Fanny Bethel: The Village Schoolmistress, Chapters I-II [pp. 190-195]

THE LADIES' REPOSITOR r.
FANNY BETHEL,
THE VILLAGE SCHOOLMISTRESS.
CHAPTER I.
I AM vwrry, vurry sorry for to hear it viurry sorry itself," said Mrs. Stintem, as
she weighed half a pound of cheese, from which
she kept cutting sundry little bits lest she should
give down weight, till, still diminishing as she
cut and cut, there was some danger that the
portion which remained would share the fate of
that which the monkey was to divide between
the quarreling cats. "But when did it happen,
Mrs. Brooks? I am sure it is not more than
a day or two ago since Mr. Bethel was here for
to get some of my best tea; he never would
have inferior articles, poor man, and I know
that then he was as livin' like as any body.
May be't ain't true."
"It's as true as preaching," said Mrs. Brooks,
"for my Amandy has been staying with Miss
Fanny for more nor a week, helping to make
the soap, and do up some odd chores, and she
says it happened suddent like. He eat his
supper well enough, but a little while afterward he went off just like the snuff of a candle.
But Mandy has to go out to-night, so I must be
off at once;" and having received her little
package, done up in brown paper, off she did go.
Mrs. Stintem would have followed her in
order to hear exactly how it was that Mr. Bethel
went off so suddenly, but just then a customer
came in, and she was obliged to' restrain her
curiosity, for, although she loved gossip, she
loved pence still more, and preferred to increase
the contents of the money drawer to hearing
news. The last customers were at length served,
the door locked, the shop window barred, and
bidding her daughter, Miss Bettie, to be careful
of every thing, she started off for the house of
her neighbor, Mrs. Brooks. The hour was
rather late for visiting, for, in this quiet village,
it was the custom to rise up with the lark and
lie down with the lamb, an injunction given us
by our worthy ancestors, but widely departed
from in the present day.
Here, however, late as it was, and to her
great dissatisfaction, she found, seated beside
the Autumn fire, a person whom she particularly
disliked, and from hatred of whose presence
she would gladly have withdrawn, preferring to
postpone the gratification of her curiosity rather
than be obliged to face one, to her, so truly
formidable. This was an elderly woman. a conspicuous character in the village, and much
looked up to by the little community. Presiding
as mistress of ceremonies on all public occasions, such as picnics, wedding feasts, or funeral
arrangements, she was looked upon as the wise
woman of the village, and her word was con sidered almost a law. Warm-hearted as well as
warm-tempered, benevolent and most unselfish,
always ready to relieve distress, uphold the
unfortunate, take the part of the friendless and
oppressed, and the kindest nurse in sickness.
she was welcomed wherever she went, and,
although in humble circumstances, held in high
estimation by every one in the neighborhood.
Thus regarded as an oracle, although she could
not do too much for those she respected, she
took the liberty of uttering very plain truths to
others who, she said, "deserved a taking down,"
and, therefore, did not spare Mrs. Stintem, and
was fond of recalling certain unpleasant events
which that lady had conveniently forgotten.
Mrs. Brooks, who was more gentle, and not
quite so fearless as Rachel Hudson, would
sometimes remonstrate, and beg "Aunt Rachel
not to come down quite so hard on poor Becky,
who was ignorant, and had her head quite
turned with getting the old uncle's money." To
which the reply would be, "I have nothing ag'in
Becky Stintem's getting the money, but big
gifts make beggars bold, and she forgets, when
she lived in the collier grounds, and when her
mother died, and her brothers ran away, what
old Mrs. Evans did for her. It jist makes me
sick to hear her talk; and if I sometimes say
hard things to her, I never tell her any thing
but the truth, and that'aye stands without a
prop.' No, no, when she begins her big talks
afore me', I only tell her what the rest of you
think, but are afeard to say. I only bid her to
'sit in her own place, and then none can bid
her rise.'"
Mrs. Stintem entered Mrs. Brooks's room so
abruptly that she did not see Aunt Rachel; she
would gladly have retreated, but finding that
she could not, boldly resolved to stand her
ground.
"I could hardly wait till that chatty Mrs.
Jones was sarved and ready to go," she said,
on entering, without dreaming of making an
apology for her late visit, "I was so vurtry
anxious for till hear all about what the Bethels
are going till do out at the Locusts, as they call
their fine place out yonder. Yes, Locust enough
it is, since the old man has been eaten out of
house and home by his grand friends. I wonder what that haughty Miss Fanny and that
proud young Kate will do; they will have to go
to work like other people, for folks say Mr.
Bethel was over head and ears in debt, and
there won't be the fust red cent left."
"And would not you be sorry to see them
turned out of the old home, Becky?" said the
Igo