The English Orphans; Or, A Home in the New WorldHolmes, Mary Jane
General
The English Orphans; Or, A Home in the New World
Holmes, Mary Jane
Orphans -- Fiction
The furniture of the parlor was also very offensive to the young lady,
and when Miss Lyon came in to meet them, she, too, was secretly
styled, "a prim, fussy, slippery-tongued old maid." Jenny, however,
who always saw the bright side of every thing, was completely charmed
with the sweet smile, and placid face, so well remembered by all who
have seen and known, the founder of Mt. Holyoke Seminary. After some
conversation between Miss Lyon and Aunt Martha it was decided that
Rose and Jenny should room together, as a matter of course, and that
Mary should room with Ida. Rose had fully intended to room with Ida
herself, and this decision made her very angry: but there was no help
for it and she was obliged to submit.
Our readers are probably aware, that an examination in certain
branches is necessary, ere a pupil can be admitted into the school at
Mt. Holyoke, where the course of instruction embraces three years, and
three classes, Junior, Middle, and Senior. Rose, who had been much
flattered on account of her scholarship, confidently expected to enter
the Middle class. Jenny, too, had the same desire, though she
confessed to some misgivings concerning her knowledge of a goodly
number of the necessary branches. Ida was really an excellent scholar,
and was prepared to enter the Senior class, while Mary aspired to
nothing higher, than admission into the Junior. She was therefore
greatly surprised, when Aunt Martha, after questioning her as to what
she had studied, proposed that she should be examined for the Middle
class.
"Oh, no," said Mary quickly, "I should fail, and I wouldn't do that
for the world."
"Have you ever studied Latin?" asked Aunt Martha.
Before Mary could reply, Rose exclaimed, "_She_ study Latin! How
absurd! Why, she was never away to school in her life."
Aunt Martha silenced her with a peculiar look, while Mary answered,
that for more than two years, she had been reading Latin under Mrs.
Mason's instruction.
"And you could not have a better teacher," said Aunt Martha. "So try
it by all means."
"Yes, do try," said Ida and Jenny, in the same breath; and after a
time, Mary rather reluctantly consented.
"I'll warrant she intends to sit by us, so we can tell her every
other word," muttered Rose to Jenny, but when the trial came she
thought differently.
It would be wearisome to give the examination in detail, so we will
only say, that at its close, Rose Lincoln heard with shame and
confusion, that she could only be admitted into the Junior Class, her
examination having proved a very unsatisfactory one. Poor Jenny, too,
who had stumbled over almost every thing, shared the same fate, while
Mary, expecting nothing, and hoping nothing, burst into tears when
told that she had acquitted herself creditably, in all the branches
requisite for an admission into the Middle class.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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