Oldfield: A Kentucky Tale of the Last CenturyBanks, Nancy Huston
General
Oldfield: A Kentucky Tale of the Last Century
Banks, Nancy Huston
Kentucky -- Fiction
through even Miss Judy's methods of teaching; and came erelong to sing
of "Those endearing young charms" and "The heart that has truly loved"
in a bewitchingly heart-broken way; while the faded blue ribbon fell
round her lovely young shoulders.
It was really a pity that no one except Miss Sophia saw or heard those
lessons--which must have been so well worth seeing and hearing. Miss
Judy and Doris were both so entirely in earnest in all that they were
doing. Both were so thoroughly convinced that the things being taught
and learned were precisely the things which a young gentlewoman should
know. Yet nobody but poor Miss Sophia, who was asleep most of the time,
ever had so much as a glimpse of all that was constantly going on in
this forming of a young lady of quality. It was another part of Miss
Judy's theory of manners that everything concerning a gentlewoman, young
or old, must be strictly private. When, therefore, it came to such
delicate matters as walking and courtesying--as a young lady of quality
should walk and courtesy--not even Miss Sophia was permitted to be
present. Miss Judy took Doris into the darkened parlor and raised the
shades only a cautious inch or two, so that, while they could see to
move about, no living eye might behold the charming scene which was
taking place. And there in this dim light, the dainty old lady and the
graceful young girl would take delicate steps and make wonderful
courtesies--grave as grave could be--all up and down, and up and down
that sad old room.
Let nobody think, however, that Miss Judy thought only of
accomplishments, while she was thus throwing her whole heart and mind
and soul into the rearing and the training of this child of her spirit.
The substantial branches of education were not neglected. Miss Judy
tried untiringly to help Doris in gaining a store of really useful
knowledge. She did not know so well how to go about this as she did
about the music and the courtesy. She knew little if any more of the
hard prosaic side of the world than Doris herself knew--which was
nothing at all. But she had a few good old books. Her father had been a
true lover of the best in literature, and her mother had been as fond of
sentiment in fiction as in real life. These books, thick, stubby old
volumes bound in leather, gathered by them, were Miss Judy's greatest
pride and delight. She therefore led Doris to them in due time,
impressing her with proper reverence, and thus the girl became in a
measure acquainted with a very few of the few really great in letters,
and learned to know them as they may be known to an old lady and a young
girl who have never had a glimpse of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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