They were my future pupils, I was sure; and already my heart warmed towards them, particularly her with the silvery voice, and I was just thinking of going out to find them, when I heard a light footstep on the stairs, and the next moment a tall, dark-eyed girl, apparently fourteen or fifteen years of age, entered the room, introducing herself as Miss Lina Lansing, and welcoming me so cordially that I felt myself at once at home. “Mother,” said she, “is indisposed, as I believe she wrote you, and has sent me to receive you, and ask what you would like.” I had scarcely slept a moment the night previous, so I replied, that if convenient, I would go immediately to my room. Ringing the bell, she summoned to the room a short, dumpy mulatto, whom she called Cressy, and who, she said, was to be my attendant. Following her up the stairs, I was ushered into a large, airy chamber, which, though not furnished with elegance, still contained everything for my comfort, even to a huge _feather bed_, the sight of which made me wipe the perspiration from my face. “Shall I wash missus’ feet first, or comb her har,” asked the negress, pouring a pitcher of water into a small bathing tub. This was entirely new to me, who had always been accustomed to wait upon myself, so I declined her offers of assistance, telling her, “I preferred being alone, and could do everything for myself which was necessary.” “Laws, missus!” she answered, rolling the whites of her eyes, “’taint no ways likely you can bresh and ’range all dat ar har,” pointing to my thick and now somewhat tangled curls. “Why, Miss Lina’s straighter dan a string, an’ I’ll be boun’ she never yet tache a comb to it herself.” With some difficulty I convinced the African that her services were not needed, and staring at me as if I had been a kind of monstrosity, she left the room, the door of which I bolted against any new intruder. The windows of my chamber looked out upon the garden, where now were blossoming roses and flowers of every possible hue and form. A little to the right, and about a quarter of a mile away was, another building, larger and more imposing than that of Mrs. Lansing, while a great deal of taste seemed to be displayed in the arrangement of the grounds. As nearly as I could judge, it stood upon a little hill, for the trees appeared to rise regularly one above the other, the fir and the cedar forming the outer boundary; while, as I afterwards learned, the inner rows consisted of the graceful magnolia, the wide-spreading catalpa, the beautiful china tree, and the persimmon, whose leaves in the autumn wear a most brilliant hue, and present so fine a contrast to the dark green of the pine and the fir. Very, very pleasant it looked to me, with its white walls just discernible amid the dense foliage which surrounded it, and for a long time I stood gazing towards it wondering whose home it was, and if the inmates were as happy as it seemed they might be.