"I must be responsible for the circumstance, sir," replied Miss

Temple: "the breakfast was so ill prepared that the pupils could

not possibly eat it; and I dared not allow them to remain fasting

till dinner-time."

"Madam, allow me an instant. You are aware that my plan in bringing

up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and

indulgence, but to render them hardy, patient, self-denying. Should

any little accidental disappointment of the appetite occur, such as

the spoiling of a meal, the under or the over dressing of a dish,

the incident ought not to be neutralised by replacing with something

more delicate the comfort lost, thus pampering the body and

obviating the aim of this institution; it ought to be improved to

the spiritual edification of the pupils, by encouraging them to

evince fortitude under temporary privation. A brief address on

those occasions would not be mistimed, wherein a judicious

instructor would take the opportunity of referring to the sufferings

of the primitive Christians; to the torments of martyrs; to the

exhortations of our blessed Lord Himself, calling upon His disciples

to take up their cross and follow Him; to His warnings that man

shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out

of the mouth of God; to His divine consolations, "If ye suffer

hunger or thirst for My sake, happy are ye." Oh, madam, when you

put bread and cheese, instead of burnt porridge, into these

children's mouths, you may indeed feed their vile bodies, but you

little think how you starve their immortal souls!"

Mr. Brocklehurst again paused--perhaps overcome by his feelings.

Miss Temple had looked down when he first began to speak to her; but

she now gazed straight before her, and her face, naturally pale as

marble, appeared to be assuming also the coldness and fixity of that

material; especially her mouth, closed as if it would have required

a sculptor's chisel to open it, and her brow settled gradually into

petrified severity.

Meantime, Mr. Brocklehurst, standing on the hearth with his hands

behind his back, majestically surveyed the whole school. Suddenly

his eye gave a blink, as if it had met something that either dazzled

or shocked its pupil; turning, he said in more rapid accents than he

had hitherto used "Miss Temple, Miss Temple, what--WHAT is that girl with curled hair?

Red hair, ma'am, curled--curled all over?" And extending his cane

he pointed to the awful object, his hand shaking as he did so.

"It is Julia Severn," replied Miss Temple, very quietly.




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