Aunt Judith | Page 7

gentle form bending over the sobbing figure.
"Nellie," she said in that kind voice so peculiarly her own--"Nellie, my
child, I was afraid of this;" and putting her arms round the trembling
girl, she drew the weary head to her breast, and smoothed the tangled
hair with soothing touch. By-and-by the sobs became less violent, and
when they had finally ceased Miss Latimer spoke, and her kind words
were to the lonely heart as dew to the thirsty flowers.
In after years Nellie found what a precious privilege it was to have a
talk with Aunt Judith; and long after, when the brave, true heart had

ceased to beat, and the quietly-folded hands spoke of a finished work,
she drew from her treasured storehouse the blessed memory of wise,
loving counsels, of grand, beautiful thoughts; and carrying them into
her daily life, endeavoured to make that life "one grand, sweet song."
CHAPTER III.
WILL YOU HAVE ME FOR A FRIEND?
"Late again! Winnifred Blake, I am ashamed of you; come, run as fast
as you can;" and scolding herself vigorously, Winnie changed her
leisurely step to a brisk trot which brought her to the schoolhouse door
exactly fifteen minutes after the hour. "Punishment exercise yesterday,
and fine to-day--how horrible!" she broke out again, entering the empty
dressing-room and surveying the array of hats on the various pegs, all
of which seemed to rebuke her tardiness. "Miss Smith will purse up her
lips, and utter some cutting sarcasm of course, but I don't care," and
Winnie, kicking off her boots, pitched them--well, I don't think she
herself knew where. The jacket being next unfastened, she proceeded to
divest herself of her hat, and pulled with such violence that the elastic
snapped and struck her face severely. Winnie's temper (so Dick
declared) resembled nothing so much as a pop-gun, going off, as it
were, with a great bang on the least provocation. Flinging the offending
article to the other side of the room, and addressing it in anything but
complimentary terms, she picked up her books, shook her shaggy mane
over her face, and marched straight to the large class-room, where the
girls were already busy over their Bible lesson.
"Half-an-hour late, Miss Blake. You really are improving. Allow me to
remind you of the fine, also of Mrs. Elder's instructions to take the
lowest seat;" and Miss Smith, the senior governess, uttered the words
with withering scorn.
"Good-morning," replied the culprit, hiding an angry little heart under a
smiling exterior, and slipping her penny into the box on the teacher's
desk; "my sleep was slightly broken last night, and that made me late."
Here the girls tittered, and Miss Smith frowned. "Indeed," she

commented haughtily; "pray, does your constitution require a stated
interval of so many hours for sleep every night?" and the governess laid
special stress on the word "every."
"Well, perhaps not," replied Winnie, coolly sitting down and
proceeding to unfasten her books; "but I always indulge in an extra half
hour if I am disturbed in my slumbers. Broken rest tells sorely on my
nervous system, and renders both myself and others miserable."
At this point some of the pupils laughed outright, and Miss Smith's
anger rose.
"Silence!" she said, rising and tapping rapidly on the desk. "Miss Blake,
you are a disgrace to the school. Attend to your lesson, and let me hear
no more rude, impertinent language, or I shall punish you severely,"
and the governess treated Winnie to one glance of supreme contempt as
she spoke.
The child ground her little white teeth together as she gazed on the
teacher's sour-faced visage and listened to the tones of her high-pitched
voice. "Regular crab-apple, and as cross as two sticks," she muttered,
knitting her brow in an angry frown, but smoothing it hastily and
calling up the necessary look of attention as Miss Smith cast a swift
glance in her direction; "how I should like to tell her every horrid
thought in my heart concerning herself. She would be edified," and at
the bare idea Winnie shook so much with suppressed merriment that
the girl next her opened a pair of bright, hazel eyes and stared in
amazement at the audacious child.
The little mischief caught the look, and returning it with interest found
she was seated beside the new pupil whose advent had occasioned
yesterday's quarrel. There was something very engaging in the frank,
open countenance, and Winnie smiled pleasantly as she met the
astonished gaze.
"Am I very rude and disobedient?" she asked, or rather whispered
roguishly; "you look so shocked and amazed. Please, don't judge by
first impressions; my bark is worse than my bite, and I can be a very

good girl when I choose. Self-praise is no honour, of course, and I
ought to