Thus a vague mist of feeling rose between the two which did not in any
way interfere with their present relations, and was, in fact, founded
upon almost nothing, yet was full of undeveloped elements in which
mischief might lie; while all around this nebulous region of uncertain
sentiment shone the easy light of the household, untroubled by any mist,
a sober, steady glow, not excessive, of good-humor and kindness, chiefly
proceeding from the mild moon or household lamp of Mrs. Harwood, which
reflected many different colored rays, reducing them, by the action of a
steady, pleasant, good disposition, taking all things soberly and
kindly, to a light which was warm without extravagance, and bright
without dazzling. How happy were all her friends in Clover to hear that
Janet had thus “fallen on her feet!”
The vicar called at the house in St. John’s Wood about this time, and
carried back the most delightful report with him. The impression he
himself produced was the best possible, for he was a handsome old
gentleman, and perfect type of a country vicar, well got up and
well-to-do. Mrs. Harwood was anxious that he should come back to dinner,
and would have liked to pay him a great deal of attention, and Janet
rose in everybody’s opinion, from that of the head of the house down to
Priscilla, the parlor-maid, and Owen, the gardener, to whom Mr. Bland
gave a shilling for calling a cab for him.
The vicar assured Mrs. Harwood that he and his wife felt towards little
Janet as if she were a child of their own. And when he went back to
Clover he assured an anxious party assembled at afternoon tea that he
had seldom been more favorably impressed than by the charming family
with whom Janet had found a home.
“A delightful, refined house, an admirable mother, and a charming young
lady, quite the sort of friend I should have chosen for Janet, I
scarcely saw her pupil, but I have no doubt, judging by all that I did
see, that she was a sweet child, and worthy of the rest. No
complications such as so often beset a young girl’s path; indeed, I
should say that if we had chosen from one end of the country to the
other we could scarcely have selected anything so desirable as
Providence has procured for her--by chance, as we say. It is a lesson to
me of trustfulness and dependence upon a higher guidance.”
The ladies were all deeply edified with this speech, feeling that what
the vicar said, especially about Providence, was beautiful: and when
they heard that Janet was called by her Christian name, there was a
universal chorus of satisfaction. Dr. Harding, who had come in as he
passed on his afternoon round, said “Humph!” behind their backs, shaking
his head; but then he, as we are all aware, had reasons for thinking
very ill of Janet’s foolish determination to measure her little strength
against the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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