories of what he had told her. She said no word of the rudeness of the girls or the tyranny of Jem, as she sat helpless by the fire. When all were out, these were pleasant peaceful visits to her, and she was grateful for the books Dora lent her, and the needlework Mrs Carbonel gave her when she was well enough to do it. Molly was not unwilling27 that her sister should be “a fav’rite,” as she called it, more especially as Jem was generally allowed to swallow any dainty brought by the ladies that was to his taste.
Old Master Redford, Widow Mole’s father, was another cheerful spot in the village. He was a thoroughly28 good, devout29 person in a simple way, and most grateful for Dora’s coming to read to him. Old Pucklechurch once, indeed, said, “What, ma’am, ye be never a-going to read to that there Thomas Redford! Why, ’tis all one as singing Psalms30 to a dead horse.”
In spite, however, of this hopeless augury31, Dora’s voice did reach his ears. He had made good use of his scanty32 opportunities, and had taught his family to be thoroughly conscientious33. There was another daughter in service, who from time to time sent him a little help, but the transit34 of money was a difficulty in those days, and the relief could not often come. One morning Widow Mole fainted away in the hayfield, and hardly heard Farmer Goodenough abusing her fine-lady airs, though she trembled and shook so much when she tried to go on that she was forced to let Tirzah Todd lead her home, and the next morning she could not get up.
She had been in such plight35 before, and the shop trusted her, knowing that she always strove to pay off her debts, but the farmer rated her vehemently36, declaring that she had been good for nothing since the ladies had been putting fancies and megrims in her head, and that he would not take her on again. Probably he did not mean to fulfil his threat, for, as far as her strength allowed, she was the best and most thorough worker of all his women, and he had no desire to have the whole family on the rates; but the ladies believed it, and came home furious with indignation, and even Captain Carbonel thought her justified37 in accepting the dismissal, and as soon as “kitchen physic” had a little restored her, she became washer-woman, weeding woman, and useful woman generally at Greenhow Farm.
Many a cup of tea and thick slice of bread-and-butter were carried out to her after breakfast, not to say three-cornered remnant of pie, or sandwich of cold meat at luncheon38; and, though some was saved for “granfer and the children,” still she began to look like another woman ere many weeks were over.
Betsy Seddon and Molly Hewlett were much displeased39, and reproached her with having got the place by “hypercriting about.”
Nanny Barton put on a white apron3 and brought out the big Bible when she saw the ladies getting over the stile. The first time Dora was much delighted; the second, Mrs Carbonel managed to see that the Bible was open at one of the genealogies40 in the First Book of Chronicles, and spied besides the dirtiest of all skirts under the apron. After that she did not much heed41 when Nanny said she would come to church if her shoes were not so bad.
Tirzah Todd laughed and showed her white teeth and merry eyes so pleasantly that no one could help liking42 to talk with her, but alas43! old Pucklechurch took care to let them know that she could be just as merry in a different way at the “Fox and Hounds.”
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1
outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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2
aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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3
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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mangle
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| vt.乱砍，撕裂，破坏，毁损，损坏，轧布 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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6
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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7
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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8
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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9
mole
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| n.胎块；痣；克分子 | |
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10
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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11
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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12
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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13
bribed
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| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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14
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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15
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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16
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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17
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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19
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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20
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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21
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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22
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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23
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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25
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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26
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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27
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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29
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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30
psalms
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| n.赞美诗( psalm的名词复数 )；圣诗；圣歌；(中的) | |
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31
augury
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| n.预言，征兆，占卦 | |
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32
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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33
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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34
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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35
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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36
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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37
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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38
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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39
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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40
genealogies
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| n.系谱，家系，宗谱( genealogy的名词复数 ) | |
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41
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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42
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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43
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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