Her aunts Lenore and Fanchette taught her to sew and knit, to make lace with the needle—another hereditary employment of the Beaubien family—and made much of her in all sorts of ways. Grandmother Duval taught her to read the Bible both in French and English—for she was a Protestant and well educated—and gave her many lessons in morals and manners.
The village children were usually kind when she encountered them though, now and then, when any quarrel arose, she met with the spiteful taunt, "I don't want to play with Tone Beaubien's girl! What can you expect of Tone Beaubien's daughter?"
Therese loved her mother with overflowing affection, but it was not strange that she liked to escape from the shadow of poor Rose's moody sorrow and the loneliness of the old house to the bright kitchen and cheerful ways of Grandfather Beaubien's household. As she grew up, she could not avoid coming to the conviction that her mother preferred living alone. It was hard to think so, but there was no escape from it; and therefore Therese was not surprised when her mother one day informed her that she was to go and live with Mrs. Tremaine in the village:
"Miss Tilly is lame, and the lady wishes some one to wait on her and to help in the work. She is an excellent lady and will be kind to you."
"I am afraid that grandfather will not be pleased," said Therese, rather doubtfully. "He said he wished me to live with him and be his girl when you did not want me."
"I do not choose that you shall live upon your grandfather's bounty," answered Mrs. Beaubien, with the stern anger she always showed whenever Therese manifested any will of her own. "Do you mean to set up for yourself against me so soon?"
"No, mother," answered Therese, humbly; "I am sure I shall like living with Mrs. Tremaine."
"Like it or not, you go there to-morrow."
"But, mamma, why cannot I stay with you? I would much rather. I can help you with the baskets and keep the house and read to you sometimes. Why should I leave you here alone all winter in this dreary place? Please let me stay with you, and I will be as contented as a little mouse."
With one of her sudden changes of mood, poor Rose caught the child in her arms and covered her with kisses and tears: