The foster-sisters

by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

On Mrs. Deborah referring the matter to us, we at once asked to be put together.

"Very well, you shall do as you please, and your maid can sleep in the turret-room above!" said Mrs. Deborah. "Jenny, do you show the young ladies the way."

An elderly maid-servant led us up stairs, and opened the door of a spacious room, where were candles and a bright fire. The walls were hung with leather, stamped in curious patterns of gilding and silver. There was a great high mantel, and a bedstead hung with curtains of brown damask; another little bed with white curtains, occupied the opposite corner. The toilette-table was of Japan, with many odd boxes and drawers, and hung also with brown damask as were the windows. The floor was bare, save for some foreign-looking rugs, and a square of cross-stitch wool work in the centre of the room, and so slippery with scrubbing and waxing, that it was like ice.

"This is your room, ladies!" said Jenny. "Here is a place for your gowns and mantles, and here is a closet—" opening the door of a small octagon-shaped room. "This staircase—opening another door which gave on a winding-stair—leads to a room above, where your maid will sleep. I will return and show you the way to the supper-room."

Amabel and I looked at each other in some little dismay at the aspect of the room, which was certainly rather gloomy. The high wainscot was of dark brown oak; the ground of the hanging was also brown, and in the flashes of the fire-light, the gold and silver dragons and wyverns seemed to come and go, in a weird and uncomfortable manner. The bed looked like a catafalque, and the corners of the room entertained companies of suspicious-looking shadows, in spite of the candles which stood on the dressing-table.

"This is certainly the enchanted room!" said I, trying to laugh off the eerie feeling which came over me. "I wonder if the sleeping monster who is to be set free by a kiss is lying in that bed. Dare you look and see, Amabel?"

"Oh, I am not scared!" said Amabel. "But as to the monster, I will leave him, or her, to you. But after all, Lucy, it is not so bad; that bow window will be beautiful in summer, and see what a grand East County cabinet here is, all full of little drawers and places. I wonder what the closet is like?"

She took up the candle to explore it, and I followed her. It proved to be an octagon room, with windows on three sides, and doors on two more, one opening to a spacious wardrobe, the other to the stair Jenny had spoken of, which seemed to wind around the turret from below. There was a great Bible and prayer-book on a little table, a hassock, and a square of carpet, two or three chairs, and a shelf on the wall holding a few books. There was also a fireplace, but no fire at present.

"This is a snug little place!" remarked Amabel, holding up the light. "If aunt will let us have a fire here, we can make a nice little study of it."

The entrance of Mary Lee with our bags recalled us to the needful duties of the toilette. Mary looked rather pale and scared, and being questioned as to how she liked her new home, confessed that it was all so big and grand, that it made her feel home-sick; she supposed she should grow used to it in time, but it was not what she was used to.