Ruth | Page 6

was once out, I

could hardly find in my heart to come in, even to mother, sitting by the
fire;--even to mother," she added, in a low, melancholy tone, which had
something of inexpressible sadness in it. "Why, Jenny!" said she,
rousing herself, but not before her eyes were swimming in tears, "own,
now, that you never saw those dismal, hateful, tumble-down old houses
there look half so--what shall I call them? almost beautiful--as they do
now, with that soft, pure, exquisite covering; and if they are so
improved, think of what trees, and grass, and ivy must be on such a
night as this."
Jenny could not be persuaded into admiring the winter's night, which to
her came only as a cold and dismal time, when her cough was more
troublesome, and the pain in her side worse than usual. But she put her
arm round Ruth's neck, and stood by her, glad that the orphan
apprentice, who was not yet inured to the hardship of a dressmaker's
workroom, should find so much to give her pleasure in such a common
occurrence as a frosty night.
They remained deep in separate trains of thought till Mrs. Mason's step
was heard, when each returned supperless, but refreshed, to her seat.
Ruth's place was the coldest and the darkest in the room, although she
liked it the best; she had instinctively chosen it for the sake of the wall
opposite to her, on which was a remnant of the beauty of the old
drawing-room, which must once have been magnificent, to judge from
the faded specimen left. It was divided into panels of pale sea-green,
picked out with white and gold; and on these panels were painted--were
thrown with the careless, triumphant hand of a master--the most lovely
wreaths of flowers, profuse and luxuriant beyond description, and so
real-looking, that you could almost fancy you smelt their fragrance, and
heard the south wind go softly rustling in and out among the crimson
roses--the branches of purple and white lilac--the floating
golden-tressed laburnum boughs. Besides these, there were stately
white lilies, sacred to the Virgin--hollyhocks, fraxinella, monk's-hood,
pansies, primroses; every flower which blooms profusely in charming
old-fashioned country gardens was there, depicted among its graceful
foliage, but not in the wild disorder in which I have enumerated them.

At the bottom of the panel lay a holly branch, whose stiff straightness
was ornamented by a twining drapery of English ivy, and mistletoe,
and winter aconite; while down either side hung pendent garlands of
spring and autumn flowers; and, crowning all, came gorgeous summer
with the sweet musk-roses, and the rich-coloured flowers of June and
July.
Surely Monnoyer, or whoever the dead-and-gone artist might be, would
have been gratified to know the pleasure his handiwork, even in its
wane, had power to give to the heavy heart of a young girl; for they
conjured up visions of other sister-flowers that grew, and blossomed,
and withered away in her early home. Mrs. Mason was particularly
desirous that her workwomen should exert themselves to-night, for, on
the next, the annual hunt-ball was to take place. It was the one gaiety of
the town since the assize-balls had been discontinued. Many were the
dresses she had promised should be sent home "without fail" the next
morning; she had not let one slip through her fingers, for fear, if it did,
it might fall into the hands of the rival dressmaker, who had just
established herself in the very same street.
She determined to administer a gentle stimulant to the flagging spirits,
and with a little preliminary cough to attract attention, she began--
"I may as well inform you, young ladies, that I have been requested this
year, as on previous occasions, to allow some of my young people to
attend in the antechamber of the assembly-room with sandal ribbon,
pins, and such little matters, and to be ready to repair any accidental
injury to the ladies' dresses. I shall send four--of the most diligent." She
laid a marked emphasis on the last words, but without much effect;
they were too sleepy to care for any of the pomps and vanities, or,
indeed, for any of the comforts of this world, excepting one sole
thing--their beds.
Mrs. Mason was a very worthy woman, but, like many other worthy
women, she had her foibles; and one (very natural to her calling) was to
pay an extreme regard to appearances. Accordingly, she had already
selected in her own mind the four girls who were most likely to do
credit to the "establishment;" and these were secretly determined upon,

although it was very well to promise the reward to the most diligent.
She was really not aware of the falseness of this conduct; being an
adept in that species of sophistry with which