The Maidens' Lodge Part 8

"But what fashion of breeding could you get at a farmhouse?" demanded Rhoda, with a scornful pout.

"Why, 'twas not there I learned French, child," answered Mrs Dorothy, smiling; "but I learned to read, write, and cast accounts; to cook and distil, to conserve and pickle; with all manner of handiworks--sewing, knitting, broidery, and such like. And I can tell you, my dear, that in all the great world whereunto I afterwards entered I never saw better manners than in that farmhouse. I saw more ceremonies, sure; but not more courtesy and kindly thought for others."

"Why, I thought folks like that had no manners at all!" said Rhoda.

"Then you were mightily mistaken, my dear. Farmer Ingham had two daughters, who were like sisters to me; but they were both older than I.

Their names were Grace and Faith. 'Twas a very quiet, peaceful household. We rose with the sun in summer, and before it in winter--"

"Catch me!" interpolated Rhoda.

"And before any other thing might be done, there was reading and prayer in the farmhouse kitchen. All the farm servants trooped in, and took their places in order, the men on the right hand of the master, and the women on the left of the mistress. Then the farmer read a chapter, and afterwards prayed, all joining in 'Our Father' at the end."

"But--he wasn't a parson?" demanded Rhoda, with a perplexed look.

"Oh no, my dear."

"Then how could he pray?" said Rhoda. "He'd no business to read the Prayer-Book; and of course he couldn't pray without it."

"Ah, then he made a mistake," replied Mrs Dorothy very quietly. "He fancied he could."

"But who ever heard of such a thing?" said Rhoda.

"We heard a good deal of it in those days, my dear. Why, child, the Common Prayer was forbid, even in the churches. n.o.body used it, save a few here and there, that chose to run the risk of being found out and punished."

"How queer!" cried Rhoda. "Well, go on, Mrs Dolly. I hope the prayers weren't long. I should have wanted my breakfast."

"They were usually about three parts of an hour."

"Ugh!" with a manufactured shudder, came from Rhoda.

"After prayers, for an hour, each went to her calling. Commonly we took it turn about, the girls and I--one with the mistress in the kitchen, one with the maids in the chambers, and the third, if the weather was fine, a-weeding the posies in the garden, or, if wet, at her sewing in the parlour. Then the great bell was rung for breakfast, and we all gathered again in the kitchen. For breakfast were furmety, eggs, and b.u.t.ter, and milk, for the women; cold bakemeats and ale for the men."

"No tea?" asked Rhoda.

"I was near ten years old, child, ere coffee came into England; and tea was some years later. The first coffee-house that ever was in this realm was set up at Oxford, of one Jacobs, a Jew; and about two years after was the first in London. For tea, 'twas said Queen Catherine brought it hither from Portingale; but in truth, I believe 'twas known among us somewhat sooner. But when it came in, for a long time none knew how to use it, except at the coffee-houses. I could tell you a droll tale of a neighbour of Farmer Ingham's, that had a parcel of tea sent her as a great present from London, with a letter that said 'twas all the mode with the quality. And what did she, think you, but boiled it like cabbage, and bade all her neighbours come taste the new greens."

"Did they like them?" asked Rhoda, as well as she could speak for laughing.

"I heard they all thought with their hostess, who said, 'If those were quality greens, the quality were welcome to keep 'em; country folk would rather have cabbage and spinach any day.'"

"Well!" said Rhoda, bridling a little, when her amus.e.m.e.nt had subsided; "'tis very silly for mean people to ape the quality."

"It is so, my dear," replied Mrs Dorothy, with that extreme quietness which was the nearest her gentle spirit could come to irony. "'Tis silly for any to ape another, be he less or more."

"Why, there can be no communication between them," observed Rhoda, with a toss of her head.

"'Communication,' my dear," said Mrs Dolly. "Yonder's a new word.

Where did you pick it up?"

"O Mrs Dolly! you can't be in the mode if you don't pick up all the new words," answered Rhoda more affectedly than ever. She was showing off now, and was entirely in her element.

"And pray what are the other new words, my dear?" inquired Mrs Dorothy good-naturedly, and not without a little amus.e.m.e.nt. "That one sounds very much like the old-fashioned 'commerce.'"

"Well, I don't know them all!" said Rhoda, with an a.s.sumption of humility; "but now-o'-days, when you speak of any one's direction, you must say _adresse_, from the French; and if one is out of spirits, you say he is _hipped_--that's from hypochondriacal; and a crowd of people is a _mob_--that's short for mobile; and when a man goes about, and doesn't want to be known, you say he is _incog._--that means incognito, which is the Spanish for unknown. Then you say Mr Such-an-one spends _to the tune of five_ hundred a year; and there are a lot of men _of his kidney_; and _I bantered them_ well about it. Oh, there are lots of new words, Mrs Dolly."

"So it seems, my dear. But are you sure incognito is Spanish?"

"Oh, yes! William Knight told me so," said Rhoda, with another toss of her head.

"I imagined it was Latin," observed Mrs Dorothy. "But 'tis true, I know nought of either tongue."

"Oh, William Knight knows everything," said Rhoda, hyperbolically.

"He must be a very ingenious young man," quietly observed Mrs Dorothy.

"Well, he is," said Rhoda, scarcely perceiving the satire latent in Mrs Dorothy's calm tones.

"I am glad to hear it, my dear," returned the old lady.

"But he's very uppish,--that's pos.," resumed the young one.

"Really, my dear, you are full of new words," said Mrs Dorothy, good-naturedly. "What means 'pos.,' pray you?"

"Why, 'positive,'" said Rhoda, laughing. "And _rep._ means reputation, and _fire_ means spirit, and _smart_ means sharp, and a _concert_ means a lot of people singing and playing on instruments of music, and an _operation_ means anything you do, and a _speculation_ means--well, it means--it means a speculation, you know."

"Dear, dear!" cried little Mrs Dorothy, holding up her hands. "I protest, my dear, I shall be drove to learn the English tongue anew if this mode go on."

"Well, Mrs Dolly, suppose your tale should go on?" suggested Rhoda.

"Heyday! do you know what everybody is saying?--everybody that is anybody, you understand."

"I thought that everybody was somebody," remarked Mrs Dorothy, with a comical set of the lips.

"Oh dear, no!" said Rhoda. "There are ever so many people who are n.o.body."

"Indeed!" said Mrs Dorothy. "Well, child, what is everybody saying?"

"Why, they say the Duke is not so well with the Queen as he has been.

'Tis thought, I a.s.sure you, by many above people."

"Is that one of the new words?" inquired Mrs Dorothy, with a little laugh. "Dear child, what mean you?--the angels?"

"Oh, Mrs Dorothy, you are the oddest creature!" cried Rhoda. "Why, you know very well what I mean. Should you be sorry, Mrs Dolly, if the Duke became inconsiderable?"

"No, my dear. Why should I?"

"Well, I thought--" but Rhoda's thought went no further.

"You thought," quietly continued the old lady, "that I had not had enow of town vanities, and would fain climb a few rungs up the ladder, holding on to folks' skirts. Was that it, child?"