Natalie; Or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds

by Emma V. Hallett

"You can go," was Winnie's reply, "and tell Mrs. Santon that at my convenience, I will see her!" but recalling the servant, with her next thought, she added, "merely say to my mother, that I will soon be with her," and hastily making her toilet, she repaired to the drawing-room.

Mrs. Santon was alone, for it was a full hour before the family's usual time for arising. Winnie bade her mother "good morning," and was about to ask if she had rested well in her new home, when she was interrupted by her, and in an imperative tone she said:--

"This may be earlier than you have been accustomed to 'rising, Miss Santon, but my habits for early rising are proverbial, and of course my household will conform to my wishes in regard to matters which you will at once see are for the best. What I wished to speak with you more particularly about this morning, is in regard to the keys; you will please produce them, as I shall have a thorough overhauling at once, and if I mistake not," said she, glancing at Winnie's neat morning attire, "the sooner the better, for I think those jewelled hands have not troubled themselves much about such things. I wonder that you have not been brought up to something beside killing time!"

"Madam!" vociferated Winnie, her face crimsoned with the insult which she had received, but she paused, though still trembling with rage, her eye had rested on a gentle form, standing within the open door--it was the Sea-flower. With one finger upon her lip, her brow calm as the new day, she gazed upon Winnie, till gaining her eye, unobserved by Mrs. Santon she glided away. Instead of the rage Winnie would have poured forth, she merely said, "I will send you the keys," and left the room. Despatching a servant with the keys, which she had intended to have put into her hands at the earliest opportunity, thereby acknowledging her superior claim at once, she sought Natalie, whom she found seated in the conservatory, enjoying the Indian summer breeze, which stole softly in among the fragrant plants, which were the particular objects of her care. Each knew what was uppermost in the other's mind, but Winnie's heart was too full to speak.

"I have been thinking, Winnie," said the Sea-flower, "how thankful we should be, that we have so many friends to love us. I think I have never realized it until now, and," she spoke in a lower tone, "dear Winnie, should you ever receive other than the kindly treatment to which you have always been accustomed, let it serve to increase your gratitude that you have so many with whom you can trust your affections."

"Yes, Natalie, I will strive to do aright. I will try to do as I think you would have done, but I fear I shall not have your strength. O, it is so hard! if I only had a mother to love me, I could endure anything else!" and her excitable nature getting the better of her, she burst into tears. Natalie threw her arm about her neck, and, her own voice tremulous with the pity which she felt for her, she tried to soothe her spirits; "you shall have a mother! My mother shall be your mother! for are you not to be my sister? and she will love you as did your own gentle mother! but Mrs. Santon will yet become reconciled to you, for when she finds what a good heart you have, she cannot but treat you with kindness."

At this juncture the door opened, and Mrs. Santon brushed rudely in; "welladay! is this your usual morning's occupation? Miss Grosvenor, I think you should have more wisdom than to be petting a spoiled child! I imagine that I shall have as much as I shall care to undertake, to undo the mischief which is already too apparent. It has been as much as I could do for the last two hours, to get things a little in order; but I suppose I need not look for assistance here," she scornfully said, and turned to leave the room. Winnie had it upon her tongue's end to reply, "My father employs his servants to keep his house in order, and they have never failed to give satisfaction," but biting her lip, the thought died away. Natalie arrested Mrs. Santon's steps, saying, "Winnie and myself will consider it a pleasure to assist you, and whatever we can do at any time for your enjoyment, we shall be most happy to do it." The hard-hearted woman quailed a little, at the Sea-flower's proffered assistance, and Natalie accompanied her to the upper drawing-room, wondering much what could have given offence to her ideas of a well-regulated house; for under the housekeeper's scrupulous care, everything was kept in the nicest order. Desiring Natalie to assist her in the disposal of some articles, she directed Winnie to find some out-of-the-way place, and to stow away the rubbish which she would find in the next apartment, pointing to the room which had been her mother's, and which Winnie had not permitted any one to disturb, since her death. Everything had been left just as she had left it, even some withered flowers had not been removed, and the book from which she had read, had been left opened at the place her eye had last looked upon. This room had been kept as a place sacred to Winnie's heart, and indeed the very servants passed it by with a blessing on their departed mistress; and it was now with trembling steps that Winnie, hardly realizing what had been said to her, followed in the direction which the cruel woman had pointed. She opened the door, and sank fainting into a chair! In the middle of the floor were the very clothes which her mother had worn, with other articles thrown together in a pile! her mother's portrait had been removed, and the room was otherwise in disorder. Natalie ran to Winnie's assistance, bathing her temples, and smoothing back her long tresses with tenderness. Just at that moment Mr. Santon entered the room; he looked at his daughter! at the disordered apartment of his buried wife, which he had never held more sacred, and he looked at Mrs. Santon! Without speaking a word he left the room. Poor Winnie! this is indeed life's lesson! but thou art learning to "suffer and be strong."

Had the character of the mother-in-law been in accordance with her exterior, Santon Mansion might still have resounded with joy, for hers was a face by no means forbidding. On the contrary, a stranger would have pronounced her to be decidedly good-looking, considering that she was a woman of nearly fifty years, and those good looks were the secret of Mr. Santon's unfortunate connection with her. From the first, the woman had taken a dislike to Natalie; it seemed as if she was determined to spite her in every way possible. Why she should have felt thus toward her, was certainly unaccountable, as there was no trait more unlovable than innocency, about her character; but this very gentleness of nature, in contrast with the iciness, seldom found in woman's heart, would, as an unavoidable result, serve to widen the two extremes.

The Sea-flower would, as time advanced, have sought refuge in her own home, from this mist of unrest, which had by degrees spread itself around, but when she had spoken of the thing to Mr. Santon, he had grasped her by the hand, as a drowning man would catch at a straw, saying, if she would not entirely sever the golden thread which was once bound around their home circle, she would defer her departure, for at least, a little time; and she had seen the tear, which was as molten lead, welling up from the strong man's heart. Then she said, "It is my duty! I will remain with you! I feel there is something which bids me stay; some mysterious power controlling my destiny."

"May you have your reward!" was Mr. Santon's reply; and we heartily respond, "May she have her reward!"