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Article COUSIN BRIDGET. ← Page 5 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cousin Bridget.
round a cherry-cheeked boy to look at a shilling , which , he said , the pretty lady at the cottage bad told him Cousin Bridget had sent him because he was so good to his aged grandmother . What did all this mean ?—that Beauty must be a witch , or have some extraordinary infl uence over the old lady , they were certain ; the mystery was wonderful ! Such excitement had not been in ITartlei gh for years . Bridget had always dealtat Mrs . Mallet ' s : but Bettythe laconic old
, servant , had always given the orders . Now Minna went ; aud soon her quick eyes detected the unwise treatment they were adopting toward tiieir poor , bewildered , stupid Jane , aud began from that moment the work of reformation there . She studied the g irl ' s character ; found out that there was a kindly heart beneath that stupid exterior , and that she would be a > clever workwoman if she were instructed . Her mother was somewhat vainand wasthereforenot a little
, , , delighted when Janey brought her a cap she had made through the patient teaching of Minna Westrop . But there was yet much to he done ; and making- a cap could not blot out from the mother's mind the years of stupidity she had had to put up with , and which Janey still evinced ; and Minna had not succeeded in her good work , though autumn and winter had passed , and spring had put forth its fresh young leaves ancl nearly ripened into summer ; but she did not despair . She had had
too much success with Cousin Bridg'et to despair of anything . Blankets and meat had been given at Christmas to the poor from Cousin Bridget ; and it was now a common thing for fruit , flowers , and vegetables—the product of the little gardens , a first-rate batch of bread , an extra-good pat of butter , and the thickest cream , to find their way to the cottage as a present to the hitherto shunned and dreaded Bridget
MacI avish . Things had arrived at tliis point when my story commenced ; and we must now peep into the interior of the cottage after Minna ' s successes from Jane . The window of the parlour was open , for it was a mild and balmy day ; and seated beside it , her feet on a stool , sat Bridget , knitting ; and though the furniture was the same as when Minna arrived , there was a different tone about the room ; the chairs ivere no longer stuck
against the wall in a cold-service row , but arranged about as though inviting you to be seated . On the table was a vase of fresh-gathered flowers , and a little tasty work-basket , lined with rose-coloured satin , from which was always peeping forth new muslin and lace , giving- a pleasant idea that something pretty was g-oing to be made ; a scarlet shawl hung over the back of a chair ; and on a little table standing in the window were laid some drawing's , a colour-box , and a small easel ,
on whicli was a half-finished portrait of the old lady . A beautiful sleek cat lay coiled at Bridg-et's feet , hitherto banished to the kitchen , as she said " She liked animals in their places ; " but Minna had coaxed her into the parlour , aud so amused the old lady by her antics with her , that now she could not bear the cat out of her sight . Suddenly , the door opens—uot as it was wont slowly to turn on its hinges to admitold Betty ; but quickly aud widely it flies open now , and
Bridget looked up and smiled , for she know it was her li ght , her beautiful Minna . " Well , dear Cousin , I am going out a little while ; and when I come back I shall have plenty of news for you ; and then in return , when the nice quiet evening- comes , you will tell me why you were so dull when I came . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cousin Bridget.
round a cherry-cheeked boy to look at a shilling , which , he said , the pretty lady at the cottage bad told him Cousin Bridget had sent him because he was so good to his aged grandmother . What did all this mean ?—that Beauty must be a witch , or have some extraordinary infl uence over the old lady , they were certain ; the mystery was wonderful ! Such excitement had not been in ITartlei gh for years . Bridget had always dealtat Mrs . Mallet ' s : but Bettythe laconic old
, servant , had always given the orders . Now Minna went ; aud soon her quick eyes detected the unwise treatment they were adopting toward tiieir poor , bewildered , stupid Jane , aud began from that moment the work of reformation there . She studied the g irl ' s character ; found out that there was a kindly heart beneath that stupid exterior , and that she would be a > clever workwoman if she were instructed . Her mother was somewhat vainand wasthereforenot a little
, , , delighted when Janey brought her a cap she had made through the patient teaching of Minna Westrop . But there was yet much to he done ; and making- a cap could not blot out from the mother's mind the years of stupidity she had had to put up with , and which Janey still evinced ; and Minna had not succeeded in her good work , though autumn and winter had passed , and spring had put forth its fresh young leaves ancl nearly ripened into summer ; but she did not despair . She had had
too much success with Cousin Bridg'et to despair of anything . Blankets and meat had been given at Christmas to the poor from Cousin Bridget ; and it was now a common thing for fruit , flowers , and vegetables—the product of the little gardens , a first-rate batch of bread , an extra-good pat of butter , and the thickest cream , to find their way to the cottage as a present to the hitherto shunned and dreaded Bridget
MacI avish . Things had arrived at tliis point when my story commenced ; and we must now peep into the interior of the cottage after Minna ' s successes from Jane . The window of the parlour was open , for it was a mild and balmy day ; and seated beside it , her feet on a stool , sat Bridget , knitting ; and though the furniture was the same as when Minna arrived , there was a different tone about the room ; the chairs ivere no longer stuck
against the wall in a cold-service row , but arranged about as though inviting you to be seated . On the table was a vase of fresh-gathered flowers , and a little tasty work-basket , lined with rose-coloured satin , from which was always peeping forth new muslin and lace , giving- a pleasant idea that something pretty was g-oing to be made ; a scarlet shawl hung over the back of a chair ; and on a little table standing in the window were laid some drawing's , a colour-box , and a small easel ,
on whicli was a half-finished portrait of the old lady . A beautiful sleek cat lay coiled at Bridg-et's feet , hitherto banished to the kitchen , as she said " She liked animals in their places ; " but Minna had coaxed her into the parlour , aud so amused the old lady by her antics with her , that now she could not bear the cat out of her sight . Suddenly , the door opens—uot as it was wont slowly to turn on its hinges to admitold Betty ; but quickly aud widely it flies open now , and
Bridget looked up and smiled , for she know it was her li ght , her beautiful Minna . " Well , dear Cousin , I am going out a little while ; and when I come back I shall have plenty of news for you ; and then in return , when the nice quiet evening- comes , you will tell me why you were so dull when I came . "