Barbadoes Girl: A Tale for Young People Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  At the end of the week, Zebby came home, according to appointment; andhaving paid her respects to her excellent lady, she ran up stairs, andentered the apartment where the two young ladies were getting the tasksassigned them by Mrs. Harewood. When Matilda first beheld her she had agreat inclination to embrace her, for her heart bounded towards the onlycreature she had been acquainted with from her cradle; but she suddenlychecked herself, and pretended to continue her reading; but Ellen spoke toher kindly, though she told her that she was so situated, as not to be ableto chat at present.

  Zebby comprehended this, and would have withdrawn; but not to have a singleword from her, whom in her heart, she still considered as her youngmistress, the faithful creature could not endure; after waiting someminutes in vain, she dropped a second humble courtesy, and said--"How youdo, Missy? me very glad see you larn booky, but me hopes you spare onelook, one wordy, for poor Zebby; me go away one long weeky, to nurse whiteman baby, pretty as you, Missy."

  "Yes," said Matilda, reproachingly, "you went away and left me verywillingly, though it was to wait on a person you never saw before."

  "Ah, Missy! you no lovee me, and poor white woman lovee me much. You makeebeer spit in my face--she givee me tea-gruel out of her own cup. You calleeme black beetle--she callee me good girly, good nursy, good every ting."

  Matilda gave a deep sigh; she well remembered that it was on the very dayof her outrage that Zebby had quitted her, and in her altered sense ofjustice, she could not help seeing the truth of the poor negro's statement;she looked up, with an ingenuous sense of error depicted on hercountenance, and said--"I am sorry, Zebby, that I used you so ill, but Iwill never do it again."

  The poor African was absolutely astonished, for never had the voice ofconcession been heard from the lips of Matilda before, even to her ownparents; and the idea of her humility and kindness in this acknowledgmentso deeply affected the faithful creature, that, after gazing at her inadmiration for a moment, she burst into tears, and then clasping her hands,she exclaimed, in a broken manner--"Oh, tankee God! tankee God! prettyMissy be good girly at last! her lovee her good mamma--her pity poornegro--her go up stair when her die. Oh, me be so glad! great God lovee mydear Missy now!"

  Matilda felt the tears suffuse her own eyes, as the kind heart of her latefaithful slave thus gave vent to its natural and devout emotions; and shegave her hand to Zebby, who kissed it twenty times. Ellen was so delightedwith this proof of good disposition in Matilda, and with the honesteffusions of the poor negro, that she could not forbear gratifying her ownaffectionate little heart, by running to tell her dear mamma, who trulyrejoiced in every proof of Matilda's amendment, and doubted not but itwould prove the forerunner of virtue, in a child who appeared convinced ofher faults, and desirous of improving herself.

  It was now near Christmas, and Mrs. Harewood was inquiring for aboarding-school where she could place Miss Hanson. She would havepreferred to keep her at home, and have a governess, who might attend tothe instructions necessary both for her and Ellen; but the bad temper andinsolent airs of Matilda had prevented this, as Mrs. Harewood could notbear the idea of subjecting an amiable young person, whom she designed forthat situation, to be tormented with such a girl. She knew that, inschools, two faults seldom fail to be cured: these are impertinence, orinsolence, and affectation--one rendering a person disagreeable, the otherridiculous; and every member in the community of which a school consists,is ready to assist the ruler in punishing the one, and laughing at theother.

  One morning, when Matilda got out of bed, she went to look whether themorning was fine, and the moment she got to the window, eagerly cried out,in great surprise--"Ellen, Ellen! get up this moment, and come to thewindow; the whole world is covered with white! and see, there are thousandsand thousands of little white feathers coming from the skies, as if theangels were emptying feather-beds upon the earth."

  "It snows," said Ellen, calmly; "I recollect my papa told us you had neverseen it snow."

  "What is snow?"

  "We will ask Edmund; he can tell you much better than I can."

  The surprising appearance thus witnessed, induced Matilda to hasten downstairs, where Edmund was writing his Latin exercise.--"Do pray tell me,"she cried, "what snow is, and why I never saw it before?"

  "Snow," said Edmund, "is nothing but drops of rain, which, in passingthrough the cold air, become congealed or frozen. If you take this prettylight substance into your warm hand, it will melt and become a rain-dropagain."

  As Edmund spoke, he opened the window a very little way, caught some snow,and showed her the effect he spoke of.

  "But why did I never see this in Barbadoes?"

  "Because Barbadoes lies nearer to the sun than England, and is much warmer,even in winter; therefore the rain-drops never pass through that region ofcold air which freezes them in northern climates. If you were to go farthernorth, you would find still more snow and ice, the same I saw you lookingat yesterday. I will lend you a little book, where you will see adescription of a palace of ice, and of whole mountains of snow, calledGlaciers; and, if you please, I will show you that part of the globe, orearth, in which those effects begin to take place. But, my dear Ellen, praylend Matilda your tippet, for she looks as much frozen as the snow; shemust take great care of herself in this cold climate."

  Ellen threw the pinafore she was going to put on over the neck of theshuddering Matilda, and then ran nimbly before them towards the globe, onwhich Edmund was going to lecture, neither of them looking in Matilda'sface; but Charles, who just then happened to enter, perceived that silenttears were coursing each other down her cheek. His compassion was moved; heapprehended that the cold, which he felt himself to be severe, had made herill, and he inquired what was the matter with her, in a tone of realcommiseration.

  "I am so--so very ignorant," said Matilda, sobbing.

  "Oh, that's it!" cried Charles, gaily; "then you and I may shake hands, forI am ignorant too."

  "Oh no, European children know every thing, but I am little better than anegro; I find what your mamma said was very true--I know nothing at all."

  "Dear Matilda, how can you say so?" said Edmund; "though you have not readas much as we have, yet you have seen a great deal more than any of us,and you are the youngest of the company, you know. Consider, you havecrossed the Atlantic Ocean, seen groves of orange-trees and spices grow,and the whole process of sugar-making. You know the inside of a ship aswell as a house, and we never saw any thing better than a sloop, or sailedany where but on the Thames."

  "Besides," said Charles, "you have seen monkeys and parrots, and many othercreatures, in their own country, and many curious fish on your voyage. Oh,you understand natural history much better than we do."

  "And if you understand nothing at all," added Ellen, kindly pressing herhand, "mamma says it is only _wilful_ ignorance that is blameable."

  Matilda wept still more while the children thus tried to comfort her. Thisdistressed them all; but they rejoiced to see their parents enter the room,persuaded that they would be able to comfort her better, and Elleninstantly besought their attention to the subject by relating as much ofthe foregoing conversation as was necessary.

  "No, no, it is not exactly _that_ I am crying for," said Matilda,interrupting her; "it is because I have been so very naughty, and you areall so--so--so----"

  "So what, my dear?" said Mr. Harewood, drawing her towards him, and placingher by his side, in the same manner he was accustomed to let Ellen stand,when she was much in his favour.

  The action, however kindly meant, for a time redoubled her tears; and thechildren, understanding their mamma's look, withdrew to the room where theyusually breakfasted, without the least symptom of discontent, although theyperceived their mamma fill a cup of tea for Matilda at her own table.

  When they were gone, and the little girl had somewhat recovered, Mr.Harewood whispered her--"Did you mean to say, my dear, that my childrenwere so clever, or so proud, or so what?"
/>   "Oh, sir, they are so _good_! that was what I wanted to say; for there wasEdmund who always looked so grave, and was poring over his books, he talkedto me quite kindly, and never made the least game of me, for all I mustlook like a fool in his eyes, who has seen the snow all his life. And thenCharles, who is so full of fun and nonsense, and who I always thought couldnot abide me, he spoke to me as if he was sorry for me, and made it outthat we were both ignorant alike; and when I remembered how I had looked atthem, and behaved to them, I felt as if my heart would break. Ellen isalways so good, that I did not think so much of her kindness, but nobodyknows----"

  Again the repentant girl wept, and at length with difficultyproceeded--"Nobody knows how dearly I love her, and _you_ too."

  She received the kindest assurances from both Mr. and Mrs. Harewood oftheir affection, and that they fully believed she would conquer her badtemper, now she saw how much it was not only her duty, but happiness to doso; and Mr. Harewood assured her that he had no doubt, but in the course ofa few years, he should see her as sensible, good, and well-informed, as hisown children.

  "And then I shall not be an object of pity, sir?"

  "No, you will be one of affection and esteem."

  "Oh, I doubt that must never, _never_ be!"

  "Never despair; though you have many battles with yourself, yet neverrelinquish the hope of final conquest, and be assured you will find everyvictory easier than the last. When you find pride rising in your heart,think on your ignorance, and it will make you humble; and when you areinclined to be angry with those around you, remember what you have this dayconfessed respecting their kindness, and it will make you bear with thepresent vexation; and if at any time you are discomfited in any pursuit,either of virtue or knowledge, recollect what I now say, that, with manyfaults, yet you have some merit, and may therefore reasonably hope toattain more."

  "Have I indeed?" said the now-humbled girl.

  "Yes, you have an inquiring mind, which is one great step towards theattainment of knowledge, and you are sincere and open-hearted, whichenables your friends to see what is the real bent of your disposition, andto give you the advice really necessary; and I hope, with this groundworkof good, you will be a very different girl when your mother again seesyou."

  Mr. Harewood left Matilda quieted, but deeply impressed by what he hadsaid.