The Daisy Chain, or Aspirations

n, compl

rld return, n

n the waters,

t after many day

e long excitement was felt, Gertrude fretted, and was unwell; Aubrey was pettish at his lessons; and Mar

nterrupted at last by a summons to speak to a Cocksmoor woman at the back door, a

racy in floods of tears in the schoolroom, beca

" said Ethel, somewhat exasperated, "when you h

did I do?" exc

evident want of c

can I h

her charge, and you took them

el

She saw you had no

and I thought she would see nothing that was going on, and would be glad to

ause she was sure, from your manner, that you were displeased to see them

hem rests on my shoulders. I do not know how to believe you, Ethel. Of

as I have done forty times before but

a trying situation, and she is sensitive

Ethel; "but how can we

ling her she was ill-tempered?

ers were nothing but temper; and perhaps-indeed I know I do-I partake of the general fractiousness of the house to-day, and I did not bear it so patiently as

rom you, Ethel," said t

kly; "but oh! to have these janglings o

e a

here is a change in any arrangement, if she thinks herself neglected-I can't tell you what little matters suff

o you

uld only

tor, in a low, musing tone. "Y

would not have told you if I had remembered

the one on whom I could dep

re such n

rbearing, Ethel. Remember that dependence is prone to morbid sensitiv

ready not in the smoothest state, found it hard that, after having long borne patiently wi

lights, because we are sure the heart is right-we do not know what it is to be among strangers, uncertain of any claim to their esteem or kindness. Sad! sad!" he continue

maundering, I have, at last, once told her the truth; and for that I am accused of want of forbearance! Now he will go and make much of her, and pity her, till she will think herself an injure

slackening her pace, and whispering, "you d

How could you t

ed what was the matter, and she said my

t exaggeration t

as very cross al

said Ethel pettishly. "What now? Mary,

pered Mary, as the two sisters made a p

She was a gentle, tearful woman, one of those who are often called meek, under an erroneous idea that meekness consists in making herself exceedingly miserable under every kind of grievance; and she now had a sort of melancholy satisfaction

ave been in safer hands with you. You would not have been as weak as I was, in regard to sugar-plums." Such amends as these confused Miss Bracy, who found it pleasanter to be lamentable with Ethel, than to receive a full apology for her imagined

see, you must trust us sometimes, and overlook it, if we are less considerate than we might b

d, "Oh, no, never,

t say there are none, for that would be answering too much for human nature, or that they are f

instances when, after suffering much at th

my own girls? To them, I should say, use the only true cure. Don't brood over vexation

, shocked; "nothing in your hous

t rule. It would be the only one if you were really among unkind people; and, if you take so

e always over-sensitive;" and this

ng for her. "Will not you believe in our confidence and esteem, and h

f she could a

deepens the sense of them, and discussions do no good to any one. M

y are mo

ust beg you to be forbearing with them, and not perplex yourself and them with arguing on what cannot be helped. They have not the experience that could enable t

f her sensitiveness did not appear to her so direfully cruel as at first. She hoped every one would forget all about it, and

ere in the drawing-room, where Margaret was hearing another edition of the hist

m; and her refusal came out at last, in an almost passionat

, and that

I don't like y

d sister soon after took leave, when Flora called Ethel to hasten to the Ladies' Committee, that

te of Cocksmoo

Poor Ethel! I am doing you good against your will! Never mind, here is wherewith to build the school, and the management will

thel would have been very glad of a short space to recollect herself, and recover her good temper; but it was late, and Flora hurried her to put on her bonnet, and come to the committee. "I'l

em build for us, and then for us to put

not action. They will leave the

ts," said Ethel, whose ruffled condition made he

self! On your plan, we might have gone on for forty years, saving seven shil

e these people more than

deal with them. I will take care-I will even save Cherry Elwood f

ble all the time of her own ill-humour, and of her sister's patience and amiability,

know," she said, "I have been using you ill, and leaving the world on your shoulders, but it wa

so," sai

orman to dine at Abbotstoke Grange on Wednesday. Mr. Rivers beg

o get on together. What a bad style of wit! You heard what Mary said

ow to talk to little gi

s gave pleasure, brightened as it was by the peculiarly engaging address which she had inherited from her father, and which, therefore, was perfectly easy and natural. Fan

e in, smiling and greeting; Ethel, grave, earnest, and annoyed, behind her, trying to be perfectly civil, but not at all enjoying the congratulations on the successful bazaar. The ladies all talked and discussed their yesterday's adventu

isted on proceeding to business. So they all sat down round a circular table, with a very fine red, blue, and

new before, that the proceeds of the fancy fair amounted to on

, from Harvey Anderson, of marvellous mistakes; and, on the opposite side of the table, there was Mrs. Ledwich, impressively saying something to the silent Mrs. Ward, marking her periods with emphatic beats with her pencil, and each seemed to close with "Mrs. Perkinson's niece," whom Ethel knew to be Cherry's intended supplanter. She looked piteously at Flora, who only smiled and made a sign with her hand to her t

once take steps for obtaining it." Thereupon Mrs. Ledwich, who "always did things methodically," moved, and Miss Anderson

nal Society, or Government, or something; whereat Miss Rich began to flourish one of the very long goose quills which

Society, or Government, or something, would give t

ddenly struck with the notion that dear Mr. Holloway might be prevailed on to come to Stoneborough to preach a sermon in the Minster, for the benefit of Cocksmoor, when they would all hold plates at the door. Flora gave Ethel a tranquillising pat, and, as Mrs. Le

s quite sure some Body held it, and Bodies were slow of movement. Mrs. Ledwich remembered some question of enclosing, and thought all waste lands were under the Crown; she knew that the Stoneborough people once had a right to pasture their cattle, because Mr. Southron's cow had tumbled down a loam-pit when h

or her to speak-(Ethel would have done so long ago). "If I am not mistaken, the land is a copyhold of Sir Henr

e best to go to the fountain-head, and write at once to the principal of the college. But who was to write? Flora proposed Mr. Ramsden as the fittest person, but this was negatived. Every one declared that he would never take the trouble, and Miss Rich began to agitate her pens. By this time, however, Mrs. Ward, who was opposite to the Gothic clock-tower, began to look uneasy, and

he end of the street, "how am I to write to a principal? Am I to begin Reverend Sir, or

pondence much in my line

ith Dr. Hoxton, and your broth

aturedly. "Shall I come, and call bef

l be a real favou

s turned homewards, "Cherry is not

ll have that man from Whitford, an

see, Ethel, we shall get the ground on our own terms, and then it will be time to settle about the mistress. If th

ce. It would be more honest to speak our

ld have me; but a little savoir faire, a grain of common sense, thrown in among the babble, always works. Don't you remember how Mrs. Ward's s

ttle, the sanctity of her vision of self-devotion destroyed by such interference, and Flora's promises did not reassure her. She doubted Flora's power, and had still more repugnance to the means by which her sister tried to govern; they did not seem to her straightforward, and she coul

management, with credit and praise to herself; the other, downcast and irritable, with annoyance at the interference with her schemes, at the prospects of her school, and at herself for being out of temper, prone to murmur or to reply tartly, and not able to r

f this, after a brief inquiry after the doings of the nine muses, which Flora answered, so as to make him laugh, he stopped Ethel, as she

end Sir." So far Ethel saw, and exclaimed, with amusement, then, with a long-drawn "Ah!" and an interjection, "M

resist the desire to send to Dr. May an account of a poor girl, who seemed to have received great benefits

tter instructed than her appearance had led me to expect, and more truly impressed with the spirit of what she had learned than it has often been my lot to find children. She was perfect in the New Testament history"-("Ah! that she was not, when she went away!")-"and was in the habit of constantly attending church, and using morning and evening prayers." ("Oh! how I longed, when she went away, to beg her to keep them up! Dear Una.") "On my questions, as to how she had been taught, she always replied, 'Mr. Richard May,' or 'Miss Athel.' You must excuse me if I have not correctly caught the name from her Irish pronunciation." ("I am afraid he t

fever among the poor strangers in this place, and Una was one of the first victims. Her mother, almost from the first, gave her up, saying she knew she was one marked for glory; and Una has been lying, day after day, in a sort of half-delirious state, constantly repeating hymns and psalms, and generally, apparently very happy, ex

y Una! to think of that!") "When I spoke of writing to let Miss May hear how it was, the poor girl caught at the idea with the utmost delight. Her weakness was too great to allow her to utter many words distinctly, when I asked her what she would have me say, but these were as well as I could understand:-'The blessing of one, that they have brought peace unto. Tell them I pray, and will pray, that they may walk in the robe of glory-and tell Mr. Richard that I mind what he said to me, of taking hold on the sure hope. God crown all their crosses unto t

to those whose labour of love has borne such blessed

er-with what this clergyman thought her? She, the teacher, taught, trained, and guarded, from her infancy, by her wise mother, and by such a father! She, to have given way all day to pride, jealousy, anger, selfish love of her own will; when this poor girl had embraced, and held fast, the blessed hope, from the very crumbs they had brought her! Nothing could have

the traces of her tears, and ask what there was about Una. Ethel gave her the letter, and Mar

od, and wise, and humble, as he is. No wonder hi

t I don't know why one cries. Ethel, do you think"-she ca

poken of her mother; and she answered, "Dear Mary, we can

poke, it was to hope that Ethel would

his study door open, for he came to meet her, took her hand, and said, in a low voice, "My dear child, I wis

t will,

over it all this time?" said he, s

am so unworthy-but it was

be, to have been the mea

g to-day, when I have been behaving so ill

not know you had

d not say them. To her, I believe, I said what wa

have spoken to her, and told her to pluck up a little spirit; not fancy affronts, and not to pester you with them. Poor child!

smoor taken care of in my own way, and angry at being interfered wit

ng will always be blessed some way or other, and where we thought it most wasted, some fresh green shoot w

I sh

m is tired and stiff to-day, or I would have sa

d. His written words were now so few a

Rich

t labour of love. I give you hearty joy of this strengthening bl

fectiona

M

round this summer; you must s