 Section 8 of the Governance, or the Little Female Academy, by Sarah Fielding. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Wednesday the third day. As soon as school was over in the morning, our little company were impatient to go into the arbor to hear Miss Dolly's story. But Mrs. T. Chum told them they must be otherwise employed, for their writing master who lived some miles off, and who was expected in the afternoon, was just then come in, and begged that they would give him their attendance, though out of school time, because he was obliged to be at home again before the afternoon, to meet a person who would confer some favour on him, and would be highly disobliged, should he not keep his appointment. And I know, said Mrs. T. Chum, my little dears, you would rather lose your own amusement than let anyone suffer a real inconvenience on your accounts. They all readily complied, and cheerfully said to their writing, and in the afternoon, Mrs. T. Chum permitted them to leave off work an hour sooner than usual, as a reward for their readiness to lose their amusement in the morning, and being met in their arbor, Miss Dolly read as follows. The Story of Celia and Chloe Celia and Chloe were both left orphans at the tender age of six years. Amanda, their aunt, who was very rich, and a maiden, took them directly under her care, and bred them up as her own children. Celia's mother was Amanda's sister, and Chloe's father was her brother, so that she was equally related to both. They were left entirely unprovided for, were both born on the same day, and both lost their mothers on the day of their birth. Their fathers were soldiers of fortune, and both killed in one day in the fame engagement. But their fortunes were not more similar than their persons and dispositions. They were both extremely handsome, and in their childhood were so remarkable for liveliness of parts, and sweetness of temper, that they were the admiration of the whole country where they lived. Their aunt loved them with a sincere and equal affection, and took the greatest pleasure imaginable in their education, and particularly to encourage that love and friendship which she with pleasure perceived between them. Amanda, being, as was said, very rich, and having no other relations, it was supposed that these hernises would be very great fortunes, and as soon as they became women, they were addressed by all the men of fortune, and no fortune, round the neighborhood. But as the love of admiration, and the desire of a large train of admirers, had no place in their minds, they soon dismissed, in the most civil and obliging manner, one after another, all these lovers. The refusing such numbers of men, and some such as by the world were called good offers, soon got them the name of jilts, and by that means they were freed from any farther importunity, and for some years enjoyed that peace and quiet they had long wished. Their aunt, from being their mother and their guardian, was now become their friend, for as she endeavored not in the least to force their inclinations, they never kept anything concealed from her, and every action of their lives was still guided by her advice and approbation. They lived on in this way perfectly happy in their own little community, till they were about two and twenty years old, when there happened to be a regiment quartered in the neighboring town, to which their house was nearly situated, and the Lieutenant Colonel, a man about four and thirty years old, hearing their names, had a great desire to see them, for when he was a boy of sixteen, he was put into the army under the care of Chloe's father, who treated him with the greatest tenderness, and in that fatal engagement in which he lost his life, received his death's wound by endeavouring to save him, from being taken by the enemy, and gratitude to the memory of so good a friend, was as great an inducement to make him desire to see his daughter, as a report he had heard both of hers and her cousin's great beauty. Simpronius, for so this Colonel was called, was a very sensible, well-bred, agreeable man, and from the circumstances of his former acquaintance and his present proper and polite behaviour, he soon became very intimate in the family. The old lady was particularly pleased with him, and secretly wished that before she died she might be so happy as to see one of her nieces married to Simpronius. She could not, from his behaviour, see the least particular liking to either, though he showed an equal and very great esteem in regard for both. He, in reality, liked them both extremely, and the reason of making no declaration of love was, his being so undetermined in any preference that was due to either. He saw plainly that he was very agreeable to both, and with pleasure he observed that they made use of none of those arts, which women generally do, to get away a disputed lover, and this sincere friendship which subsisted between them raised in him the highest degree of love and admiration. However, he at last determined to make the following trial. He went first to Chloe, and finding her alone told her that he had the greatest liking in the world to her cousin, and had really a mind to propose himself to her. But as he saw a very great friendship between them, he was willing to ask her advice in the matter, and conjured her to tell him sincerely whether there was anything in Celia's temper not discoverable by him, which, as a wife, would make him unhappy. He told her that, if she knew any such thing, it would be no treachery, but rather kind in her to declare it, as it would prevent her friends being unhappy, which must be the consequence in marriage of her making him so. Chloe could not help seeing very plainly that, if Celia was removed, she stood the very next in Sampronius' favor. Her lover was present, her friend was absent, and the temptation was too strong and agreeable to be resisted. She then answered that, since he insisted upon the truth, and had convinced her that it was in reality acting justly and kindly by her friend, she must confess that Celia was possessed, though in a very small degree, of what she had often heard him declare most against of anything in the world, and that was an artfulness of temper and some few sparks of envy. Chloe's confused manner of speaking and frequent hesitation, as unwilling to pronounce her friend's condemnation, which, as being unused to falsehood, was really unaffected. He imputed to tenderness and concern for Celia, but he did not, in the least doubt, but on his application to her he should soon be convinced of the truth of what Chloe had said. He then went directly to the arbor at the end of the garden, and there to his wish he found Celia quite alone, and he addressed her exactly in the same manner concerning her cousin, as he had before spoke to Chloe concerning her. Celia suddenly blushed, from motives I leave those to find out, who can put themselves in her circumstances, and then fetched a soft sigh, from the thought that she was hearing a man she loved declare a passion of which she was not the object. But after some little pause she told him that if Chloe had any faults they were to her yet undiscovered, and she really and sincerely believed her cousin would make him extremely happy. Symproneus then said that of all other things, Tretery and Envy were what he had the greatest dislike to, and he asked her if she did not think her cousin was a little tainted with these. Here Celia could not help interrupting and assuring him that she believed her totally free from both, and from his casting on her friend an espersion which her very soul abhorred for getting all rivalship she could not refrain from growing quite lavish in her praise. Suppose then, said Symproneus, I was to say the same to your cousin concerning my intentions towards you, as I have to you concerning her, do you think she would say as many fine things in your praise as you have done in hers? Celia answered that she verily believed her cousin would say as much for her as she really deserved, but whether that would be equal to what with justice she could say of Chloe her modesty left her in some doubt of. Symproneus had too much penetration not to see the real and true difference in the behaviour of these two women and could not help crying out. Oh Celia, your honest truth and goodness in every word and look are too visible to leave me one doubt of their reality, but could you believe it? This friend of yours is false. I have already put her to the trial by declaring to her my sincere and unalterable passion for you, when on my insisting as I did to you upon her speaking the truth she accused you of what nothing should now convince me you are guilty of. I own that hid here to my regard as demon love had been equal to both, but now I offer to the sincere artless and charming Celia my whole heart love and affection and the service of every minute of my future life and from this moment I banish from my mind the false and ungrateful Chloe. Celia's friendship for Chloe was so deeply rooted in her breast that even a declaration of love from Symproneus could not blot it one moment from her heart and on his speaking the words false Chloe she burst into tears and said is it possible that Chloe should act such a part towards her Celia you must forgive her Symproneus it was her violent passion for you and fear of losing you which made her do what he teared to her nature has ever appeared a verse to Symproneus answered that he could not enough admire her goodness to her friend Chloe but such proofs of passion he said were to him at the same time proofs of it being such a passion as he had no regard for since it was impossible for anyone to gain or increase his love by an action which at the same time lessened his esteem this was so exactly Celia's own way of thinking that she could not but assent to what he said but just as they were coming out of the arbor Chloe unseen by them passed by and from seeing him kiss her hand and the complacency of Celia's look it was easy for her to guess what had been the result of their private conference she could not however help indulging her curiosity so far as to walk on the other side of a thick U-Hedge to listen to their discourse and as they walked on she heard Symproneus entreat Celia to be cheerful and think no more of her treacherous friend whose wickedness he doubted not would sufficiently punish itself she then heard Celia say I cannot bear Symproneus to hear you speak so hardly of my Chloe say that you forgive her and I will indeed be cheerful nothing upon earth can be conceived so wretched as poor Chloe for on the first moment that she suffered herself to reflect on what she had done she thoroughly repented and heartily detested herself for such baseness she went directly into the garden in hopes of meeting Symproneus to have thrown herself at his feet confessed her treachery and to have begged him never to have mentioned it to Celia but now she was conscious her repentance would come too late and he would despise her if possible still more for such a recantation after her knowledge of what had passed between him and Celia she could indeed have gone to him and not have owned what she had seen or heard but now her abhorrence of even the appearance of treachery or cunning was so great that she could not bear to add the smallest grain of falsehood or deceit to the weight of her guilt which was already almost insupportable and should she tell him of her repentance with a confession of her knowledge of his engagement with Celia it would as has been before observed appear both servile and insincere nothing could now appear so altered as the whole face of this once happy family Symproneus as much as possible shunned the sight of Chloe for as she was the cause of all the confusion amongst them he had almost an aversion to her though he was not of an implacable temper yet as the injury was intended to one he sincerely loved he found it much harder to forgive it than if it had been succeeded against himself and as he still looked upon Chloe as the cause of melancholy in his dear Celia he could hardly have any patience with her no words can describe the various passions which were expressed in the sad countenance of Chloe when first she met her friend they were both afraid of speaking shame and the fear of being and with two good reason suspected of insincerity withheld Chloe and an unwillingness to accuse or hurt her friend withheld the gentle Celia she sometimes indeed thought she saw repentance in Chloe's face and wished for nothing more than to seal her pardon but till it was asked she was in doubt from what had passed whether such pardon and proffered reconciliation might not be rejected she knew that her friend's passions were naturally stronger than hers and she therefore trembled at the consequences of coming to an explanation but there was hardly a greater sufferer in this scene of confusion than the poor old lady Amanda she saw a sort of horror and wildness in the face of Chloe and in Celias a settled melancholy and such an unusual reserve in both towards each other as well as to herself as quite astonished her Sampronius came indeed to the house as often as usual but in his countenance she could perceive a sort of anger and concern which perfectly frightened her but as they did not speak to her she could not bring herself to ask the cause of this woeful change for fear of hearing something too bad to bear Celia had absolutely refused granting to Sampronius leave to ask her aunt's consent till she could come to some explanation with Chloe which seemed every day farther off than ever the great perturbation of Chloe's mind threw her into a disorder not many degrees short of madness and at last she was seized with a violent fever so as to keep her bed she said she could not bear to look on Amanda but begged Celia to be with her as much as possible which she did in hopes of bringing herself to ease her mind by speaking to her of what had given them all this torment Celia watched with her night and day for three days when the physician who attended her pronounced that there was no hope of her life Celia could not any longer bear to stay in the room and went downstairs expecting every moment to hear she was expired Chloe soon perceived by Celia's abrupt leaving the room and the looks of those who were left in it that her fate was pronounced which instead of sinking her spirits and making her dejected gave a tranquility to her mind for she thought within herself I shall now make my dear cousin happy by removing out of her way an object that must embitter all her joy and now likewise as she is convinced I am on my deathbed she will once more believe me capable of speaking truth and will in the manner I could wish receive my sincere repentance then sending for Celia up to her bedside she in a weak voice with hardly strength for utterance spoke in this manner my dear Celia though you know me to be a worthless base wretch yet do not think so hardly of me as to imagine I would deceive you with my last breath believe me then when I tell you that I sincerely repent of my treachery towards you and as sincerely rejoice that it has in reality been the cause of your happiness with some pronus tell him this and then perhaps he will not hate my memory here she fainted away and they forced Celia out of the room thinking her breath was forever flown but in some time she came again to herself and cried out what would not my dear Celia say that she forgave me me thinks I would not die till I had obtained her pardon she is too good to refuse her friend this last request her attendance then told her that seeing her faint away they had forced Celia out of the room and they begged her to try to compose herself for they were sure that seeing her friend again at this time would only disturb her mind and do her an injury Chloe from the vent she had given her grief in speaking to Celia found herself something more easy and composed and desiring the room to be made perfectly quiet she fell into a gentle sleep which lasted two hours and when she awaked she found herself so much better that those about her were convinced from her composed manner of speaking that she was now able to bear another interview they again called for Celia and told her of her cousin's amendment she flew with all speed to her chamber and the moment she entered Chloe cried out can you forgive me Celia yes with the greatest joy and sincerity imaginable my dearest Chloe answered Celia and never let it be again mentioned or remembered the sudden recovery of Chloe was almost incredible for in less than a week she was able to quit both her bed and room and go into her aunt's chamber the good old lady shed tears of joy to see such a return of Chloe's health and of cheerfulness in the family and was perfectly contented now she saw their melancholy removed not to inquire into the late cause of it for fear of renewing their trouble even one moment by the remembrance of it Sampronius in the meantime upon some affairs of his duty in the army had been called away and was absent the whole time of Chloe's illness and was not yet returned Celia spent almost her whole time with Chloe but three weeks passed on and they were often alone yet they had never once mentioned the name of Sampronius which laid Celia still under the greatest difficulty how to act so as to avoid giving her friend any uneasiness and yet not this obliged Sampronius for she had promised him at his departure that she would give him leave to ask her aunt's consent immediately upon his return but the very day he was expected she was made quite easy by what passed between her and her friend Chloe in this time by proper reflections and a due sense of Celia's great goodness and affection to her had so entirely got the better of herself in this affair that she found she could now without any uneasiness see them married and calling Celia to her she said with a smile I have my dear friend been so long accustomed to read in that intelligible index your countenance all your most inmost thoughts that I have not been unobserving of those kind fears you have had on my account and the reason I have so long delayed speaking was my resolution if possible never again to deceive you I can with pleasure now assure you that nothing can give me so much joy as to see your wedding with Sampronius I make no doubt but if you ask it you will have my aunt's consent and if any intercession should be wanting towards obtaining it I will if you can trust me use all my influence in your behalf be assured my dear Celia I have now no farther regard left for Sampronius than as your husband and that regard will increase in proportion as he is the cause of your happiness they were interrupted in their discourse by news being brought of the arrival of Sampronius and Chloe received him with that ease and cheerfulness as convinced Celia her professions were unfaigned Celia related to Sampronius all that had passed between her and Chloe and by her continued cheerfulness of behavior the peace and tranquility of the family was perfectly restored and their joy greatly increased by Amanda's ready consent to the marriage of Sampronius and Celia having first settled all her fortune to be divided at her death equally between her nieces and in her lifetime there was no occasion of settlements or deeds of gift for they lived all together and separate property was not so much as mentioned or thought on in this family of harmony and peace here miss Dolly ceased reading and all her hearers sat some little times silent and then expressed their great joy that Celia and Chloe were at last happy for none of them had been able to refrain from tears whilst they were otherwise on which miss Jenny peace begged them to observe from this story the miserable effects that attend deceit and treachery for continued she you see you could not refrain from tears only by imagining what Chloe must feel after her wickedness by which indeed she lost the very happiness she intended treacherously to gain nor could she enjoy one moment's peace till by confessing her fault and heartily repenting of it her mind was restored to its former calm and tranquility miss Dolly thanked miss Jenny for her remarks but miss Lucy sly was most sensibly touched with this story as cunning had formerly entirely possessed her mind and said that if her companions were not weary at present of their arbor she would now recount to them the history of her life as this story was a proper introduction to it the description of miss Lucy sly miss Lucy sly was of the same age as miss Dolly friendly but shorter at least by half the head she was generally called a pretty girl from having a pair of exceeding fine black eyes only with the allay of something cunning in their look she had a high forehead and very good curling back hair she had a sharp high nose and a very small mouth her complexion was but indifferent and the lower part of her face ill turned for her chin was too long for due proportion the life of miss Lucy sly from the time i was two years old said miss Lucy my mama was so sickly that she was unable to take any great care of me herself and i was left to the care of a governess who made it her study to bring me to do what she had a mind to have done without troubling her head what induced me so to do and whenever i did anything wrong she used to say it was the foot boy and not miss that was naughty nay she would say it was a dog or the cat or anything she could lay the blame upon sooner than own it was me i thought this pure that i was never in fault and soon got into a way of telling any lies and of laying my own faults on others since i found i should be believed i remember once when i had broken a fine china cup that i artfully got out of the scrape and hid the broken cup in the foot boys room he was whipped for breaking it and the next day whilst i was at play about the room i heard my governess say to a friend who was with her yesterday miss Lucy broke a china cup but the artful little hussy went and hid it in the foot boys room and the poor boy was whipped for it i don't believe there was ever a girl of her age that had half her cunning and contrivance i knew by her tone of voice and her manner of speaking that she did not blame me in her heart but rather commended my ingenuity and i thought myself so wise that i could thus get off the blame from myself that i every day improved in new inventions to save myself and have others punished in my place this life of endeavoring to deceive i led till i came to school but here i found that i could not so well carry on my little schemes for i was found out and punished for my own faults and this created in me a hatred to my companions for whatever miss i had a mind to serve as i used to serve our foot boy in laying the blame falsely upon her if she could justify herself and prove me in the wrong i was very angry with her for daring to contradict me and not submitting as quietly to be punished wrongfully as the foot boy was forced to do this is all i know of my life hit here too thus ended miss lucy sly and miss jenny peas commended miss lucy for her free confession of her faults and said she doubted not but she would find the advantage of amending and endeavoring to change a disposition so very pernicious to her own peace and quiet as well as to that of all her friends but they now obey the summons of the supper bell and soon after retired to rest end of section eight section nine of the governess or the little female academy by sarah fielding this liberal recording is in the public domain thursday the fourth day our little company as soon as the morning school hours were over hastened to their arbor and were attentive to what miss jenny peas should propose to them for their amusement till dinner time when miss jenny looking round upon them said that she had not at present any story to read but that she hoped from miss dolly friend lee's example yesterday some of the rest might endeavor sometimes to furnish out the entertainment of the day upon which miss suki jennett said that though she could not promise them such an agreeable story as miss dolly's yet she would read them a letter she had received the evening before from her cousin peggy smith who lived at york in which there was a story that she thought very strange and remarkable they were all very desirous of it when miss suki read as follows dear cousin i promised you know to write to you when i had anything to tell you and as i think the following story very extraordinary i was willing to keep my word sometime ago there came to settle in this city a lady whose name was dyson we all visited her but she had so deep a melancholy arising as it appeared from a settled state of ill health that nothing we could do could afford her the least relief or make her cheerful in this condition she languished amongst us five years still continuing to grow worse and worse we all grieved at her fate her flesh was withered away her appetite decayed by degrees till all food became nauseous to her site her strength failed her her feet could not support her tottering body lean and worn away as it was and we hourly expected her death when at last she one day called her most intimate friends to her bedside and as well as she could spoke to the following purpose i know you all pity me but alas i am not so much the object of your pity as your contempt for all my misery is of my own seeking and owing to the wickedness of my own mind i had two sisters with whom i was bred up and i have all my lifetime been unhappy for no other cause but for their success in the world when we were young i could neither eat nor sleep in peace when they had either praise or pleasure when we grew up to be women they were both soon married much to their advantage in satisfaction this galled me to the heart and though i had several good offers yet as i did not think them in all respects equal to my sisters i would not accept them and yet was inwardly vexed to refuse them for fear i would get no better i generally deliberated so long that i lost my lovers and then i pined for that loss i never wanted for anything and was in a situation in which i might have been happy if i pleased my sisters loved me very well for i concealed as much as possible from them my odious envy and yet never did any poor rich lead so miserable a life as i have done for every blessing they enjoyed was as so many daggers to my heart to this envy that has caused all my ill health has preyed upon my very vitals and will now bring me to my grave in a few days after this confession she died and her words and death made such a strong impression on my mind that i could not help sending you this relation and begging you my dear suki to remember how careful we ought to be to curb in our minds the very first risings of a passion so detestable and so fatal as this proved to poor mrs dyson i know i have no particular reason for giving you this caution for i never saw anything in you but what deserved the love and esteem of your very affectionate cousin m smith as soon as miss suki had finished her letter miss patty lockett rose up and flying to miss jenny peace embraced her and said what thanks can i give you my dear friend for having put me into a way of examining my heart and reflecting on my own actions by which you have saved me perhaps from a life as miserable as that of the poor woman in miss suki's letter miss jenny did not thoroughly understand her meaning but imagining it might be something relating to her past life desired her to explain herself which she said she would do telling now in her turn all that had hid here to happen to her the description of miss patty lockett miss patty lockett was but 10 years old tall inclined to fat her neck was short and she was not in the least genteel her face was very handsome for all her features were extremely good she had large blue eyes was exceeding fair and had a great bloom on her cheeks her hair was the very first degree of light brown was bright and shining and hung in ringlets halfway down her back her mouth was rather too large but she had such fine teeth and looked so agreeably when she smiled that you was not sensible of any fault in it this was the person of miss patty lockett who was slow to relate her past life which she did in the following manner the life of miss patty lockett i lived till i was six years old in a very large family for i had four sisters all older than myself and three brothers we played together and passed our time much in the common way sometimes we quarreled and sometimes agreed just as accident would have it our parents had no partiality to any of us so we had no cause to envy one another on that account and we lived tolerably well together when i was six years old my grandmother by my father's side and who was also my godmother offering to take me to live with her and promising to look upon me as her own child and entirely to provide for me my father and mother as they had a large family very readily accepted her offer and sent me directly to her house about half a year before this she had taken another goddaughter the only child of my aunt bradley who was lately dead and whose husband was gone to the west indies my cousin molly bradley was four years older than i and her mother had taken such pains in her education that she understood more than most girls of her age and had so much liveliness good humor and ingenuity that everybody was fond of her and wherever we went together all the notice was taken of my cousin and i was very little regarded though i had all my life before lived in a family where everyone in it was older and knew more than myself yet i was very easy for we were generally together in the nursery and nobody took much notice of us whether we knew anything or whether we did not but now as i lived in the house with only one companion who was so much more admired than myself the comparison began to vex me and i found a strong hatred and aversion for my cousin arising in my mind and yet i verily believe i should have got the better of it and been willing to have learned of my cousin and should have loved her for teaching me if anyone had told me it was right and if it had not been that betty the maid who took care of us used to be forever teasing me about the preference that was shown to my cousin and the neglect i always met with she used to tell me that she wondered how i could bear to see miss molly so caressed and that it was want of spirit not to think myself as good as she was and if she was in my place she would not submit to be taught by a child for my cousin molly frequently offered to instruct me in anything she knew but i used to say as betty had taught me that i would not learn of her for she was but a child though she was a little older and that i was not put under her care but that of my grandma but she poor woman was so old and unhealthy that she never troubled her head much about us but only to take care that we wanted for nothing i lived in this manner three years fretting and vexing myself that i did not know so much nor was not so much liked as my cousin molly and yet resolving not to learn anything she could teach me when my grandmother was advised to send me to school but as soon as i came here the case was much worse for instead of one person to envy i found many for all my school fellows had learned more than i and instead of endeavoring to get knowledge i began to hate all those who knew more than myself and this i am now convinced was owing to that odious envy which if not cured would always have made me as miserable as mrs. dyson was and which constantly tormented me till we came to live in that gentle peace and good humor we have lately enjoyed and as i hope this wicked spirit was not natural to me but only blown up by that vile betty's instigations i don't doubt but i shall now grow very happy and learn something every day and be pleased with being instructed and that i shall always love those who are so good as to instruct me here miss patty locket ceased and the dinner bell called them from their arbor mrs. teach him as soon as they had dined told them that she thought it proper they would use some bodily exercise that they might not by sitting constantly still impair their health not but that she was greatly pleased with their innocent and instructive manner of employing their leisure hours but this wise woman knew that the faculties of the mind grow languid and useless when the health of the body is lost as soon as they understood their governess's pleasure they readily resolved to obey her commands and desired that after school they might take a walk as far as the dairy house to eat some curds and cream mrs. teach him not only granted their request but said she would dispense with their school attendance that afternoon in order to give them more time for their walk which was between two and three miles and she likewise added that she herself would go with them they all flew like lightning to get their hats and to equip themselves for their walk and with cheerful continences attended mrs. teach him in the school room this good gentle woman so far from laying them under a restraint by her presence encouraged them to run in the fields to gather flowers which they did each miss trying to get the best to present to her governess in this agreeable manner with laughing talking and singing they arrived at the dairy house before they imagined they had walked a mile there lived at this dairy house an old woman near 70 years of age she had a fresh color in her face but was troubled with the palsy that made her head shake a little she was bent forward with age and her hair was quite gray but she retained much good humor and received this little party with hearty welcome our little gentry flocked about this good woman asking her a thousand questions miss pauli suckling asked her why she shook her head so and miss patty lockett said she hoped her hair would never be of such a color miss jenny peace was afraid that they would say something that would offend the old woman and advise them to turn their discourse oh let the deer rogues alone says the old woman i like their prattle and taking miss pauli by the hand said come my dear we will go into the dairy and skim the milk pans at which words they all run into the dairy and some of them dipped their fingers in the cream which when mrs nellie perceived who was the eldest daughter of the old woman and who managed all the affairs she desired they would walk out of the dairy and she would bring them what was fit for them upon which miss dolly friendly said she had rather be as old and good-natured as the mother than as young and ill-natured as the daughter the old woman desired their company to sit down at a long table which she soon supplied with plenty of creams strawberries brown bread and sugar mrs tea chum took her place at the upper end and the rest sat down in their usual order and eat plentifully of these good things after which mrs tea chum told them they might walk out and see the garden and orchard and by that time it would be proper to return home the good old woman showed them the way into the garden and gathered the finest roses and pinks she could pick and gave them to miss polly to whom she had taken a great fancy at their taking leave mrs tea chum rewarded the good old woman for her trouble who on her part expressed much pleasure in feeding so many well behaved young ladies and said she hoped they would come often these little friends had not walked far in their way home before they met a miserable ragged fellow who begged their charity our young folks immediately gathered together about this poor creature and were hearkening very earnestly to his story which he sat forth in a terrible manner of having been burnt out of his house and from one distress to another reduced to that miserable state they saw him in when mrs tea chum came up to them she was not a little pleased to see all the mrs hands in their pockets pulling out half pens and some six pence's she told them she approved of their readiness to assist the poor fellow as he appeared to them but oftentimes those fellows made up dismal stories without much foundation and because they were lazy and would not work miss dolly said indeed she believed the poor man spoke truth for he looked honest and besides he seemed almost starved mrs tea chum told them it would be late before they could get home so after each of them had given what they thought proper they pursued their walk prattling all the way they got home about nine o'clock and as they did not choose any supper the bell rang for prayers after which our young travelers retired to their rest where we doubt not but they had a good repose end of section nine section 10 of the governess or the little female academy by sarah fielding this liber fox recording is in the public domain friday the fifth day mrs tea chum in the morning inquired how her scholars did after their walk and was pleased to hear they were all very well they then performed their several tasks with much cheerfulness and after the school hours they were hastening as usual to their arbor when miss jenny desired them all to go thither without her and she would soon follow them which they readily consented to but begged her not to deprive them long of the pleasure of her sweet company miss jenny then went directly into her governess's parlor and told her that she had some thoughts of reading to her companions a fairy tale which was also given her by her mama and though it was not in such a pompous style nor so full of wonderful images as the giant story yet she would not venture to read anything of that kind without her permission but as she had not absolutely condemned all that sort of writing she hoped she was not guilty of a fault in asking that permission mrs tea chum with a gracious smile told her that she seemed so thoroughly well to understand the whole force of her monday night's discourse to her that she might be trusted almost in anything and desired her to go and follow her own judgment and inclinations in the amusement of her happy friends miss jenny overjoyed with this kind condescension in her governess thanked her with a low courtesy and said she hoped she should never do anything unworthy of the confidence reposed on her and hastening to the arbor she there found all her little companions quite impatient of this short absence miss jenny told them that she had by her a fairy tale which if they liked it she would read and as it had pleased her she did not doubt but it would give them equal pleasure it was the custom now so much amongst them to ascend to any proposal that came from miss jenny that they all with one voice desired her to read it till miss pauli suckling said that although she was very unwilling to contradict anything miss jenny liked yet she could not help saying she thought it would be better if they were to read some true history from which they might learn something for she thought fairy tales were fit only for little children miss jenny could not help smiling at such an objections coming from the little dumpling who was not much above seven years of age and then said i will tell you a story my little pauli of what happened to me whilst i was at home there came into our village when i was six years old a man who carried about a rare reshow which all the children of the parish were fond of seeing but i had taken it into my head that it was beneath my wisdom to see rare reshows and therefore would not be persuaded to join my companions to see this site and although i had as great an inclination as any of them to see it yet i avoided it in order to boast of my own great sense in that i was above such trifles when my mama asked me why i would not see the show when she had given me leave i drew up my head and said indeed i did not like rare reshows that i had been reading and i thought that much more worth my while than to lose my time at such foolish entertainments my mama who saw the cause of my refusing this amusement was only a pretense of being wise laughed and said she herself had seen it and it was really very comical and diverting on hearing this i was heartily vexed to think i had denied myself a pleasure which i fancied was beneath me when i found even my mama was not above seeing it this in a great measure cured me of the folly of thinking myself above any innocent amusement and when i grew older and more capable of hearing reason my mama told me she had taken this method of laughing at me as laughing is the proper manner of treating affectation which of all things she said she would have me carefully avoid otherwise whenever i was found out i should become contemptible here miss jenny ceased speaking and miss polysacling blushing that she had made any objection to what miss jenny had proposed begged her to begin the fairy tale when just at that instant mrs teocham who had been taking a walk in the garden turned into the arbor to delight herself with a view of her little school united in harmony and love and miss jenny with great good humor told her mistress the small contest she had just had with miss poly about reading a fairy tale and the occasion of it mrs teocham kindly chucking the little dumpling under the chin said she had so good an opinion of miss jenny as to answer for her that she would read nothing to them but what was proper and added that she herself would stay and hear this fairy tale which miss jenny on her commands immediately began the princess hebe a fairy tale above two thousand years ago there reigned over the kingdom of thonga a king whose name was abdala he was married to a young princess the daughter of a king of a neighboring country whose name was rosy nyong her beauty and prudence engaged him so far in affection to her that every hour he could possibly spare from attending the affairs of his kingdom he spent in her apartment they had a little daughter to whom they gave the name of hebe who was the darling and mutual care of both the king was quiet in his dominion beloved by his subjects happy in his family and all his days rolled on in calm content and joy the king's brother abdulham was also married to a young princess named troppo who in seven years had brought him no children and she conceived so mortal a hatred against the queen for she envied her the happiness of the little princess hebe that she resolved to do her some mischief it was impossible for her during the king's lifetime to vent her malice without being discovered and therefore she pretended the greatest respect and friendship imaginable for the unsuspecting queen whilst things were in this situation the king fell into a violent fever of which he died and during the time that the queen was in the height of her affliction for him and could think of nothing but his loss the princess troppo took the opportunity of pushing in execution her malicious intentions she inflamed her husband's passions by setting forth the meanness of his spirit in letting a crown be ravished from his head by a female infant till ambition seized his mind and he resolved to wield the tongian scepter himself it was very easy to bring this about for by his brother's appointment he was protector of the realm and guardian to the young princess his niece and the queen taking him and the princess his wife for her best friends suspected nothing of their designs but in a manner gave herself up to their power the protector abdulham having the whole treasure of the kingdom at his command was in possession of the means to make all his schemes successful and the princess troppo by lavishly rewarding the instruments of her treasury contrived to make it generally believed that the queen had poisoned her husband who was so much beloved by his subjects that the very horror of the action without any proof of her guilt raised against the poor unhappy queen a universal clamor and a general aversion throughout the whole kingdom the princess had so well laid her scheme that the guards were to seize the queen and convey her to a place of confinement till she could prove her innocence which that she might never be able to do proper care was taken by procuring sufficient evidence to accuse her on oath and the princess he be her daughter was to be taken from her and educated under the care of her uncle but the night before the cruel design was to have been put in execution a faithful attendant of the queens named loretta by the assistance of one of the princess tropos confidants who had long professed himself her lover discovered the whole secret of which she immediately informed her royal mistress the horrors which filled the queen's mind at the relation of the princess tropos malicious intentions were inexpressible and her perturbation so great that she could not form any scheme that appeared probable to execute for her own preservation loretta told her that the person who had given her this timely notice had also provided a peasant who knew the country and would meet her at the western gate of the city and carrying the young princess he be in his arms would conduct her to some place of safety but she must consent to put on a disguise and escape that very night from the palace or she would be lost forever horses and mules she said it would be impossible to come at without suspicion therefore she must endeavor though unused to such fatigue to travel afoot till she got herself concealed in some cottage from her pursuers if her enemies should think of endeavoring to find her out loretta offered to attend her mistress but she absolutely forbade her going any farther than to the western gate where delivering the little princess he be into the arms of a peasant who was there waiting for them she reluctantly withdrew the good queen who saw no remedy to this her terrible disgrace could have borne this barbarous usage without much repining had she herself been the only sufferer by it for the loss of the good king her husband so far exceeded all her other misfortunes that every everything else was trifling in comparison of so dreadful an affliction but the young princess he be whom she was accustomed to look on as her greatest blessing now became to her an object of pity and concern for from being heiress to a throne the poor infant not yet five years old was with her wretched mother became a vagabond and knew not wither to fly for protection loretta had prevailed on her royal mistress to take with her a few little necessaries besides a small picture of the king and some of her jewels which the queen contrived to conceal under her nightclothes in the midst of that hair they were used to adorn when her loved husband delighted to see it displayed in flowing ringlets round her snowy neck this lady during the life of her fond husband was by his tender care kept from every inclemency of the air and preserved from every inconvenience that it was possible for human nature to suffer what then must be her condition now went through by paths and thorny ways she was obliged to fly with all possible speed to escape the fury of her cruel pursuers for she too well knew the merciless temper of her enemies to hope that they would not pursue her with the utmost diligence especially as she was accompanied by the young princess he be whose life was the principal cause of their disquiet and whose destruction they chiefly aimed at the honest peasant who carried the princess he be in his arms followed the queen's painful steps and seeing the day begin to break he begged her if possible to hasten on to a wood which was not far off where it was likely she might find a place of safety but the afflicted queen at the site of the opening mourn which once used to fill her mind with rising joy burst into a flood of tears and quite overcome with grief and fatigue cast herself on the ground crying out in the most affecting manner the end of my misfortunes is at hand my weary limbs will no longer support me my spirits fail me in the grave alone must I seek for shelter the poor princess seeing her mother in tears cast her little arms about her neck and wept also though she knew not why whilst she was in this deplorable condition turning round her head she saw behind her a little girl no older in appearance than the princess he be who with an amiable and tranquil countenance begged her to rise and follow her and she would lead her where she might refresh and repose herself the queen was surprised at the manner of speaking of this little child as she took her to be but soon thought it was some kind of fairy sent to protect her and was very ready to submit herself to her guidance and protection the little fairy for such indeed was the seeming child who had thus accosted them ordered the peasant to return back and said that she would take care of the queen and her young daughter and he knowing her to be the good fairy very readily obeyed sibella then striking the ground three times with a little wand there suddenly rose up before them a neat plain car and a pair of milk white horses and placing the queen with the princess he be in her lap by her side she drove with excessive swiftness full westward for eight hours when just as the sun began to have power enough to make the queen almost faint with the heat and her former fatigue they arrived at the side of a shady wood upon entering of which the fairy made her horses slacken in their speed and having traveled about a mile and a half through rows of elms and beach trees they came to a thick grove of furs into which there seemed to be no entrance for there was not any opening to a path and the underwood consisting chiefly of rose bushes white thorn egglentine and other flowering shrubs was so thick that it appeared impossible to attempt forcing through them but alighting out of the car which immediately disappeared the fairy bidding the queen follow her pushed her way through a large push of jesamine whose tender branches gave way for their passage and then closed again so as to leave no traces of an entrance into this charming grove having gone a little way through an extreme narrow path they came into an opening quite surrounded by these furs in sweet underwood not very large but in which was contained everything that is necessary towards making life comfortable at the end of a green meadow was a plain neat house built more for convenience than beauty fronting the rising sun and behind it was a small garden stored only with fruits and useful herbs sebella conducted her guests into this her simple lodging and as repose was the chief thing necessary for the poor fatigued queen she prevailed with her to lie down on a couch some hours sound sleep which her weariness induced gave her a fresh supply of spirits the ease and safety from her pursuers in which she then found herself made her for a short time tolerably composed and she begged the favor of knowing to whom she was so greatly obliged for this her happy deliverance but the fairy seeing her mind too unsettled to give any Jew attention to what she should say told her that she would defer the relation of her own life which was worth her observation till she had obtained a respite from her own sorrows and in the meantime by all manner of obliging ways she endeavored to divert and amuse her the queen after a short interval of calmness of mind occasion only by her so sudden escape from the terrors of pursuit returned to her former dejection and for some time incessantly wept at the dismal thought that the princess seemed now by this reverse of fate to be forever excluded all hopes of being seated on her father's throne and by a strange perverse way of adding to her own grief she afflicted herself the more because the little princess was ignorant of her misfortune and whenever she saw her diverting herself with little childish plays instead of being pleased with such her innocent amusement it added to her sorrow and made her tears gush forth in a larger stream than usual she could not divert her thoughts from the palace from which she had been driven to fix them on any other object nor would her grief suffer her to reflect that it was possible for the princess to be happy without a crown at length time the great cure of all ills in some measure abated her sorrows her grief began to subside in spite of herself the reflection that her misery was only in her own fancy would sometimes force itself on her mind she could not avoid seeing that her little hostess enjoyed as perfect a state of happiness as is possible to attain in this world that she was free from anxious cares undisturbed by restless passions and mistress of all things that could be of any use to make life easy or agreeable the oftener this reflection presented itself to her thoughts the more strength it gained and at last she could even bear to think that her beloved child might be as happy in such a situation as was her amiable hostess her countenance now grew more cheerful she could take the princess he be in her arms and thinking the jewels she had preserved would secure her from any fear of want looked on her with delight and began even to imagine that her future life might be spent in calm content and pleasure as soon as the voice of reason had gained this power over the queen sebella told her that now her bosom was so free from passion she would relate the history of her life the queen overjoyed that her curiosity might now be gratified begged her not to delay giving her that pleasure one moment on which our little fairy began in the following manner but there mrs. tea chum told miss jenny that the bell rang for dinner on which she was obliged to break off but meeting again in the same arbor in the evening when their good mrs continued to them the favor of her presence miss jenny pursued her story end of section 10 section 11 of the governess or the little female academy by sarah fielding this libra vox recording is in the public domain the fairy tale continued my father said the fairy was a magician he married a lady for love whose beauty far outshone that of all her neighbors and by means of that beauty she had so great an influence over her husband that she could command the utmost power of his art but better had it been for her had that beauty been wanting for her power only served to make her wish for more and the gratification of every desire begot a new one which often it was impossible for her to gratify my father though he saw his error in thus indulging her could not attain steadiness of mind enough to mend it nor acquire resolution enough to suffer his beloved wife wants to grieve or shed a tear to no purpose though in order to cure her of that folly which made her miserable my grandfather so plainly saw the temper and disposition of his son towards women that he did not leave him at liberty to dispose of his magic art to any but his posterity that it might not be in the power of a wife to tease him out of it but his caution was to very little purpose for although my mother could not from herself exert any magic power yet such was her unbounded influence over her husband that she was sure of success in every attempt to persuade him to gratify her desires for if every argument she could invent happened to fail yet the shedding but one tear was a certain method to prevail with him to give up his reason whatever might be the consequence when my father and mother had been married about a year she was brought to bed of a daughter to whom she gave the name of Brunetta her first request to my father was that he would endow this infant with as much beauty as she herself was possessed of and bestow on her as much of his art as should enable her to succeed in all her designs my father foresaw the dreadful tendency of granting this request but said he would give it with this restriction that she should succeed in all her designs that were not wicked four said he the success of wicked designs always turns out as a punishment to the person so succeeding in this resolution he held for three days till my mother being weak in body after her lying in worked herself with her violent passions to such a degree that the physicians told my father they despaired of her life unless some method could be found to make her mind more calm and easy his fondness for his wife would not suffer him to bear the thoughts of losing her and the horror which that apprehension had but for a moment possessed his mind prevailed with him to bestow on the little brunetta though foreseeing it would make her miserable the fatal gift in its full extent but one restriction it was out of his power to take off namely that all wicked designs ever could and should be rendered ineffectual by the virtue and perseverance of those against whom they were intended if they in a proper manner exerted that virtue i was born in two years after brunetta and was called sibella but my mother was so taken up with her darling brunetta that she gave herself not the least concern about me and i was left wholly to the care of my father in order to make the gift she had extorted from her fond husband as fatal as possible to her favorite child she took care in her education by endeavoring to cultivate in her the spirit of revenge and malice against those who had in the least degree offended her to turn her mind to all manner of mischief by which means she lived in a continual passion my father as soon as i was old enough to harken to reason told me of the gift he had conferred on my sister said he could not retract it and therefore if she had any mischievous designs against me they must in some measure succeed but he would endow me with a power superior to this gift of my sisters and likewise superior to anything else that he was able to bestow which was strength and constancy of mind enough to bear patiently any injuries i might receive and this was a strength he said which would not decay but rather increase by every new exercise of it and to secure me in the possession of this gift he likewise gave me a perfect knowledge of the true value of everything around me by which means i might learn whatever outward accidents befall me not to lose the greatest blessing in this world namely a calm and contented mind he taught me so well my duty that i cheerfully obeyed my mother in all things though she seldom gave me a kind word or even a kind look for my spiteful sister was always telling some lies to make her angry with me but my heart overflowed with gratitude to my father that he would give me leave to love him whilst he instructed me that it was my duty to pay him the most strict obedience brunetto was daily encouraged by her mother to use me ill and chiefly because my father loved me and although she succeeded in all her designs of revenge on me yet was she very uneasy because she could not take away the cheerfulness of my mind for i bore with patience whatever happened to me and she would often say must i with all my beauty power and wisdom for so she called her low cunning be suffering perpetual uneasiness and shall you who have neither beauty power nor wisdom pretend to be happy and cheerful then she would cry and stamp and rave like a mad creature and set her invention at work to make my mother beat me or lock me up or take from me some of my best clothes to give to her yet still could not her power extend to vex my mind and this used to throw her again into such passions as weakened her health and greatly impaired her so much boasted beauty in this manner we lived till on a certain day after brunetta had been in one of her rages with me for nothing my father came in and chid her for it which when my mother heard she threw herself into such a violent passion that her husband could not pacify her and being big with child the convulsions caused by her passions brought her to her grave thus my father lost her by the same uncontrollable excesses the fatal effects of which he had before ruined his daughter to preserve her from he did not long survive her but before he died gave me a little wand which by striking three times on the ground he said would at any time produce me any necessary or convenience of life which i really wanted either for myself or the assistance of others and this he gave me because he was very sensible he said that as soon as he was dead my sister would never rest till she had got from me both his castle and everything that i had belonging to me in it but continued he whenever you are driven from thence bend your course directly into the pleasant wood ardella there strike with your wand and everything you want will be provided for you but keep this wand a profound secret or brunetta will get it from you and then though you can never while you preserve your patience be unhappy you will not have it in your power to be of so much use as you would wish to be to those who shall stand in need of your assistance saying these words he expired as i kneeled by his bedside attending his last commands and be wailing the loss of so good a father in the midst of this our distress we sent to my uncle socus my father's brother to come to us and to assist us in an equal division of my deceased father's effects but my sister soon contrived to make him believe that i was the wickedest girl alive and had always set my father against her by my art which she said i pretended to call my wisdom and by several handsome presence she soon persuaded him for he did not care farthing for either of us to join with her in saying that as she was the eldest sister she had full right to the castle and everything in it but she told me i was very welcome to stay there and live with her if i pleased and while i behaved myself well she should be very glad of my company as it was natural for me to love everyone that would give me leave to love them i was quite overjoyed at this kind offer of my sisters and never once thought on the treachery she had so lately been guilty of and i have since reflected that happy was it for me that passion was so much uppermost with her that she could not execute any plot that required a dissimulation of any long continuance for had her good humor lasted but one four and twenty hours it is very probable that i should have opened my whole heart to her should have endeavored to have begun a friendship with her and perhaps have betrayed the secrets of my wand but just as it was sunset she came into my room where i was in the most violent passion in the world accusing me to my uncle of ingratitude to her great generosity in suffering me to live in her castle she said that she had found me out that my crimes were of the blackest dye although she would not tell me either what they were or who were my accusers she would not give me leave to speak either to ask what my offense was or to justify my innocence and i plainly perceived that her pretended kindness was only designed to make my disappointment the greater and that she was now determined to find me guilty whether i pleaded or not and after she had raved for some time she said to me with a sneer since you have always boasted of your calm and contented mind you may now try to be contented this night with the softness of the grass for your bed for here in my castle you shall not stay one moment longer and so saying she and my uncle led me to the outer court and thrusting me with all their force from them they shut up the gates bolting and barring them as close as if to keep out a giant and left me at that time of night friendless and as they thought destitute of any kind of support i then remembered my dear father's last words and made what haste i could to this wood which is not above a mile distant from the castle and being as i thought about the middle of it i struck three times with my wand and immediately up rose this grove of trees which you see this house and all the other conveniences which i now enjoy and getting that very night into this my plain and easy bed i enjoyed a sweet repose as ever i did in my life only delayed indeed a short time by a few sighs for the loss of so good a parent and the unhappy state of a self tormented sister who slumbers i fear on a bed of down were more restless and interrupted that night than mine would have been even had not my father's present of the wand prevented me from the necessity of using the bed of grass which she in her wrath allotted me in this grove which i call placid grove is contained all that i want and it is so well secured from any invaders by the thick briars and thorns which surrounded having no entrance but through that tender jesamine that i live in no apprehensions of any disturbance though so near my sister's castle but once indeed she came with a large train and whilst i was asleep set fire to the trees all around me and waking i found myself almost suffocated with smoke and the flames had reached one part of my house i started from my bed and striking on the ground three times with my wand there came such a quantity of water from the heavens as soon extinguished the fire and the next morning by again having recourse to my wand all things grew up into their convenient and proper order when my sister brunetta found that i had such a supernatural power at my command though she knew not what it was she desisted from ever attempting anymore by force to disturb me and now only uses all sorts of arts and contrivances to deceive me or any persons whom i would wish to secure one of my father's daily lessons to me was that i should never omit any one day of my life endeavoring to be as serviceable as i possibly could to any person in distress and i daily wander as far as my feet will carry me in search of any such and hither i invite them to peace and calm contentment but my father added also this command that i should never endeavor doing any farther good to those whom adversity had not taught to harken to the voice of reason enough to enable them so to conquer their passions as not to think themselves miserable in a safe retreat from noise and confusion this was the reason i could not gratify you in relating the history of my life whilst you gave way to raging passions which only serve to blind your eyes and shut your ears from truth but now great queen for i know your state from what you vented in your grief i am ready to endow this little princess with any gift in my power that i know will tend really to her good and i hope your experience of the world has made you too reasonable to require any other the queen considered a little while and then desired sibela to endow the princess with that only wisdom which would enable her to see and follow what was her own true good to know the value of everything around her and to be sensible that following the paths of goodness and performing her duty was the only road to content and happiness sibela was overjoyed at the queen's request and immediately granted it only telling the princess heebie that it was absolutely necessary towards the attainment of this great blessing that she should entirely obey the queen her mother without ever pretending to examine her commands for true obedience said she consists in submission and when we pretend to choose what commands are proper and fit for us we don't obey but set up our own wisdom in opposition to our governors this my dear heebie you must be very careful of avoiding if you would be happy she then cautioned her against giving way to the persuasions of any of the young shepherdesses who would endeavor to allure her to disobedience by striving to raise in her mind a desire of thinking herself wise whilst they were tearing from her what was indeed true wisdom for said sibela my sister brunetta who lives in the castle she drove me from about a mile from this wood and those young shepherdesses with great beauty and everything that is in appearance amiable and likely to persuade in order to allure away and make wretched those persons i would preserve and all the wisdom with which i have endowed the princess heebie will not prevent her falling into my sister's snares if she gives the least way to temptation for my father's gift to brunetta in her infancy enables her as i told you to succeed in all her designs except they are resisted by the virtue of the person she is practicing against many poor wretches has my sister already decoyed away from me whom she now keeps in her castle where they live in splendor and seeming joy but in real misery from perpetual jars and tumults railed by envy malice and all the train of tumultuous and tormenting passions the princess heebie said she doubted not but she would be able to withstand any of brunetta's temptations her mother interrupting her cried out oh my dear child though you are endowed with wisdom enough to direct you in the way to virtue yet if you grow conceited and proud of that wisdom and fancy yourself above temptation it will lead you into the worst of all evils hear the fairy interposed and told the princess heebie that if she would always carefully observe and obey her mother who had learned wisdom in that best school adversity she would then indeed be able to withstand and overcome every temptation and would likewise be happy herself and able to dispense happiness to all around her nothing was omitted by the fairy to make this retirement agreeable to her royal guests and they had now passed near seven years in this delightful grove in perfect peace and tranquility when one evening as they were walking in the pleasant wood which surrounded their habitation they aspired under the shade and leaning against the bark of a large oak a poor old man whose limbs were withered and decayed and whose eyes were hollow and sunk with age and misery they stopped as soon as they saw him and heard him in the anguish of his heart with a loud groan utter these words when will my sorrows end where shall I find the good fairy sibella the fairy immediately begged to know his business with her and said if his sorrows would end on finding sibella he might set his heart at ease for she now stood before him and ready to serve him if his distresses were such as would admit of relief and he could prove himself worthy of her friendship the old man appeared greatly overjoyed at having found the fairy and began the following story I live from hence a thousand leagues all this tiresome way have I come in search of you my whole life has been spent in amassing wealth to enrich one only son whom I doted on to destruction it is now five years since I have given him up all the riches I had labored to get only to make him happy but alas how am I disappointed his wealth enables him to command whatever this world produces and yet the poorest rich that begs his bread cannot be more miserable he spends his days in riot and luxury has more slaves in attendance than wait in the palace of a prince and still he sighs from morning till night because he says there is nothing in this world worth living for all his dainties only say his palette and grow irksome to his sight he daily changes his opinion of what is pleasure and on the trial finds none that he can call such and then falls to sighing again for the emptiness of all that he has enjoyed so that instead of being my delight and the comfort of my old age sleepless nights and anxious days are all the rewards of my past labors for him but I have had many visions and dreams to admonish me that if I would venture with my old frame to travel hither a foot in search of the fair Risi Bella she had a glass which if she showed him he would be cured of this dreadful melancholy and I have borne the labor and fatigue of coming this long tiresome way that I may not breathe my last with the agonizing reflection that all the labors of my life have been thrown away but what shall I say to engage you to go with me can riches tempt or praise allure you no answer the fairy neither of them has power to move me but I compassionate to your age and if I thought I could succeed would not refuse you the glass which I shall bid him look in will show him his inward self but if he will not open both his eyes and heart enough to truth to let him understand that the pleasures he pursues not only are not but cannot be satisfactory I can be of no sort of service to him and no old man that the punishment you now feel is the natural result of your not having taught him this from infancy for instead of heaping up wealth to allure him to seek for happiness from such deceitful means you should have taught him that the only path to it was to be virtuous and good the old man said he heartily repented of his conduct and on his knees so fervently implored to Bella's assistance that at last she consented to go with him then striking on the ground three times with her wand the car and horses rose up and placing the old man by her after taking leave of the queen and begging the princess heebie to be careful to guard against all temptations to disobedience she set out on her journey it being now come to the latest hour that mrs. teacher thought proper for her little scholars to stay out in the air she told miss Jenny that she must differ reading the remaining part of the story till the next day miss Jenny always with great cheerfulness obeyed her governess and immediately left off reading and said she was ready to attend her and the whole company rose up to follow her mrs. teacher had so much judgment that perceiving such a ready obedience to all her commands she now endeavored by all means she could think of to make her scholars throw off that reserve before her which must ever make it uneasy to them for her ever to be present whilst they were following their innocent diversions for such was the understanding of this good woman that she could keep up the authority of the governess in her school yet at times become the companion of her scholars and as she now saw by their good behavior they deserved that indulgence she took the little dumpling by the hand and followed by the rest walked towards the house and this course familiarly with them the rest of the evening concerning all their past amusements end of section 11 section 12 of the governess or the little female academy by sarah fielding this liber box recording is in the public domain saturday the sixth day it was the custom on saturdays to have no school in the afternoon and it being also their writing day from morning school till dinner mrs. teacher knowing how eager miss jenny's hearers were for the rest of the story accompanied them into the arbor early in the afternoon when miss jenny went on as follows the fairy tale continued the queen and the princess hebe remained by the good fairies desire in her habitation during her absence they spent their time in serenity and content the princess daily improving herself in wisdom and goodness by hearkening to her mother's instructions and obeying all her commands and the queen in studying what would be of most use to her child she had now forgot her throne and palace and desired nothing for her than her present peaceful retreat one morning as they were sitting in a little arbor at the corner of a pleasant meadow on a sudden they heard a voice much sweeter than they had ever heard warble through the following song a song virtue soft balm of every woe of every grief the cure tis thou alone that canst best bestow pleasures unmixed and pure the shady wood the verdant mead are virtues flurry road nor painful are the steps which lead to her divine abode tis not in palaces of halls she or their train appear far off she flies from pompous walls virtue and peace dwell here the queen was all attention and at the end of the song she gazed around her in hopes of seeing the person whose enchanting voice she had been so eagerly listening to when she aspired a young shepherdess not much older than the princess hebe but possessed of such uncommon and dazzling beauty that it was sometime before she could disengage her eyes from so agreeable an object as soon as the young shepherdess found herself observed she seemed modestly to offer to withdraw but the queen begged her not to go till she had informed them who she was that with such a commanding aspect had so much engaged them in her favor the shepherdess coming forward with a bashful blush and profound obedience answered that her name was Rosella and she was the daughter of a neighboring shepherd and shepherdess who lived about a quarter of a mile from thence and to confess the truth she had wandered thither in hopes of seeing the young stranger whose fame for beauty and wisdom had filled all that country round the princess hebe well knowing of whom she spoke conceived from that moment such an inclination for her acquaintance that she begged her to stay and spend the whole day with them in placid grove here the queen frowned upon her for she had by the fairies desire charged her never to bring anyone without her permission into that peaceful grove the young rosella answered that nothing could be more agreeable to her inclinations but she must be at home by noon for so in the morning had her father commanded her and never yet in her life had she either disputed or dissipate her parents' commands here the young princess looked on her mother with eyes expressive of her joy at finding a companion which she and even the fairy herself could not disapprove when rosella took her leave she begged the favor that the little hebe for so she called her not knowing her to be a princess might come to her father's small cottage and there partake such homely fair as it afforded a welcome she said she could ensure her and though poor yet from the honesty of her parents who would be proud to entertain so rare a beauty she was certain no sort of harm could happen to the pretty hebe from such a friendly visit and she would be in the same place again tomorrow to meet her in hopes as she said to conduct her to her humble habitation when rosella was gone the queen though highly possessed in her favor both by her beauty and modest behavior yet pondered some time on the thought whether or no she was a fit companion for her daughter she remembered what sibella had told her concerning brunettes adorning young shepherdesses with beauty and other excellences only to enable them the better to allure and entice others into wickedness rosella's beginning her acquaintance too with the princess by flattery had no good aspect and the sudden effect it had upon her so as to make her forget or willfully disobey her commands by inviting rosella to placid grove were circumstances which greatly alarmed her but by the repeated entreaties of the princess she gave her consent that she should meet rosella the next day and walk with her in that meadow and in the wood but upon no account should she go home with her or bring rosella back with her the queen then in gentle terms chid the princess for her invitation to the young shepherdess which was contrary to an absolute command and said you must my dear hebe be very careful to guard yourself extremely well against those temptations which wear the face of virtue i know that your sudden affection to this apparent good girl and your desire of her company to partake with you the innocent pleasures of this happy place arise from a good disposition but where the indulgence of the most laudable passion even benevolence and compassion itself interferes with or runs counter to your duty you must endeavor to suppress it or it will fare with you as it did with that hen who thinking that she heard the voice of a little duckling in distress flew from her young ones to go and give it assistance and following the cry came at last to a hedge out of which jumped a subtle and wicked fox who had made that noise to deceive her and devoured her in an instant a kite at the same time taking advantage of her absence carried away one by one all her little innocent brood robbed of that parent who should have been their protector the princess promised her mother that she would punctually obey all her commands and be very watchful and observant of everything rosella said and did till she had approved herself worthy of her confidence and friendship the queen the next morning renewed her injunctions to her daughter that she should by no means go farther out of the wood then into the meadow where she was to meet rosella and that she should give her a faithful account of all that should pass between them they met according to appointment and the princess brought home so good an account of their conversation which the queen imagined would help to improve rather than seduce her child that she indulged her in the same pleasure as often as she asked it they passed some hours every day in walking rounds that delightful wood in which were many small green meadows with little rivulets running through them on the banks of which covered with primroses and violets rosella by the side of her sweet companion used to sing the most enchanting songs in the world the words were chiefly in praise of innocence and a country life the princess came home every day more and more charmed with her young shepherdess and recounted as near as she could remember every word that had passed between them the queen very highly approved of their manner of amusing themselves but again enjoined her to omit nothing that passed in conversation especially if it had the least tendency towards alluring her from her duty one day as the princess hebe and rosella were walking alone and talking as usual of their own happy state and the princess was declaring how much her own happiness was owing to her thorough obedience to her mother rosella with a tone of voice as half ingest said but don't you think my little hebe that if I take a very great pleasure in anything that will do me no hurt though it is forbidden I may disobey my parents in enjoying it provided I don't tell them of it to vex them with the thought that I have disobeyed them and then my dear what harm is done great harm answered the princess looking grave and half angry I am ashamed to hear you talk so rosella are you not guilty of treachery as well as disobedience neither ought you to determine that no harm is done because you do not feel the immediate effects of your transgression for the consequence may be out of our narrow inexperienced view and I have been taught whenever my mother lays any commands on me to take it for granted she has some reason for so doing and I obey her without examining what those reasons are otherwise it would not be obeying her but setting up my own wisdom and doing what she bid me only when I thought proper they held a long argument on this head in which rosella made use of many a fallacy to prove her point but the princess as she had not yet departed from truth nor failed in her duty could not be imposed upon rosella seeing every attempt to persuade her was in vain turned all her past discourse into a jest said she had only a mind to try her and was overjoyed to find her so steady in the cause of truth and virtue the princess resumed her usual cheerfulness and good humor rosella sung her a song in praise of constancy of mind and they passed the rest of the time they stayed together as they used to do but just before they parted rosella begged she would not tell her mother of the first part of the conversation that had passed between them the princess replied that it would be breaking through one of her mother's commands and therefore she dared not grant her request then said rosella here I must forever part with my dear little heebie your mother not knowing the manner in which I spoke will have an ill opinion of me and will never trust you again in my company thus will you be torn from me and loss will be irreparable these words she accompanied with a flood of tears and such little tendernesses as quite melted the princess into tears also but she still said that she could not dare to conceal from her mother anything that had happened though she could not but own she believed their separation would be the consequence well then cried rosella I will endeavor to be contented as our separation will give you less pain than what you call this mighty breach of your duty and though I would willingly undergo almost any torments that could be invented rather than be debarred one moment the company of my dearest heebie yet I will not expect that she should suffer the smallest degree of pain or uneasiness to save me from losing what is the whole pleasure of my life the princess could not bear the thought of appearing ungrateful to such a warm friendship as rosella expressed and without further hesitation promised to conceal what she had said and to undergo anything rather than lose so amiable a friend after this they parted but when the princess entered the grove she did not as usual run with haste and joy into the presence of her indulgent mother for her mind was disturbed she felt a conscious shame on seeing her and turned away her face as wanting to shun the piercing look of that eye which she imagined would see the secret lurking in her bosom her mother observed with concern her downcast look and want of cheerfulness and asking her what was the matter she answered her walk had fatigued her and she begged early to retire to rest her kind mother consented but little rest had the poor princess that whole night for the pain of having her mind touched with guilt and the fear she was under of losing her dear companion kept her thoughts in one continued tumult and confusion the fairies gift now became her curse for the power of seeing what was right as she had acted contrary to her knowledge only tormented her she hastened the next morning to meet rosella and told her all that had passed in her own mind the preceding night declaring that she would not pass such another for the whole world but yet would not dispense with her promise to her without her consent and therefore came to ask her leave to acquaint her good mother with all that had passed for said she my dear rosella we must if we would be happy do always what is right and trust for the consequences here rosella drew her features into the most contemptuous sneer imaginable and said pray what are all these mighty pains you have suffered are they not owing only to your want of sense enough to know that you can do your mother no harm by concealing from her this or anything else that will vex her and my dear girl continued she when you have once entered into this way of thinking and have put this blind duty out of your head you will spend no more such restless nights which you must see was entirely owing to your own imaginations this startled the princess to such a degree that she was breaking from her but putting on a more tender air rosella cried and can you then my dear heebie determined to give me up for such a trifling consideration then raising her voice again in a haughty manner she said i ought to despise and laugh at you for your folly or at best pity your ignorance rather than offer a sincere friendship to one so undeserving the princess having once swerved from her duty was now in the power of every passion that should attack her pride and indignation at the thought of being despised bore more sway with her than either her duty or affection to her fond mother and she was now determined she said to think for herself and make use of her own understanding which she was convinced would always teach her what was right upon this rosella took her by the hand and with tears of joy said now my dearest girl you are really wise and cannot therefore according to your own rule fail of being happy but to show that you are in earnest in this resolution you shall this morning go home with me to my father's cot it is not so far off but you will be back by the time your mother expects you and as that will be obeying the chief command it is best concealing from her the thing that would vex her and there will be no harm done here array of truth broken upon our young princess but as a false shame and fear of being laughed at had now got possession of her she with a soft sigh consented to the proposal rosella led the way but just as they were turning around the walk which leads out of the wood a large serpent darted from one side out of a thicket directly between them and turning its hissing mouth towards the princess as seeming to make after her she fled hastily back and ran with all her speed towards the grove and panting for breath flew into the arms of her ever kind protectress her mother was vastly terrified to see her tremble and look so pale and as soon as she was a little recovered asked her the occasion of her fright and added with tears running down her cheeks i am afraid my dear heebie some sad disaster has befallen you for indeed my child i but too plainly saw last night here the princess was so struck with true shame and confusion for her past behavior that she fell down upon her knees confessed the whole truth and implored forgiveness for her fault the queen kindly raised her up kissed and forgave her i am overjoyed my dear child said she at this your sweet repentance though the effect of mere accident as it appears but sent without doubt by some good fairy to save you from destruction and i hope you are thoroughly convinced that the serpent which drove you home was not half so dangerous as the false rosella the princess answered that she was thoroughly sensible of the dangers she had avoided and hope she never should again by her own folly and wickedness deserve to be exposed to the danger from which she had so lately escaped some days passed without the princess is offering to stir out of the grove and in that time she gave a willing and patient ear to all her mother's instructions and seemed thoroughly sensible of the greater deliverance she had lately experienced but yet there appeared in her countenance an uneasiness which the queen wishing to remove asked her the cause of it is dear madam answered the princess because i have not yet had it in my power to convince you of my repentance which though i know it to be sincere you have had no proof of but in words only and indeed my heart longs for an occasion to show you that i am now able to resist any allurement which would tempt me from my duty and i cannot be easy till you have given me an opportunity of showing you the firmness of my resolution and if you will give me leave to take a walk in the wood alone this evening i shall return to you with pleasure and will promise not to exceed any bounds that you shall prescribe the queen was not much pleased with this request but the princess was so earnest with her to grant it that she could not well refuse without seeming to suspect her sincerity which she did not but only feared for her safety and giving her a strict charge not to stir a step out of the wood or to speak to the false rosella if she came in her way she reluctantly gave her consent the princess walked through all the flowery labyrinths in which she had so often strayed with rosella but she was so shocked with the thoughts of her wickedness that she hardly gave a sigh for the loss of a companion once so dear to her and as a proof that her repentance was sincere though she heard rosella singing in an arbor purposely perhaps to decoy her she turned away without the least emotion and went quite to the other side of the wood where looking into the meadow in which she first beheld that false friend she saw a girl about her own age leaning against the tree and crying most bitterly but the moment she came in sight the young shepherd this for such by her dress she appeared to be cried out oh help dear young lady help me for i am tied here to this tree by the spiteful contrivance of a wicked young shepherd this called rosella my hands too you see are bound behind me so that i cannot myself unloose the knot and if i am not released here must i lie all night and my wretched parents will break their hearts for fear some sad accident should have befallen their only child their poor unhappy flurry mel the princess hearing her speak of rosella in that manner had no suspicion of her being one of that false girl's deluding companions but rather thought that she was a fellow sufferer with herself and therefore without any consideration of the bounds prescribed she hastened to relieve her and even thought that she should have great pleasure in telling her mother that she had saved the poor young shepherdess from rosella's malice and restored her to her fond parents but as soon as she had unloosed the girl from the tree and unbound her hands instead of receiving thanks for what she had done the wicked flurry mel burst into a laugh and suddenly snatching from the princess heebie's side her father's picture which she always wore hanging in a ribbon she ran away with it as fast as she could over the meadow the princess was so astonished at this strange piece of ingratitude and treachery and was so alarmed for fear of losing what she knew her mother so highly valued that hardly knowing what she was about she pursued flurry mel with all her speed begging and entreating her not to bereave her so basely and ungrateful of that picture which she would not part with for all the world but it was all to no purpose for flurry mel continued her flight and the princess her pursuit till they arrived at brunetta's castle gate where the fairy herself appeared dressed and adorned in the most becoming manner and with the most bewitching smile that can come from dazzling beauty invited the princess to enter her castle into which flurry mel was run to hide herself and promised her on that condition to make the idle girl restore the picture it was now so late that it was impossible for the princess to think of returning home that night and the pleasing address of brunetta together with the hopes of having her picture restored soon prevailed with her to accept of the fairies invitation the castle glittered with gaudy furniture sweet music was heard in every room the whole company who were all of the most beautiful forms that could be conceived strobe who should be most obliging to this their new guest they omitted nothing that could amuse and delight the senses and the princess hebe was so entranced with joy and rapture that she had not time for thought or for the least serious reflection and she now began to think that she had attained the highest happiness upon earth after they had kept her three days in this round of pleasure and delight they began to pull off the mask nothing was heard but quarrels jars and galling speeches instead of sweet music the apartments were filled with screams and howling for everyone giving way to the most outrageous passions they were always doing each other some malicious turn and only universal horror and confusion reigned the princess was hated by all and was often asked with insulting sneers why she did not return to her peaceful grove and condescending mother but her mind having been thus turned aside from what was right could not bear the thoughts of returning and though by her daily tears she showed her repentance shame prevented her return but this again was not the right sort of shame for then she would humbly have taken the punishment drew to her crime and it was rather a stubborn pride which as she knew herself so highly to blame would not give her leave to suffer the confusion of again confessing her fault until she could bring herself to such a state of mind there was no remedy for her misery just as miss jenny had read these words missus teach him remembering some orders necessary to give in her family left them but bid them to go on saying she would return again in a quarter of an hour but she was no sooner gone from them than our little company hearing the sound of trumpets and kettle drums which seemed to be playing at some little distance from missus teach him's house suddenly started from their seats running directly to the terrace and looking over the garden wall they saw a troop of soldiers riding by with these instruments of music playing before them they were highly delighted with the gallant and splendid appearance of these soldiers and watched them till they were out of sight and were then returning to their arbor where miss jenny had been reading but miss nanny spruce espied another such troop coming out of the lane from whence the first had issued and cried out oh here is another fine sight let us stay and see these go by too indeed said miss dolly friendly i am in such pain for the poor princess heebie while she is in that sad castle that i had rather hear how she escaped for that i hope she will then see all the soldiers in the world and besides it is but seeing the same thing we have just looked at before here some were for staying and others for going back but as miss dolly's party was the strongest the few were ashamed to avow their inclinations and they were returning to their arbor when they met missus teach him who informed them their dancing master was just arrived and they must attend him but in the evening they must finish their story they were so curious and especially miss dolly friendly to know what was to become of the princess that they could have wished not to have been interrupted but yet without one word of answer they complied with what their governess thought most proper and in the evening hastening to their arbor missus teach him herself being present miss jenny went on in the following manner end of section 12