Aunt Judith | Page 9

the
hall with a very mutinous face.
Nellie having come to school with the fixed determination to make the
most of her time, prepared to listen to the master's instructions with all
due attention; but Winnie's incessant fidgeting and yawning baffled
every attempt, and the ludicrous answers, given with tantalizing
readiness, almost upset her gravity, despite Mr. King's unconcealed
vexation.
"This is one of her provoking days," whispered a girl, noting Nellie's
puzzled face; "she will tease and annoy each teacher as much as
possible all this afternoon---she always does so when in these moods.
Do not think her stupid, Miss Latimer; as the French master often says,
'It is not lack of ability, but lack of application.' She won't learn," and
Agnes Drummond, one of Winnie's stanchest allies, shook her head
admonishingly at the little dunce as she spoke; but a defiant pout of the
rosy lips was the only answer vouchsafed to the friendly warning, and
the next moment an absurdly glaring error brought down on Winnie the
righteous indignation of her irritated teacher, and resulted in solitary
confinement during recess.
Sitting alone in the large empty class-room, the poor child burst into a
flood of passionate tears. "It's too bad," she cried rebelliously, wiping

her wet eyes and flinging her book aside with contemptuous touch.
"There, I can't go home now, and we are to have jam pudding to dinner.
Dick will chuckle--horrid boy! and eat my share as well as his own. I
know he will, and I do so love those kind of puddings, especially when
they are made with strawberry jam. Oh dear, how I envy Alexander
Selkirk on his desert island! I am sure he never had any nasty old
lessons to learn, and I think he was very stupid to grumble over his
solitude when he could do every day simply what he pleased. Well, if I
must study, I must; so, here goes," and, drawing the despised grammar
towards her once more, Winnie set herself steadily to master part of the
contents.
Meanwhile, Nellie, deprived of the companionship of her new friend,
was being sharply catechised by Ada Irvine as to her antecedents and
general history. The girl at first innocently replied to each question; but
after a time she resented the queries, and thereby incurred that young
lady's haughty displeasure, and brought down on herself the sharp edge
of Ada's sarcastic tongue.
"Not much of a pedigree to boast about, girls," was the final verdict,
given with a slight curl of the lip, signifying unbounded
contempt,--"the grandfather on the one side a farmer, on the other a
draper; the father a poor country doctor; three old maiden aunts living
in one of our commonest localities, keeping no servant, doing their own
work, and dressing like Quakers. It's a wonder to hear Miss Latimer
speak without dropping her h's, or otherwise murdering the Queen's
English, ha, ha!" and Miss Irvine shrugged her elegant shoulders
scornfully.
"Oh, come, Ada, that is going too far," protested some of the girls,
shocked at the rude words and the cool deliberate manner in which they
were said; but their insolent school-fellow silenced them with an
impatient gesture, as she surveyed the flushed face of her victim and
awaited a reply.
Nellie felt both hurt and indignant. She had grown up in her quiet,
country home, totally ignorant of the arrogancy and pride so much
abroad in the busy world; and coming to school with the expectancy of

finding pleasant companions and friends, the words struck home to her
heart with a chill.
"How unkind you are!" she murmured, struggling to suppress the angry
tears; "you have no right to speak so to me. My aunts are not rich, it is
true, and cannot afford to dress so extravagantly as many; but that does
not prevent them from being perfect gentlewomen, does it? Your own
mother cannot be a more thorough lady than my Aunt Judith, I am
sure."
"Is that so?" said Ada with mocking sarcasm, and the contempt in her
voice was indescribable. "What presumption! the lower classes are
beginning to look up, sure enough."
"Shame!" cried some of the girls standing near; "you are cruel, Ada."
But at that moment a slim hand touched Nellie's arm, and a merry voice
said soothingly, "Never mind her, Nellie; we all know she is not
responsible for her statements at times. Her brain is a little defective on
one point," and Winnie's great eyes shot a mischievous glance at Miss
Irvine's haughty face.
"May I ask the reason of your special interference just now?" inquired
Ada, an angry flush deepening the rose-tint on her cheek; "possibly you
wish yesterday's scene to be repeated over again."
"Oh dear, no," answered Winnie brightly, "home-truths seldom need
repetition; they are not