Georgiana sat on a high stool, dressing her hair at the glass, and

interweaving her curls with artificial flowers and faded feathers,

of which she had found a store in a drawer in the attic. I was

making my bed, having received strict orders from Bessie to get it

arranged before she returned (for Bessie now frequently employed me

as a sort of under-nurserymaid, to tidy the room, dust the chairs,

&c.). Having spread the quilt and folded my night-dress, I went to

the window-seat to put in order some picture-books and doll's house

furniture scattered there; an abrupt command from Georgiana to let

her playthings alone (for the tiny chairs and mirrors, the fairy

plates and cups, were her property) stopped my proceedings; and

then, for lack of other occupation, I fell to breathing on the

frost-flowers with which the window was fretted, and thus clearing a

space in the glass through which I might look out on the grounds,

where all was still and petrified under the influence of a hard

frost.

From this window were visible the porter's lodge and the carriage-

road, and just as I had dissolved so much of the silver-white

foliage veiling the panes as left room to look out, I saw the gates

thrown open and a carriage roll through. I watched it ascending the

drive with indifference; carriages often came to Gateshead, but none

ever brought visitors in whom I was interested; it stopped in front

of the house, the door-bell rang loudly, the new-comer was admitted.

All this being nothing to me, my vacant attention soon found

livelier attraction in the spectacle of a little hungry robin, which

came and chirruped on the twigs of the leafless cherry-tree nailed

against the wall near the casement. The remains of my breakfast of

bread and milk stood on the table, and having crumbled a morsel of

roll, I was tugging at the sash to put out the crumbs on the window-

sill, when Bessie came running upstairs into the nursery.

"Miss Jane, take off your pinafore; what are you doing there? Have

you washed your hands and face this morning?" I gave another tug

before I answered, for I wanted the bird to be secure of its bread:

the sash yielded; I scattered the crumbs, some on the stone sill,

some on the cherry-tree bough, then, closing the window, I replied "No, Bessie; I have only just finished dusting."

"Troublesome, careless child! and what are you doing now? You look

quite red, as if you had been about some mischief: what were you

opening the window for?"




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