Shanty the Blacksmith | Page 7

and, in his own words, Mrs. Margaret took all very well, and
even did not hint that if her nephew had been in his own parlour,
instead of being in a place where vagrants were sheltered, he would at
all events have been out of this scrape. But the little one had awoke,
and had begun to weep, and the old lady's heart was touched, so she
called one of the maids, and told her to feed the babe and put it to sleep;
after which, having ordered that Shanty should be regaled with the
bladebone of a shoulder of mutton, she withdrew to her room to think
what was next to be done.
The result of Mrs. Margaret's thoughts were, that come what might, the
child must be taken care of for a few days, and must be washed and
clothed; and, as the worthy lady had ever had the habit of laying by, in
certain chests and boxes piled on each other in her large bed-room, all
the old garments of the family not judged fitting for the wear of
cottagers, she had nothing more to do than, by the removal of
half-a-dozen trunks, to get at a deal box, which contained the frocks,
and robes, and other garments which her nephew had discarded when
he put on jacket and trousers. From these she selected one of the
smallest suits, and they might have been seen airing at the kitchen fire
by six o'clock that morning. Hot water and soap were next put in
requisition, and as soon as the baby awoke, she was submitted to such
an operation by the kitchen fire, as it would appear she had not
experienced for a long time. The little creature was terribly frightened
when soused in the water, and screeched in a pitiful manner; the tears
running from her eyes, and the whole of her small person being in a
violent tremor. The maids, however, made a thorough job of it, and

scoured the foundling from head to foot. At length Mrs. Margaret, who
sat by, directing the storm, with a sheet across her lap and towels in her
hand, pronounced the ablution as being complete, and the babe was
lifted from the tub, held a moment to drip, and then set on the lap of the
lady, and now the babe seemed to find instant relief. The little creature
was no sooner placed on Mrs. Margaret's knee, than, by some strange
and unknown association, she seemed to think that she had found an
old friend,--some faintly remembered nurse or mother,--whom she had
met again in Mrs. Dymock, and quivering with delight, she sprang on
her feet on the lady's lap, and grasped her neck in her arms, pressing
her little ruby lips upon her cheek; and on one of the maids
approaching again with some of her clothes, she strained her arms more
closely round Mrs. Margaret, and perfectly danced on her lap with
terror lest she should be taken away from her.
"Lord help the innocent babe!" said the old lady, "what is come to her?"
and Mrs. Margaret's eyes were full of tears; but the good lady then
soothed and carressed the babe, and instructed her to sit down on her
knees, whilst she directed the servant to assist in dressing her. But no,
no, it would not do; no one was to touch her but Mrs. Margaret; and the
old lady, drawing herself up, at length said,--"Well, Janet, we must give
way, I suppose; it seems that I am to be the favourite; there is
something in my physiognomy which has taken the child's fancy; come,
hand me the clothes, I must try my skill in dressing this capricious little
dame." Mrs. Margaret was evidently pleased by the poor orphan's
preference, and whilst she was dressing the infant, there was time to
discover that the little child was a perfect beauty in her way; the form
of her face being oval, the features exquisite, the eyes soft, yet
sparkling, and the lips delicately formed. The hair, of raven black, was
clustered and curling, and the head set on the shoulders in a way
worthy of the daughters of kings; but the servants pointed out on the
arm of the infant, a peculiar mark which was not natural, but which had
evidently been burnt therein. One said it was a fan, and another a
feather; but Mrs. Margaret augured vast things from it, pronouncing
that the child surely belonged to some great person, and that no one
could say what might be the consequence of kindness shown to such a
child.

As soon as Mr. Dymock came down into the breakfast-room, Mrs.
Margaret came swimming in with the child in her arms, exclaiming, "A
pretty piece of work you