Kates Ordeal | Page 2

a veritable
angel in the family she served, and with what honour and love she was

regarded by every member of it.
Listening to her teacher, it suddenly occurred to Katie that it was about
the business of her becoming a household servant that her teacher
desired to see her mother and her thoughts instantly reverted to Esther
Odell and the pleasant prospect held out by her cousin's letter. Her
mother would be only too glad to hear of a situation nearer home for
her she knew, but Katie had made up her mind to go to London if she
possibly could, and so the more she thought of it the more vexed she
felt that her teacher should want to see her mother just now, but how to
prevent it she did not know.
The girls chatted about the lesson, and about the relative advantage of
going to service, or learning dress-making and machine-work, but Kate
took little part in the discussion to-day; and when they reached the
corner where she must leave them, she felt glad to get away, to think
out the problem she had been puzzling over all the afternoon. She had
not told any of her schoolfellows of the message she had been charged
to deliver to her mother, so no troublesome questions or surmises had
been propounded by them, and if she could only contrive to banish the
whole subject from her mind--forget it entirely, her future would be
settled before the next Sunday came round, for her cousin's letter must
be answered the next day, and the offer accepted or declined, and she
knew there were many reasons why her mother could not well decline
it, unless she had something else in view for her.
Mrs. Haydon was a widow, often ailing, and never strong enough to
earn her own living by hard work, but through the kindness of her
brother--himself not a wealthy man--a little business had been secured
for her, enough to keep her in comfort, and he had urged that Kate,
being young and strong, ought to get a situation.
But nothing had come in their way likely to suit Kate, until these letters
from London offering her a situation with her cousin. Her uncle had
written as well as her cousin, urging that if she had nothing else in view,
she had better accept this, as she might not have such a chance again--a
view of the matter that Kate fully endorsed. She was most anxious to
go to London, and to serve in a shop and be called a "young lady" was

so much better than going to service she thought.
But her mother shook her head rather gravely, when she ventured to say
something of this to her. "I am not so sure about that, my dear. I was a
servant myself for years before I married your poor father, and was
much more comfortable and happy, I know, than half the girls are that
set up to be 'young ladies' now; so that I hope you will never despise
service, Kate," her mother had said.
Kate recalled these words, and many others that her mother had spoken
lately upon the same subject, but now that it seemed as though the
choice lay in her own hands, they had little weight with her. These
notions were old-fashioned, she whispered to herself, nobody ever went
to service now if they could possibly obtain any other employment.
Even Esther Odell was going to learn dress-making, although there was
a large family to keep, and her father's wages barely sufficed to supply
all their wants; and thinking of Esther, made Katie decide to say
nothing to her mother about her teacher desiring to see her, for she
never could meet her schoolfellows' taunts and jeers about being a
servant, when she had the chance of being something better. As Kate
went into the little back room, behind the shop, where her mother was
sitting, she noticed the traces of tears on her face, and asked rather
anxiously if she was ill.
"No, my dear, I have only been thinking this matter over again, and I
cannot help feeling troubled about it."
"But why should you, mother?" and Kate stooped and kissed the pale
anxious face, and was about to whisper, "You may have your wish after
all, for teacher wants to see you to-morrow morning." But a footstep
was heard on the stairs, and she said, "Here comes Aunt Ellen;" and the
next minute the door opened, and Mrs. Haydon's sister entered the
room.
"Oh, you have come in, Kate. I came down to see if your mother was
fretting still. It's very foolish of her, I think. Of course, we never can
have things just as we wish, and if you