The Fairchild Family Read online

  Part II

  Story of Miss Crosbie's Presents

  Miss Crosbie spoke kindly to her]

  We will begin this history again, by telling what had happened sincethe first part was concluded.

  Sir Charles and Lady Noble had left their fine place soon after thefuneral of their daughter, and it was supposed would never return; forthe house and park were advertised to be let. After a few months it wastaken by a family of the name of Darwell, said to be immensely rich:this family had an only daughter.

  No other changes had taken place; everybody else lived where they didin the last part of our history, which is very pleasant, as we may hopeto see our old friends all again.

  Mr. Fairchild had had a few hundred pounds left him by a friend, fromwhom he had expected nothing; on the strength of which he bought aplain roomy carriage, which would hold himself and Mrs. Fairchild inthe front seat, with a child between them, and two children behind.The pillion was put aside, and the old horse put in the shafts: andthough, to be sure, he went but slowly, and not very far at a time, yetthe whole family found great pleasure in the change.

  The winter was past, and the sweet spring was beginning to show itself,when that happened which shall be related without delay.

  One morning when Henry was with his father in the study, and Lucy andEmily were busy with their needles, seated in the parlour windowtogether, and alone, they saw a gentleman's carriage stop at the gate,and a lady get out. A great number of bandboxes were taken fromdifferent parts of the carriage by a servant who was attending thecarriage; and before the little girls could make anything of all thesewonders, they saw their father first, and then their mother, run outand shake hands with the lady, and seem to invite her to come in.Henry, too, had gone out after his papa, and had been sent back, asthey thought, to fetch Betty; for Betty soon appeared, and began, withthe help of Henry, who seemed to be delighted at this interruption ofhis lessons, to carry the boxes into the house.

  Lucy and Emily soon discovered that this lady was the elder MissCrosbie; but they wondered how she had happened to come that day. MissCrosbie had come from London, where she had been for some time, and wasnow so far on her way to visit a friend in the country.

  She had come to Mr. Fairchild's door in another friend's carriage, andshe was come to ask Mr. Fairchild to take her in until the Mondaymorning.

  Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild both assured her that they were most glad to seeher; expressed a hope that she would stay longer than Monday, andshowed themselves so kind and hospitable, that Miss Crosbie was quiteat her ease, and everything was settled about her staying, before Mr.Fairchild brought her into the parlour. But there was quite timeenough, before Miss Crosbie came in, for Lucy and Emily to say manythings, for which, I am happy to add, they were afterwards very sorry.Lucy spoke first.

  "What a quantity of boxes she has brought!" she said; "some finery, Idare say, in all of them; how silly for such an old person to be fondof dress!"

  "It is very silly," replied Emily, "and particularly for one so ugly.Don't you think Miss Crosbie uncommonly ugly?"

  "To be sure I do," she answered; "everybody must: with her little nose,and her gray eyes, and her wide mouth."

  "And to be so fond of finery after all!" said Emily. "I am sure if Iwas like Miss Crosbie, instead of dressing myself out, I would wear aveil and hide my face."

  In this way the two little girls kept on chattering; and I fear myreader will say that they are not improved since last she heardanything of them.

  When Miss Crosbie came into the parlour, she kissed them both, and madesome remarks upon their looks, which showed that she was quite pleasedwith their appearance. Mrs. Fairchild employed them a little time ingoing backwards and forwards to Betty, and helping in many things; forwhen people keep but one maidservant, they must occasionally assisther.

  When the room was ready for Miss Crosbie, and a fire lighted, and allthe boxes and packages carried up, Mrs. Fairchild showed the lady toher room; and Miss Crosbie, having asked when dinner would be ready,said:

  "Well, I shall just have time to change my dress."

  "Oh, pray do not trouble yourself to dress," said Mrs. Fairchild; "youare very nice now, and we are plain people."

  "You are very good," answered Miss Crosbie, "but I shall not becomfortable in the dress in which I travelled."

  Mrs. Fairchild said no more; but having told her little girls, who hadgone up with her to the visitor's room, to go and make themselves neatin their Sunday frocks, she hastened to give some orders, and perhapssome help, in the kitchen.

  We will not repeat what Lucy and Emily said to each other whilst theywere in their little room: all that passed was of the same kind, if notworse than what they had said in the parlour; one encouraging theother, and carrying their ridicule of their mother's visitor fartherthan either of them intended when they began. When the little girlswere dressed, they went into the best parlour, or tea-room, as theirmother called it in the old-fashioned way; and there they found a fireburning, and everything in order. John was laying the cloth in the nextroom, and Henry soon came to them in his Sunday dress, and soonafterwards their father and mother; but Miss Crosbie did not appeartill dinner was being served up. She came dressed in a muslin gown,with a long train, and large full sleeves, tied in several places withcrimson ribbons; she had her hair frizzed and powdered, and a turban ofcrimson satin on her head. Her dress was quite out of place; butpersons who are always used to be rather over-dressed are not judges ofthe times and places in which to put on their finery. At the sight ofher, Lucy and Emily gave each other a look, which seemed to say, "Howvery silly!"

  The dinner-time passed off very well. Miss Crosbie had a great deal totell about London and her journey down into the country; and soon afterdinner the children had leave to go to their play-room. They were notin the humour to do much good there: they began with talking nonsense,and finished off with getting pettish with each other. Henry said thathe did not want to hear any more of Miss Crosbie and her finery. Lucycalled him cross; and Emily said that he was not to hinder them talkingof what they pleased. They were called to tea about six o'clock, andwhen the tea-things were removed, Miss Crosbie said:

  "Now, Mrs. Fairchild, you shall see some of the things which I havebrought from London; will you come to my room, or shall I send for thebandbox down here?"

  "Oh, pray," said Mr. Fairchild, "let us have the box down here, thatHenry and I may see the fine sights also."

  "You don't mean to say," answered Miss Crosbie, laughing, "that asensible man like you, Mr. Fairchild, can be amused by the sight ofspecimens of the fashions?"

  "I am amused with anything," said Mr. Fairchild, "which entertains myfamily. I make a point of enjoying everything which they do, as far asI can."

  "Well, then," said Miss Crosbie, "if I had my bandbox here----"

  The children all at once offered to fetch it--she explained which theywere to bring out of the many which had come with her, and in a veryfew minutes they had brought it down and set it on the table. MissCrosbie sent them up again to look in her workbag for her keys, and tobring down a small parcel wrapped in brown paper, which was to be foundin the same bag.

  The parcel and the keys soon appeared. Miss Crosbie opened the parceland presented Henry with a neat pocket-book, inside of which were apencil, a leaf of ass's-skin, a penknife, and a pair of scissors.

  "Oh, thank you, thank you, ma'am," said Henry, "how good you are!"

  And his father and mother joined in the boy's thanks. There was nothingon Henry's mind particularly to render that gift bitter to him; he hadnot joined in the ridicule of Miss Crosbie.

  She next opened the bandbox, and took out of it two bonnets and twotippets of grass-green silk, lined with pale pink satin. There werealso two neatly plaited lace caps to wear under the bonnets, and waistribbons to suit.

  "These, I hope, will please you, my dear Miss Lucy and Miss Emily," shesaid; "I brought them for you, and I trust you will like them."

  It was w
ell at the moment that Emily was not struck by this kindness inthe way that Lucy was. She was one full year younger than her sister,and could hardly be supposed to be able to reflect so deeply: shetherefore _could_ look joyful, _could_ run forwards to kiss MissCrosbie, and was ready almost to dance with delight, when she looked atthe beautiful things on the table.

  Had she not, as it were, pushed herself first, Miss Crosbie must havebeen struck, as Mrs. Fairchild was, with the manner of Lucy: the littlegirl first flushed up to her brow, and all over her neck. She cameforward to Miss Crosbie but slowly, and with her eyes cast down. Shestood one moment, and then, throwing her arms round her neck andpressing her face against her shoulder, she sobbed deeply.

  Miss Crosbie was certainly surprised; she did not expect that herpresent could have made the little girl feel so much. She spoke verykindly to her, put her arms round her, kissed her several times, andsaid:

  "But, my dear, a bonnet and a tippet are not worthy of such deepgratitude; you make me ashamed that I have done so little for you."

  "But you are so good, ma'am, so very good!" sobbed Lucy.

  Miss Crosbie continued to soothe the little girl, and say kind thingsto her, which only made her seem to feel the more. Mr. and Mrs.Fairchild were certainly surprised, but they took no notice; and aftera little while Lucy became calm, and the affair passed off, MissCrosbie appearing to be rather pleased at the manner in which herpresent had been received.

  Lucy became quite calm after her fit of crying, but her mother observedthat she sighed deeply once or twice. When eight o'clock came, thechildren, at a hint from their mother, were wishing their friendsgood-night, when Miss Crosbie asked leave for their staying to supper.Mrs. Fairchild said:

  "Not to-night, if you please, Miss Crosbie, but to-morrow night--wewill all sup together to-morrow."

  Miss Crosbie kissed Lucy affectionately before she left the room, andMrs. Fairchild again saw the tears in the eyes of her little girl, butshe did not appear to take notice of it.

  When Lucy and Emily had got into their own room, Lucy at once gave wayto her feelings.

  "Oh, Emily, Emily!" she said, as she laid her new bonnet and tippet onthe drawers, "I am so unhappy; I have been so wicked! to think how kindMiss Crosbie was to bring those beautiful things for us, and to knowhow I laughed at her, and said cruel things about her, and called herugly! I have been naughtier than you, because I am older, and because,at the time I did it, I knew I was wrong; and when I saw thosebeautiful bonnets, I felt as if there had been a thorn put into myheart."

  "It is odd," said Emily, "that I did not think of it, even when I sawyou crying."

  "If Miss Crosbie had not been so kind," replied Lucy, "I should nothave cared. I can't forgive myself--I can't forget it!"

  Then Lucy cried again, and Emily with her; and they were still weepingwhen sleep came over them. They were leaning back on their pillow;Emily had her arm over Lucy, and their cheeks were still wet withtears, when their mother came in before she went to bed to look atthem.

  She was again surprised to see their tears, and stood a while lookingat them, being uneasy to think what could have caused them. They didnot wake, and she did not like to disturb them; but she went to bedrather uneasy, though she hoped that there was no great cause for beingso; and in the morning all her fears were soon removed, for she heardthe voices of her little girls before she had quite finished dressing.They were knocking at her door, and asking to speak to her. She went tothem immediately, and Lucy told her at once all that had made themunhappy the last evening, telling how they had prayed to be kept fromsuch naughtiness again, and saying what pain Miss Crosbie's kindnesshad given them.

  Mrs. Fairchild heard all they had to say without interrupting them, buther face looked kind and full of pity. When the story was told she puther arms round both of them, and kissed them tenderly, and then talkedto them for some time of the want of kindness and good feeling they hadshown towards their guest.

  "Oh, mamma," said Lucy, "the more you talk the more vexed I am withmyself. What am I to do? Shall I go and beg Miss Crosbie's pardon?"

  "Shall we, mamma?" added Emily.

  "No, no, my children," answered Mrs. Fairchild, half smiling. "What!would you give the poor lady pain by telling her wherefore you come tobeg her pardon?"

  "No," replied Lucy, thoughtfully, "that will not do, I see."

  "But we will not wear our bonnets to-day, mamma," said Emily, "thoughit is so fine."

  "She wishes to see you in them," answered their mother; "she must notbe disappointed."

  "Now wipe away your tears, my little girls," she added. "We must try tomake this day as pleasant as possible to poor Miss Crosbie."

  And all went most pleasantly from the time that they met at breakfasttill they parted after supper; and Miss Crosbie said:

  "Well, Mrs. Fairchild, I have certainly had a most delightful day, andI wish that I could spend all my Sundays with you as I have done this;for, in general, I must confess I do find the Sunday the dullest day ofall the seven."

  "Then, ma'am," said Lucy, "I hope you will come often again;" and Mrs.Fairchild joined in the invitation.