Grandmamma and the Children
Grandmamma was very much pleased with Lucy's stories]
"I don't care so much now," said Henry, meeting them at the door; "Johnsays he will go with us, if it is to the world's end, or as far as themoon; and Betty says she will go too; and we can take the horse andMag--so we shall do. But grandmamma is up and has had her breakfast,and we have got the Bath-chair ready, and she says that she will let usdraw her round the garden; and I am to pull, and John says he will comeand push, if the lady's-maid is not there too. He says that the worstthing about going with us, is that lady's-maid; and he hopes, for thatreason, that the house will be very large."
Lucy and Emily ran to their grandmother; she was in the drawing-room;she kissed and blessed them, and looked at them with tears in her eyes.
"Grandmamma," said Lucy, "we have thought about it, and we will go withyou to The Grove, and be your own children; only we would like you bestto stay here."
"My own sweet children," replied the old lady, "we will refer allthese things to your papa and mamma. I am too old, and you are tooyoung, to manage worldly matters; so we will leave these cares to thosewho are neither so young nor so old; God will guide them, I know, towhat is best."
"Come, grandmamma," said Henry, putting his head only into the room,"the carriage is ready."
"And so am I," said the old lady, and she stepped out into the passage,and was soon in her Bath-chair.
John was ready to push, but seeing the maid come out to take her placebehind the chair, he walked away without a word.
Miss Tilney, as she called herself, had not much to say before hermistress, so that she did not disturb the little party.
They did not go beyond the garden, but stopped often in shady places,where one of the children sat at their grandmother's feet, and theothers on the grass.
The old lady seemed sometimes to have difficulty to be cheerful. Shewas often thinking, no doubt, of what was going on at The Grove, forthe funeral was not over. She could not yet speak of the children shehad lost.
Lucy guessed what made her sad, and for some minutes she was thinkingwhat she could say to amuse her; she thought of several subjects tospeak about; and, young as she was, settled in her own mind she mustnot speak of anything sad. At last she thought of what she would say,and she began by asking her if she saw a high piece of ground coveredwith trees at some distance.
"I do, my dear," replied the old lady.
"Would you like to hear about an old house which is beyond that wood?"
The grandmother was not so desirous of hearing about the old house, asshe was to hear how her little grand-daughter could talk. By the wordsof children we may learn a great deal of their characters, and how theyhave been taught; and so she begged Lucy to tell her about this oldhouse.
It was Mrs. Goodriche's house that Lucy meant: and she began by tellingwhat sort of a house it was; and who lived in it now; and what a kindlady she was; and how they went often to see her; and what prettystories she could tell them, particularly about Mrs. Howard.
"Mrs. Howard!" repeated old Mrs. Fairchild, "I have heard of her; Iknew the family of the Symondses well. Do, Lucy, tell me all you knowabout that good lady."
How pleasant it was to Lucy to think that she had found out the verything to amuse her grandmother; and she went on, and on, until, with aword or two now and then from Emily, she had told the two stories ofMrs. Howard, and told them very prettily and straightforward--not asHenry would have done, with the wrong end foremost, but right forward,and everything in its place. Mrs. Fairchild had always accustomed herlittle girls to give accounts of any books they read; and Lucy hadalways been particularly clever in doing this exercise well.
Grandmamma was very much pleased with Lucy's stories--pleased everyway; and it might be seen that she was so by her often asking her to goon.
The maid was also much amused, and when Lucy had told all, she said toher mistress:
"Indeed, ma'am, Miss Lucy is a most charming young lady, as agreeableas she is pretty, and I am sure you have the greatest reason to beproud of her; and, indeed, of the other young lady, too, Miss Emily;and Master Fairchild himself, he does honour to his family."
"None of this, Tilney, I beg," said the old lady; "I rejoice in what Isee of these dear children, and I thank God on their account; but wemust not flatter them. I thank my Lucy for her stories, and her wishesto amuse poor grandmamma; and I thank my gentle Emily for the help shehas given; but as to little boys in pinafores doing honour to theirfamilies, you must know that is quite out of the question. It is enoughfor me to say that I love my little boy, and that I find him very kind,and that I think his dear papa and mamma have, so far, brought him upwell."
About noon the little party went into the house: the old lady lay downto read, and the rest went to their own rooms. They met again atdinner, and at tea; then came another airing; and they finished the daywith reading the Bible and prayers.
Several days passed much in the same way, till Mr. Fairchild returned.He brought grandmamma's own servant with him; and Miss Tilney, to thegreat joy of John and Betty, went the next day.
Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild had much business to do, for it was settled thatthey were all to move to The Grove in the autumn; but the old lady,having her own maid with her, and having become very fond of thechildren, did not depend on her son and daughter for amusement.
After Mr. Fairchild returned, she went out much farther in theBath-chair, and was drawn to many of the places loved by the children.That summer was one of the finest ever known in the country, and manywere the hours spent by the little party about the Bath-chair, in theshade of the woods.
At these times grandmamma would often speak of the children she hadlost, and of the happy years which she had spent with them. How verypleasant good and cheerful old people are! They are pleasanter thanyoung ones, because they have seen so much, and have so many oldstories to tell. Grandmamma remembered the time when ladies wore largehoops and long ruffles and lappets, and when gentlemen's coats weretrimmed with gold lace. She could tell of persons who had been bornabove a hundred years ago, persons she had herself seen and talked to;and her way of talking was not like that of many grown-up people whomake children covetous and envious. That was not grandmamma's way; shewas like the eagle in the fable, always trying to encourage her eagletsto fly upwards; and she did this so pleasantly that her grandchildrenwere never tired of hearing her talk. One of grandmamma's stories is sointeresting that we will relate it in this place.
"_A hundred years ago._"--Page 455.]
The Fairchild Family Page 41