Annette Lyster

“ Eyre found time for the talk with Hetty which she had promised her. But one morning, Flo being asleep, and the others out, Mrs. Eyre said: "Hetty, you know you and I were to have a serious talk; for I did not say what I wished to say to you that evening."
"I remember, ma'am. You were saying that trying hard won't do, by itself. Ma'am, if you'll believe me, Matty told me that when I was coming here, that first time, and I never minded. I didn't really understand. But I do now. I see plain enough that it is not in my own strength that I can cure my heedlessness. ”

“ For awhile these remarks made Hetty very unhappy. Was it true that everybody cared only for number one, and that to love those about you was folly? But reflection brought happier feelings.
"The Bible," said Hetty to herself; "tells us to love one another, and it can't mean only one's own folk, because that comes by nature. And it says to serve faithfully, not for wages only; at least, I think it does. Matty could tell me—she knows where all the nice verses are; and she tries to love every one, I know. I think Mrs. Goodenough has no feelings." ”

“ Presently steps were heard; then a voice saying cheerfully, "There, Lina; well done—you have run like a lamplighter. Are you very wet, Celia? Here we are safe at home, and nobody a bit the worse. Hilloa! What's this? Who are you, girl? What are you doing here? Why, Celia, it is Hetty!"
"Hetty!" exclaimed Mrs. Eyre, hurrying forward. "Oh, Hetty! how did this happen? Some one knocked, I suppose, and the door shut of itself; that happened to me once. Oh, my poor little Flo! You should have been more careful, Hetty. John, dear, open the door; you have the latchkey." ”

“ But I daresay you are right; it's what Matty has always said. All the same, Mrs. Goodenough's work, with carrying Miss Flo added to it, is a good deal, Hetty, for a girl of your age to undertake."
"Well, I'd like it. I like work, and I'm as strong as a pony. And—I just thought, mother, that it might be right. I do love my mistress and Miss Flo. But of course it's for you to choose."
"As to going as kitchen maid at Lady Drysdale's, I wouldn't have it at all, Hetty. It's very different from being in the nursery, like Annie. There's a swarm of men-servants, and you're young and giddy. ”

“ John, dear, I must have a girl; and, to be frank with you, I would rather have Hetty than a stranger. She is so gentle and patient, and so perfectly truthful. She is a really good girl, and it is not so easy to find a really good girl. Besides, Flo is too ill to be reasonable, and she will not like any stranger, because she is longing for Hetty. ”

“ Hetty stared—this line of reasoning was new to her.
"Christians ought to love one another," said she, presently.
"Bother!" was the reply. "You can't love every one, and you know you can't. It's just humbug!"
"Miss Flo loves me. And the mistress said she was sorry to lose me."
"So she well may. You've slaved for her and that child, and now you see what you get by it. Out you go the moment it's convenient. Why, by that counting, I love you; for I'm sorry you're to go—you've saved me a lot of trouble, and I will say you're an obliging girl. ”

“ Hetty, has she eaten anything since we went out?"
"No, ma'am."
"Take me to bed!" cried Flo desperately. "I will go to bed. Mamma, give Lina and Edgar the biscuits; do, mamma, please."
Hetty put her to bed; she was very silent, until she was tucked snugly into her little white nest, when she said, "Good-night, Hetty. I am a very unhappy person. After what has happened, no one will love me."
Hetty laughed, and kissed her. "That's a funny notion, Miss Flo. Why, here's Zelica. After being asleep the whole evening, she is wide awake now; I had better take her back to the parlour." ”

“ Hetty heard poor little Flo giving way to a most unusual fit of whining.
"Why can you not give me cherries, mamma? Only one pennyworth!"
And Hetty heard no more, for she closed the hall door and ran on down the terrace.
"Poor Mrs. Eyre!" thought she, "not to be able to spare one penny, when the dear little soul wants them so badly. Oh I declare I might get some for her myself; that sixpence of Ned's is in my pocket."
She ran after the woman and bought two bunches, each containing six or seven cherries. These she popped into her pocket, as she had not time to run back with them. ”

“ Poor Hetty! That wooden hut haunted her dreams for many a night, for it was here that she got a lesson which went far towards curing her of her thoughtlessness.
The days passed very happily. Mrs. Eyre and the three children bathed and rambled about. Even Baby Johnnie could walk now; they got sunburned and freckled, and loaves of bread disappeared before them as if by magic. ”

“ Hardy. "Now, how often would you clap the child on the ground and run off, if you heard the squeak of Blind Davie's fiddle?"
"Mother, sure you know, when the children were little, 'twas always me that kept them best. I love little children, and I would never hurt one—and you know that, mother."
"Well, I don't think you would, to say true," answered the mother. "Try her for a month, Mrs. Eyre, without wages. Washing is a scattery trade, no doubt—takes a power of method. And Hetty has no method."
"Oh, do, Mrs. Eyre—please do! If—if—I didn't see—or hear—Oh, ma'am, do try me! ”

“ Oh, do let me stay, ma'am!"
"It would be too much work for you, Hetty."
"Not it, ma'am. Not half as tiring as a day over mother's tubs! I'm very strong—if you can overlook my heedless ways; and, oh! but I would do my best."
"But, Mrs. Goodenough," began Mrs. Eyre, "she is old, and would not easily get a place to suit her, and she has been with me a long time, and—"
"Look here, Celia. I'll settle this in two sentences. Whether Goodenough meant what she said or not, it is all the same. She has never been an obliging servant; and it is for you, and not for her, that I am going to care. ”

“ You'd easy get the place. Eight pounds a year, I believe. Me cry if I was the one to go-o-o-o!" and she mimicked poor Hetty in a very heartless way; "not me, indeed. I guessed that they'd be for saving and scraping; for everyone says Cartwrights are very hard—not a penny given if their folks are ill, and no advances, not if they was starving. Every one for himself in this world. You ask Mrs. Eyre for a bit of a character, and go and get this good place, where you'll learn to be a first-rate cook, and be getting your thirty or forty pounds a year by-and-by."
"But Miss Flo. I do love Miss Flo." ”

“ I'll go away if you like, but take care of Zelica—Miss Flo's pet."
"The girl isn't herself," said Mrs. Hardy. "Help me to get her to bed, Matty; maybe she'll come to when she has slept."
They made her a cup of tea, and then got her to bed. She fell asleep at once; and in the morning her mind was somewhat clearer. But she was not a bit like Hetty. She told her story, but she never once cried over it. If she had wept and bemoaned herself as usual, her mother would have had plenty to say to her, but this trembling, silent girl frightened the good woman out of her wits. ”

“ Oh, Hetty, take away the tray and the bricks. I think I hate them; it can't be wrong to hate dead bricks—only live things you know. What makes you cry, Hetty?"
"Because I am so sorry for you, Miss Flo, and I'd do anything to make you happy. Oh, Miss Flora, I have the loveliest thought! Mrs. Fenton, that lives not far from here, and is a friend of mother's, she has a beautiful Persian cat that her mistress—I mean the lady in London that was her mistress before she married—sent her for a Christmas box. ”

“ Eyre's illness, and his absence from the shop, makes such a difference to us that I find I must do without you, for the present; and of course I could not ask you to stay at home waiting until I could have you again."
"Oh, ma'am! Me to go home? Oh, I thought you'd forgiven me, ma'am, and—"
"It is not that at all. I do not expect a girl of your age to be a first-rate servant all at once, and you have been very useful and a great help to me. It is just what I say: I must lessen my weekly expenses, and this is one of the very few ways in which I can do so. And I am very sorry to lose you, Hetty." ”

“ Older, I think, than Matty was when Annie came to me."
"No doubt, ma'am. But Matty was Matty, and Hetty is Hetty. There's a sight of difference in girls!"
"Mother," said Matty, "I know you could not spare me, and I shouldn't like to leave you. But if Mrs. Eyre would try Hetty. She is very strong, and very willing. Fond of children too, and used to them—very good-tempered Hetty is. Don't give Mrs. Eyre a bad opinion of poor Hetty, mother, for it's my belief she would do well."
Mrs. Hardy left off working and sat down, in a curiously divided frame of mind. ”

“ But the week was not quite over.
"Celia," said Mr. Eyre, "this is Saturday, you know, and I shall be home by four o'clock. Now that you have that good-natured girl to see after Flo, don't you think you and the others might come out for a walk? It seems ages since we had a walk together, and these long evenings are delightful."
Mrs. Eyre, poor thing, felt nervous at leaving Flo even for a short time, knowing as she did that Hetty was rather giddy. Still, it was very hard upon her John to have to take his weekly walk alone, when all he cared for was to have his wife and children with him. ”

“ Eyre thinks of it, just for a time. But the thing is, what will Mrs. Goodenough say?"
"She told me herself that if she was asked to move the sofa or hold the baby, she'd leave."
"For all that, she'd be very angry if you put her out. Nor you wouldn't like it done to yourself, Hetty."
"No, that's very true. What can I do? I think I might tell Mrs. Eyre something of what Mrs. Goodenough said to me, and get her to ask Mrs. Goodenough now if she will be willing to give a little help—for you know, mother, she really must, if she's to stay. The mistress is real clever, but she's not very strong." ”

“ Flo was too well taught to question papa's doings; but that very evening she began begging him to bring Hetty back.
"I want her so much. I do love Hetty. Just tell her that 'Miss Flo' wants her, and I know she will come at once. She loves me so."
"My dear, I sent her away because it was through her carelessness that this accident happened to you. When mamma has time, she will look about for a nice, kind girl to carry you; and now we'll say no more about Hetty." ”

“ He flung away everything that he was carrying, and flew down the path. Yes—his fears were only too well justified! it was Flo lying on her face, and between her and the edge of the cliff sat a large black retriever, who looked up in the newcomer's face and whined. Then he put his nose to the child's head, and cried again.
John Eyre lifted his little one; her face was cut and scratched, and so were her poor little hands. But, oh! that was nothing to what he feared for her! How had she come there? ”

“ Eyre came out of town on the tram-car, and Mrs. Eyre had tea ready in five minutes after he arrived. She had made a little meat pie, and had prepared a green salad that Mr. Eyre said would have made a man eat even if he were not hungry: which, he added, was not his case. Hetty had her tea all by herself in the kitchen, and was young enough to feel quite grand at having her own little teapot. Indeed, she could not feel lonely while she had that sixpence in her pocket. ”

“ She loved her mistress and Miss Flora very sincerely, and was capable of doing much to please either them or her master; but though it is well to love our fellow creatures, and all love is the gift of God, yet only the love of God, filling our hearts with an ardent desire to please Him, can so fill these hearts of ours as to drive out carelessness, thoughtlessness, or any other sin. Still, Hetty was one of God's dear children, thoughtless as she still was ”

“ They must do the best they can."
"The best they could do, Mrs. Eyre, meaning no offence, would be to stay at home. Folks are only human after all, if they are washerwomen; and they have their feelings."
"Miss Posnett was very kind that time I had a bad whitlow," put in Martha.
"Who's named Miss Posnett?" inquired her mother. "Mind your manners, Matty, and name no names."
"All this time, Mrs. Hardy, I have not told you my errand here to-day. You know the doctors say that my little Flora must not be allowed to walk, or even to stand. She has never been strong since her bad fall. ”

“ Lie still; I want you to go to sleep."
"But—the big black dog."
"There is no dog here. Close your eyes, Flo; try to sleep."
Flo obeyed, and slept uneasily for about half an hour. During this sleep, Mrs. Eyre whispered to the nurse, "Mrs. Dooner, I must just run down and see what has become of the other children."
Mrs. Dooner did not know that they had gone away, and the doctor did not hear what was said. Mrs. Eyre left the room.
Poor Hetty, half stupefied with grief and terror, heard her step, and knew it. The child had ceased to cry. What had happened? She could not face her kind mistress. ”

“ You will have plenty to do, but you look strong and healthy, so you will not find it too much. But you must try to remember what I tell you to do."
"I will try, indeed, ma'am. I am real tired of always being wrong."
"Then good-bye until Monday. And don't cry any more, Hetty; crying never did any good yet. If you will remember that you are one of Christ's servants as well as mine, and that to please Him should be your first thought, I am sure you will get over your heedless ways. Good-bye, Mrs. Hardy. ”

“ But when Miss Posnett sent those articles back on Monday, it was well for Hetty that she was out of the way.
"Hetty," began Mrs. Hardy, "you are in luck for once, and I hope you're aware of it. Mrs. Eyre ain't rich, but a lady down to her very shoes, and she'll be kind to you. If you lose this chance, I think you'd better emigrate to some savage place where folk won't mind your wild ways; only mind they're no cannibals, for you're plump and young, and if they found you of no use, they might think it better to eat you." ”

“ Eyre's, and if I could see you safe there, I'd be glad."
Hetty came back, looking a little ashamed of herself. She did not refer to her message to Dan, and in a few moments they reached No. 1, Adelaide Terrace.
"Set the box down on the step. Give me a kiss, Hetty. Dear heart! Do try to do well here. Mind, if you don't, even I must allow that it is your own fault, and you'll never be worth anything if you don't take hold now and mind what you're about. You've got all your senses like other girls, and it is high time you began to use them."
"I do try, Matty. I never mean to do wrong. ”

“ Oh, never you mind, Matty; I'm sure I am not doing wrong in trying to comfort poor Hetty when she's in such trouble. I owe her a good turn, for she made me downright ashamed of myself once."
It was late in the evening when he came to the Hardy's.
"Is that you, Fred Smith?" Mrs. Hardy said. "Dan's out."
"I've brought Hetty good news, ma'am. The little girl is much better, they think. ”