Part 8 (1/2)
A clock in the schoolroo in the middle of the room, cried--
”Silence! To your seats!”
Discipline prevailed: in fivewas resolved into order, and coues
The upper teachers now punctually resued on benches down the sides of the rooirls sat e they appeared, all with plain locks combed froh and surrounded by a narrow tucker about the throat, with little pockets of holland (shaped sohlander's purse) tied in front of their frocks, and destined to serve the purpose of a work-bag: all, too, wearing woollen stockings and country-made shoes, fastened with brass buckles Above twenty of those clad in this costu woave an air of oddity even to the prettiest
I was still looking at the the teachers--none of whom precisely pleased me; for the stout one was a little coarse, the dark one not a little fierce, the foreigner harsh and grotesque, and Miss Miller, poor thing! looked purple, weather-beaten, and over-worked--when, as my eye wandered from face to face, the whole school rose si
What was the athered ain seated: but as all eyes were now turned to one point, eneral direction, and encountered the personage who had receivedroom, on the hearth; for there was a fire at each end; she surveyed the ts of girls silently and gravely Miss Miller approaching, see received her ansent back to her place, and said aloud--
”Monitor of the first class, fetch the globes!”
While the direction was being executed, the lady consulted an of veneration, for I retain yet the sense of ad ahich ht, she looked tall, fair, and shapely; brown eyes with a benignant light in their irids, and a fine pencilling of long lashes round, relieved the whiteness of her large front; on each of her temples her hair, of a very dark broas clustered in round curls, according to the fashi+on of those tiue; her dress, also in the mode of the day, was of purple cloth, relieved by a sort of Spanish triold watch (watches were not so coirdle Let the reader add, to complete the picture, refined features; a coe, and he will have, at least, as clearly as words can give it, a correct idea of the exterior of Miss Temple--Maria Temple, as I afterwards saw the name written in a prayer-book intrusted to me to carry to church
The superintendent of Lowood (for such was this lady) having taken her seat before a pair of globes placed on one of the tables, su a lesson on geography; the lower classes were called by the teachers: repetitions in history, gra and arithiven by Miss Teirls The duration of each lesson was measured by the clock, which at last struck twelve The superintendent rose--
”I have a word to address to the pupils,” said she
The tu forth, but it sank at her voice She went on--
”You had this ry:--I have ordered that a lunch of bread and cheese shall be served to all”
The teachers looked at her with a sort of surprise
”It is to be done on my responsibility,” she added, in an explanatory tone to them, and immediately afterwards left the rooht in and distributed, to the high delight and refresharden!” Each put on a coarse straw bonnet, with strings of coloured calico, and a cloak of grey frieze I was si the streaarden was a wide inclosure, surrounded alls so high as to exclude every glimpse of prospect; a covered verandah ran down one side, and broad walks bordered a middle space divided into scores of little beds: these beds were assigned as gardens for the pupils to cultivate, and each bed had an owner When full of flowers they would doubtless look pretty; but now, at the latter end of January, all intry blight and brown decay I shuddered as I stood and looked round me: it was an inclement day for outdoor exercise; not positively rainy, but darkened by a drizzling yellow fog; all under foot was still soaking ith the floods of yesterday The stronger aaether for shelter and warst these, as the densefrah
As yet I had spoken to no one, nor did anybody seeh: but to that feeling of isolation I was accustoainst a pillar of the verandah, drew et the cold which nipped nawedand thinking My reflections were too undefined and fragmentary to merit record: I hardly yet knehere I was; Gateshead and my past life seemed floated away to an ie, and of the future I could forarden, and then up at the house--a large building, half of which seerey and old, the other half quite new The new part, containing the schoolroom and dorave it a church-like aspect; a stone tablet over the door bore this inscription:--
”Lowood Institution--This portion was rebuilt AD ---, by Naomi Brocklehurst, of Brocklehurst Hall, in this county” ”Let your light so shi+ne before lorify your Father which is in heaven”--St Matt v 16
I read these words over and over again: I felt that an explanation belonged to them, and was unable fully to penetrate their inification of ”Institution,” and endeavouring to make out a connection between the first words and the verse of Scripture, when the sound of a cough close behindon a stone bench near; she was bent over a book, on the perusal of which she seemed intent: from where I stood I could see the title--it was ”Rasselas;” a nae, and consequently attractive In turning a leaf she happened to look up, and I said to her directly--
”Is your book interesting?” I had already for her to lend it to me some day
”I like it,” she answered, after a pause of a second or two, during which she examined me
”What is it about?” I continued I hardly knohere I found the hardihood thus to open a conversation with a stranger; the step was contrary to my nature and habits: but I think her occupation touched a chord of syh of a frivolous and childish kind; I could not digest or comprehend the serious or substantial
”Youme the book
I did so; a brief exa than the title: ”Rasselas” looked dull toabout genii; no bright variety seees I returned it to her; she received it quietly, and without saying anything she was about to relapse into her forain I ventured to disturb her--