My Miscellanies, Vol. 2 (of 2)

rmandy; and introduces us to a young French

ree different mistresses tried her while she was a very young girl, and found every reason to be satisfied with her conduct. She entered her fourth place, in the

f Caen in Normandy; and he honoured Marie, when he first saw her at her master's house, with his special attention and approval. She had an innocent face, and a winning manner; and Monsieur Revel became almost oppressively anxious, in a s

sieur Dumesnil of her own accord, without so much as the shadow of a stain on her character, and went to the old town of Bayeux to try what she could do by taking in needlework. As a means of subsistence, needlework soon proved itself to be insufficient; a

venteen hundred and eighty-one. It will be well to notice this date particularly, and to remember-in case some of the events of Marie

em being still in an unfinished condition. She had a third pair which she wore on her journey. In the last century, a country girl's pockets were an important and prominent

ers, her excellent character, and the modesty of her demands in the matter of wages, rendered it easy for her to find a situation. On

e); of two sons, aged respectively twenty-one and eleven years; of their sister, aged seventeen years; and of Monsi

eu. The hasty-pudding was always to be got ready by seven o'clock exactly. When this had been done, Marie was next required to take the infirm old lady, Madame de Beaulieu, every morning to mass. She was then to go to market, and get all the provisions that were wanted for the daily use of the family; and she was, finally, to

in preparing the old gentleman's morning meal. One point which her mistress then par

t orange-coloured stuff, for which she paid nearly the whole price on the spot, out of her small savings. The sum of two sous six deniers (about a penny English) was all tha

t them on, she hung the old work-a-day pockets which she had worn on leaving Bayeux, to the back of a chair in her bed-chamber. This was a little room on the ground-floor, situated close to the dining-room, and perfectl

ilk would doubtless be sent before long. This turned out to be the case, and Marie, having cleaned the saucepan for Monsieur de Beaulieu's hasty-pudding, received from the hands of Madame Duparc, the earthen vessel containing t

put any sa

amazed by the question. "You told me you

out her hand towards one of four salt-cellars which always stood there, and sprinkled salt into the saucepan-o

ean the saucepan; but, before she could do so, she was suddenly called in two different directions, by Madame de Beaulieu, and Madame Duparc. The old lady wished to be taken to mass; and her mistress wanted to send her on a number of errands. Marie did not stop even to pour some clean water, as usual, into

to bed immediately; and inquired, when these directions had been followed, whether Marie felt capable of looking after him herself, or whether she would prefer that a nurse should be sent for. Being a kind-he

nough to require the attention of his master, if not of a regularly qualified physician. Instead of applying any internal remedies, the apprentice stupidly tried blistering. This course of treatment proved utte

y left the house to inform his father (who had been absent in the country all day) of what had happened, she lost no time in sending for the nearest nur

ly, did he not?

e. "He was walking about only

anically, to get the meal ready. Madame Duparc, her daughter, and her youngest son, sat down to it as us

ind to Marie, and had spoken gratefully of the little attentions she had shown him. She remembered this tenderly now that he was no more; and she could not find it in her heart to leave a hired mourner to be th

went back again wearily to the kitchen to begin her day's work. Her

adame Duparc. "Look at your dress; How can you expect to be decent

had only known the old man for a few days, she had been too deeply impressed by his illness and its fatal end, to be able to think of such a trifle as the condition of her dress. And now,

, directly, you untidy g

chose to go into it-the room which she herself had not entered during the past night. She left the kitchen to obey her mistress; and taking the