the governess-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





The　Governess　＇The　Little　Female　Academy＇

by　Sarah　Fielding



There　lived　in　the　northern　parts　of　England；　a　gentlewoman　who　undertook　the　education　of　young　ladies；　and　this　trust　she　endeavoured　faithfully　to　discharge；　by　instructing　those　committed　to　her　care　in　reading；　writing；　working；　and　in　all　proper　forms　of　behaviour。　　And　though　her　principal　aim　was　to　improve　their　minds　in　all　useful　knowledge；　to　render　them　obedient　to　their　superiors；　and　gentle；　kind；　and　affectionate　to　each　other；　yet　did　she　not　omit　teaching　them　an　exact　neatness　in　their　persons　and　dress；　and　a　perfect　gentility　in　their　whole　carriage。

This　gentlewoman；　whose　name　was　Teachum；　was　the　widow　of　a　clergyman；　with　whom　she　had　lived　nine　years　in　all　the　harmony　and　concord　which　forms　the　only　satisfactory　happiness　in　the　married　state。　　Two　little　girls　（the　youngest　of　which　was　born　before　the　second　year　of　their　marriage　was　expired）　took　up　a　great　part　of　their　thoughts；　and　it　was　their　mutual　design　to　spare　no　pains　or　trouble　in　their　education。

Mr。　Teachum　was　a　very　sensible　man；　and　took　great　delight　in　improving　his　wife；　as　she　also　placed　her　chief　pleasure　in　receiving　his　instructions。　　One　of　his　constant　subjects　of　discourse　to　her　was　concerning　the　education　of　children：　　so　that；　when　in　his　last　illness　his　physicians　pronounced　him　beyond　the　power　of　their　art　to　relieve　him；　he　expressed　great　satisfaction　in　the　thought　of　leaving　his　children　to　the　care　of　so　prudent　a　mother。

Mrs。　Teachum；　though　exceedingly　afflicted　by　such　a　loss；　yet　thought　it　her　duty　to　call　forth　all　her　resolutions　to　conquer　her　grief；　in　order　to　apply　herself　to　the　care　of　these　her　dear　husband's　children。　　But　her　misfortunes　were　not　here　to　end：　　for　within　a　twelvemonth　after　the　death　of　her　husband；　she　was　deprived　of　both　her　children　by　a　violent　fever　that　then　raged　in　the　country；　and；　about　the　same　time；　by　the　unforeseen　breaking　of　a　banker；　in　whose　hands　almost　all　her　fortune　was　just　then　placed；　she　was　bereft　of　the　means　of　her　future　support。

The　Christian　fortitude　with　which　（through　her　husband's　instructions）　she　had　armed　her　mind；　had　not　left　it　in　the　power　of　any　outward　accident　to　bereave　her　of　her　understanding；　or　to　make　her　incapable　of　doing　what　was　proper　on　all　occasions。　　Therefore；　by　the　advice　of　all　her　friends；　she　undertook　what　she　was　so　well　qualified　for；　namely；　the　education　of　children。　　But　as　she　was　moderate　in　her　desires；　and　did　not　seek　to　raise　a　great　fortune；　she　was　resolved　to　take　no　more　scholars　than　she　could　have　an　eye　to　herself　without　the　help　of　other　teachers；　and　instead　of　making　interest　to　fill　her　school；　it　was　looked　upon　as　a　great　favour　when　she　would　take　any　girl。　　And　as　her　number　was　fixed　to　nine；　which　she　on　no　account　would　be　prevailed　on　to　increase；　great　application　was　made；　when　any　scholar　went　away；　to　have　her　place　supplied；　and　happy　were　they　who　could　get　a　promise　for　the　next　vacancy。

Mrs。　Teachum　was　about　forty　years　old；　tall　and　genteel　in　her　person；　though　somewhat　inclined　to　fat。　　She　had　a　lively　and　commanding　eye；　insomuch　that　she　naturally　created　an　awe　in　all　her　little　scholars；　except　when　she　condescended　to　smile；　and　talk　familiarly　to　them；　and　then　she　had　something　perfectly　kind　and　tender　in　her　manner。　　Her　temper　was　so　extremely　calm　and　good；　that　though　she　never　omitted　reprehending；　and　that　pretty　severely；　any　girl　that　was　guilty　of　the　smallest　fault　proceeding　from　an　evil　disposition；　yet　for　no　cause　whatsoever　was　she　provoked　to　be　in　a　passion；　but　she　kept　up　such　a　dignity　and　authority；　by　her　steady　behavior；　that　the　girls　greatly　feared　to　incur　her　displeasure　by　disobeying　her　commands；　and　were　equally　pleased　with　her　approbation；　when　they　had　done　anything　worthy　her　commendation。

At　the　time　of　the　ensuing　history；　the　school　（being　full）　consisted　of　the　nine　following　young　ladies：

Miss　JENNY　PEACE。　Miss　NANNY　SPRUCE。　Miss　SUKEY　JENNETT。　Miss　BETTY　FORD。　Miss　DOLLY　FRIENDLY。　Miss　HENNY　FRET。　Miss　LUCY　SLY。　Miss　POLLY　SUCKLING。　Miss　PATTY　LOCKIT。

The　eldest　of　these　was　but　fourteen　years　old；　and　none　of　the　rest　had　yet　attained　their　twelfth　year。



AN　ACCOUNT　OF　A　FRAY；　BEGUN　AND　CARRIED　ON　FOR　THE　SAKE　OF　AN　APPLE：　IN　WHICH　ARE　SHOWN　THE　SAD　EFFECTS　OF　RAGE　AND　ANGER。

It　was　on　a　fine　summer's　evening　when　the　school…hours　were　at　an　end；　and　the　young　ladies　were　admitted　to　divert　themselves　for　some　time；　as　they　thought　proper；　in　a　pleasant　garden　adjoining　to　the　house；　that　their　governess；　who　delighted　in　pleasing　them；　brought　out　a　little　basket　of　apples；　which　were　intended　to　be　divided　equally　amongst　them；　but　Mrs。　Teachum　being　hastily　called　away　（one　of　her　poor　neighhours　having　had　an　accident　which　wanted　her　assistance）；　she　left　the　fruit　in　the　hands　of　Miss　Jenny　Peace；　the　eldest　of　her　scholars；　with　a　strict　charge　to　see　that　every　one　had　an　equal　share　of　her　gift。

But　here　a　perverse　accident　turned　good　Mrs。　Teachum's　design　of　giving　them　pleasure　into　their　sorrow；　and　raised　in　their　little　hearts　nothing　but　strife　and　anger：　　for；　alas！　there　happened　to　be　one　apple　something　larger　than　the　rest；　on　which　the　whole　company　immediately　placed　their　desiring　eyes；　and　all　at　once　cried　out；　'Pray；　Miss　Jenny；　give　me　that　apple。'　　Each　gave　her　reasons　why　she　had　the　best　title　to　it：　　the　youngest　pleaded　her　youth；　and　the　eldest　her　age；　one　insisted　on　her　goodness；　another　from　her　meekness　claimed　a　title　to　preference；　and　one；　in　confidence　of　her　strength；　said　positively；　she　would　have　it；　but　all　speaking　together；　it　was　difficult　to　distinguish　who　said　this；　or　who　said　that。

Miss　Jenny　begged　them　all　to　be　quiet；　but　in　vain；　for　she　could　not　be　heard：　　they　had　all　set　their　hearts　on　that　fine　apple；　looking　upon　those　she　had　given　them　as　nothing。　　She　told　them　they　had　better　be　contented　with　what　they　had；　than　be　thus　seeking　what　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　give　to　them　all。　　She　offered　to　divide　it　into　eight　parts；　or　to　do　anything　to　satisfy　them；　but　she　might　as　well　have　been　silent；　for　they　were　all　talking　and　had　no　time　to　hear。　　At　last　as　a　means　to　quiet　the　disturbance；　she　threw　this　apple；　the　cause　of　their　contention；　with　her　utmost　force　over　a　hedge　into　another　garden；　where　they　could　not　come　at　it。

At　first　they　were　all　silent；　as　if　they　were　struck　dumb　with　astonishment　with　the　loss　of　this　one　poor　apple；　though　at　the　same　time　they　had　plenty　before　them。

But　this　did　not　bring　to　pass　Miss　Jenny's　design：　　for　now　they　all　began　again　to　quarrel　which　had　the　most　right　to　it；　and　which　ought　to　have　had　it；　with　as　much　vehemence　as　they　had　before　contended　for　the　possession　of　it；　and　their　anger　by　degrees　became　so　high；　that　words　could　not　vent　half　their　rage；　and　they　fell　to　pulling　of　caps；　tearing　of　hair；　and　dragging　the　clothes　off　one　another's　backs：　　though　they　did　not　so　much　strike；　as　endeavour　to　scratch　and　pinch　their　enemies。

Miss　Dolly　Friendly　as　yet　was　not　engaged　in　the　battle；　but　on　hearing　her　friend　Miss　Nanny　Spruce　scream　out；　that　she　was　hurt　by　a　sly　pinch　from　one　of　the　girls；　she　flew　on　this　sly　pincher；　as　she　called　her；　like　an　enraged　lion　on　its　prey；　and　not　content　only　to　return　the　harm　her　friend　had　received；　she　struck　with　such　force；　as　felled　her　enemy　to　the　ground。　　And　now　they　could　not　distinguish　between　friend　and　enemy；　but　fought；　scratched；　and　tore；　like　so　many　cats；　when　they　extend　their　claws　to　fix　them　in　their　rival's　heart。

Miss　Jenny　was　employed　in　endeavouring　to　part　them。

In　the　midst　of　this　confusion　appeared　Mrs。　Teachum；　who　was　returning　in　hopes　to　see　them　happy　with　the　fruit　she　had　given　them；　but　she　was　some　time　there　before　either　her　voice　or　presence　could　awaken　them　from　their　attention　to　the　fight；　when　on　a　sudden　they　all　faced　her；　and　fear　of　punishment　began　now　a　little　to　abate　their　rage。　　Each　of　the　misses　held　in　her　right　hand；　fast　clenched；　some　marks　of　victory；　for