The Year Round. a Weekly Journal

" THE STOKT OF ODE LIVES FROM YEAK TO YEAR."—SHAKKSPEAEB. ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A WEEKLY JOURNAL. CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DICKENS. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED HOUSEHOLD WORDS. N°- 493.] SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 186S. [PKICE 2d. suffers without noise. I think you may safely HESTER'S HISTORY. take yonder Httle maid under your wing, sister A NETV SEKIAL TALE. Mary. The whole character of her bearing is true. She endures fear without losing self- possession, and she takes a favour in good faith CHAPTER XI. Df TBE HOSPITAL. and with all simplicity." " I KNOW Lady Humphrey," said Sir Archie, " It is pleasant to hear you say so," said the "I have met her and her son in London. The mother, " for 1 have thought much the same son is a good-natured young fellow enough. myself. I will take care not to lose sight of He informed me ou one occasion that our our protegee. And we will make ourselves her mothers had been friends. From the way in guardians: as far as the wise Providence per which her name was received at home when I mits us to be able." mentioned it—never oonnccting it in my mind In the mean time Hester lingered amongst with any person of whom I had heard—I should her vines up so high, till the brother and sister have thought that not likely to be true. The passed out of her sight, from the patlis in recollection of the woman is not pleasant to my the garden down below. The next thing of mother." interest she saw was a lay sister in her wliite " All bitter feeling has had time to be for- veil and apron, with a basket of new laid ttten," said the Mother Augustine. " Judith eggs, coming down the long green alleys from f lake was poor and proud, handsome and a some unseen home of hens. It did not occur dependant, and there are many excuses to be to Hester's mind that this vision had any made for such people. Stories will be ex- significance with regard to her own coming a^erated, and reputations whispered away breakfast. But it was dinner-time with the in upon very httle. We will hope sne is not a mates of St. Mark's. bad woman, but it is plain she has not the gift The Mother Augustine had a little corner of of winning affection. And that may be truly her own in her convent, a place where she called a misfortune in itself." transacted her business, where she had a ri<jht "And this girl is dependent upon her, you to sit in private when she Uked ; which the say ?" asked Sir Archie. novices kept dressed with fresh flowers for her " From the few words I have gathered from sake; which was called among the sisters the her I should think so," said the mother; *' that mother's room. It had no adornments but she is bound to her in some way and would be those flowers, and a statuette of St. Vincent, glad to escape. How much is the girl's own the guardian of poor children. One sole strip of carpet relieved the barrenness of the shining fault, I do not know, but that the lady has been floor. There was no lack of papers and books, foohsh with her, and neglectful of her, we can of sunshine when it was to be nad, aud Ihere guess from the circumstances which have led was generally a heap of pears somewhere on a to her commg here." dish of leaves; encouragement at hand for 1 imid " If all we have heard be true, or even half little ones, to whom the mother might find it of it," said Sir Archie, " the gu-1 is to be pitied. necessary to talk, on occasion. And she looks like a young creature who would need delicate handUng. You must see to it, Hester was not, certainly, a child; yet the Mary. Take my word for it, she is worthy of sweet fruits found tlieir way to her plate. And your notice. I never met an eye more pure the Mother Augustine herself poured the coffee and simple, and there is much patience as well into her cup, and dealt to her cream and buiter, as energy in the habit of the features." plums and apricots, with as much lavish nicety "It is true," said the mother; "though I as if the furnishing and attendance upon deh- did not think you could have observed so much cate repasts were the most important concern in your haste." of her life. " I do not often see a face like that," said When the meal was over the Mother Au Sir Archie; "and when 1 do it pains me to see gustine drew some sewing from a basket and sueh a face in troHble. It is sure to be left fell to working in her sunny window. One longer unrelieved than another, because it might guess from appearances that she was 386 [October 3, 1803.] ALL THE YEAR ROUND. [Oondacted I7 making flannel nightcaps to cover rheumatic I would rather be left alone to get accustomed jaws. A stool was found for Hester, who sat to my level among tradespeople. And if I quietly at her knee. What was uow to be cannot be loved long, as I know I have no said ? The motlier desired a confidence. Every right, being so low, then neither have those siitch that she put in her flannel was aware of people who are higher the right to insist upon that. But Hester wos not accustomed to being loving me for a little while. Perhaps the peace ucstioncd about her circumstances, to making of my life is as valuable to me as their whim of acscriptious of her feelings. The mother had an hour is to them." written to her iVlends at Hampton Court. So the nun tried uo further endearments, Well, that had been said before. Still, the The girl in her present humour was not ready saying it again was better than silence; and, to put her trust in them; iu her present excite besides, such a common-place repetition might ment was, perhaps, not equal to the labour of lead to other and more original remarks. fighting them off, according to the habit that "It was kind to take ihe trouble," said had been trained in her. And the mother said, Hester, " and I know that it was necessary to quiet ly, by-and-by: " We will return to all this be done. But I will not go back to Hampton anolher time. Now, if you please, yoa cau Court again. Help me, dear madam, that I come and see my hospital." may be aiile to keep away!" And the mother had a meaning in tliis abrupt "Have you other friends, my child?" said diversion. Who, in sound health and the the mother. strengtii of youth, passing down those long "Ko other friends," admitted Hester; "but rows of quiet beds, looking on the wasted fonna^ I am better without any." the shrivelled hands lying here and there listless *'That is far too sad a speech," said the on the coverlet, the marks of pain upon the mother, "too sad, and not likely to be true." weary faces, and detecl in^ only now ana then a Aud she put her hand ou the frirl's shoulder, haH'-chccked groan or sigh, could help feeling and looked searchlngly aud jiityingly in her confounded at the thought of his own impa eyes. tience, his fretfulness about fhe shortcommgs of ''Don't!" said Hester, quickly, fairly turn his fate ? He must forget his own sorrow; he ing her head away. " That is like your music. must hang his head and feel ashamed " to sit I cannot bear it. I do uot know it, and it down on his little handful of thorns." hurts me." The motlier witiidrew her gaze, and Just once did the mother lead Hester round dropped away her hand to her side with a sigh. the wards where the patients lay m mortal paio, " I must ask you to toll me something of your that her young restlessness miglit be abashed story," she said, "of your relations with these by the presence of real agony. It was also a people, before I cau make the venture to give sort of test to which she thought of putting this you counsel." girl in whom she had found a new interest. So it all came forth at last, with reservations If Hester shrank and retreated iu a weak fear, and hesitations it is true, for had not Lady she should know how to deal with her in pity. Humphrey, after all mishaps, been a bountiful If the sympathj at her heart, and the awe and protector ? And Hester was abashed at her own appreciation suddenly widening her mind, kept ingratitude, even as she felt herself begin to her foot unflinchingly on ihe sad track of pain speak. Still (he story of her childhood, her to the end, then she should know how to deed. youth, her dressmaking experiences, and later witli her in honour and iu joy. young ladyhood, gathered shape out of the con The mother passed softly up and down the fusion of the telling, and made itself known little alleys between the beds, now wiping a poor somehow lo the ear, or at least the mind, of moist face, uow bathing a burning head, now the listener.

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