Henriettas Wish | Page 6

a lease of
the Pleasance, and remove almost immediately from her present abode;
and from this time it might be perceived that she always shrank from
entering on the subject in a manner which gave them little reason to
hope.
"Yet, I think," said Henrietta to her brother one afternoon as they were
walking together on the sands; "I think if she once thought it was right,
if Uncle Geoffrey would tell her so, or if grandpapa would really tell
her that he wished it, I am quite sure that she would resolve upon it."
"But why did he not do so long ago?" said Fred.
"O! because of grandmamma, I suppose," said Henrietta; "but he really

does wish it, and I should not at all wonder if the Busy Bee could put it
into his head to do it."
"Or if Uncle Geoffrey would advise her," said Fred; "but it never
answers to try to make him propose anything to her. He never will do it;
he always says he is not the Pope, or something to that effect."
"If I was not fully convinced that it was right, and the best for all
parties, I would not say so much about it," said Henrietta, in a tone
rather as if she was preparing for some great sacrifice, instead of
domineering over her mother.
To domineering, her temptation was certainly great. With all her good
sense and ability, Mrs. Langford had seldom been called upon to decide
for herself, but had always relied upon her mother for counsel; and
during her long and gradual decline had learnt to depend upon her
brother-in-law, Mr. Geoffrey Langford, for direction in great affairs,
and in lesser ones upon her children. Girls are generally older of their
age than boys, and Henrietta, a clever girl and her mother's constant
companion, occupied a position in the family which amounted to
something more than prime minister. Some one person must always be
leader, and thus she had gradually attained, or had greatness thrust upon
her; for justice requires it to be stated, that she more frequently tried to
know her mamma's mind for her, than to carry her own point, though
perhaps to do so always was more than could be expected of human
nature at sixteen. The habit of being called on to settle whether they
should use the britska or the pony carriage, whether satin or silk was
best, or this or that book should be ordered, was, however, sufficient to
make her very unwilling to be thwarted in other matters of more
importance, especially in one on which were fixed the most ardent
hopes of her brother, and the wishes of all the family.
Their present abode was, as she often said to herself, not the one best
calculated for the holiday sports of a boy of sixteen, yet Frederick,
having been used to nothing else, was very happy, and had tastes
formed on their way of life. The twins, as little children, had always
had the same occupations, Henrietta learning Latin, marbles, and
trap-ball, and Frederick playing with dolls and working cross-stitch;
and even now the custom was so far continued, that he gave lessons in
Homer and Euclid for those which he received in Italian and music. For
present amusement there was no reason to complain; the

neighbourhood supplied many beautiful walks, while longer
expeditions were made with Mrs. Langford in the pony carriage, and
sketching, botanizing, and scrambling, were the order of the day.
Boating too was a great delight, and had it not been for an occasional
fretting recollection that he could not go out sailing without his mamma,
and that most of his school fellows were spending their holidays in a
very different manner, he would have been perfectly happy. Fortunately
he had not sufficient acquaintance with the boys in the neighbourhood
for the contrast to be often brought before him.
Henrietta did not do much to reconcile him to the anxious care with
which he was guarded. She was proud of his talents, of his
accomplishments, of his handsome features, and she would willingly
have been proud of his excellence in manly sports, but in lieu of this
she was proud of the spirit which made him long for them, and
encouraged it by her full and entire sympathy. The belief that the
present restraints must be diminished at Knight Sutton, was a moving
spring with her, as much as her own wish for the scenes round which
imagination had thrown such a brilliant halo. Of society they had
hitherto seen little or nothing; Mrs. Langford's health and spirits had
never been equal to visiting, nor was there much to tempt her in the
changing inhabitants of a watering-place. Now and then, perhaps, an
old acquaintance or distant