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Page 35
It might be a week after this occurrence that Helen sent for Rose. The
lady either was, or fancied herself better, and said so, adding, it
was in her (Rose's) power to make her happier than she had ever been.
Reverting to the period when her cousin visited her in London, she
alluded to what she had suffered in becoming a mother, and yet having
her hopes destroyed by the anxiety and impetuosity of her own nature.
"At first," she said, "the trouble was anything but deep-rooted, for I
fancied God would send many more, but it was not so; and now the title
I so desired must go to the child of a woman--Oh, Rose, how I _do_
hate her!--a woman who publicly thanks God that no plebeian blood will
disgrace _my_ husband's title and _her_ family. I would peril my soul
to cause her the pain she has caused me."
"You do so now," said Rose, gently but solemnly. "Oh! think that this
violence and revenge sins your own soul, and is every way unworthy of
you."
Helen did not heed the interruption. "To add to my agony," she
continued, "my husband cherishes her son as if it were his own; the
boy stands even now between his affections and me. He has reproached
me for what he terms my insensibility to his perfections, and says
I ought to rejoice that he is so easily rendered happy--only imagine
this! Rose, you must give me your daughter, to be to me as my own.
Her beauty and sweetness will at once wean my husband's love from
this boy; and, moreover, children brought up together--do you not
see?--that boy will become attached to one of the 'plebeian blood,'
and wedding _her_ hereafter, scald to the core the proud heart of his
mother, as she has scalded mine!"
"I cannot, Helen," replied Rose, after a pause, during which her
cousin's glittering inquiring eyes were fixed upon her face--"I
cannot; I could not answer to my God at the last day for delivering
the soul he gave to my care to be so tutored (forgive me) as to forget
Him in all things."
"Forget God!" repeated Helen once or twice--"I forget God! Do you
think I am a heathen?"
"No, cousin--no--for you have all knowledge of the truth; but
knowledge, and profiting by our knowledge, are different. My little
gentle-hearted girl will be happier far in her own sphere. I could not
see her degraded to bait a trap for any purpose; she will be happy,
happier in her own sphere."
The lady bit her compressed lips; but during her whole life she never
gave up a point, nor an object, proving how necessary it is that the
strong mind should be well and highly directed. Small feeble minds
pass through the world doing little good and little harm, but to train
a large mind is worth the difficulty--worth the trouble it occasions:
its possession is either a great blessing or a great curse. To Helen
it was the latter, and curses never fall singly. "You have boys to
provide for," she said, "and if I adopted that child, I would not
suffer their station to disgrace their sister."
"I am sure you mean us kindly and generously; nor am I blind to the
advantages of such an offer for my boys. Their father has prospered
greatly, and could at this moment place them in any profession they
chose--still influence would help them forward; but the advancement of
one child must not be purchased by"--Rose paused for a word--she did
not wish to hurt her cousin's feelings--and yet none suggested itself
but what she conceived to be the true one, and she repeated, lowly
and gently, her opinion, prefacing it with, "You will forgive in this
matter my plain speaking, but the advancement of one child must not be
purchased by the sacrifice of another."
"Your prejudices have bewildered your understanding," exclaimed the
lady. "Whatever my ambition may be, my morality is unimpeached; a
vestal would lose none of her purity beneath my roof."
"Granted, fully and truly; woman's first virtue is untainted, but that
is not her only one; forgive me. I have no right to judge or dictate,
nor to give an unasked opinion; I am grateful for your kindness;
but my child, given to me as a blessing for time and a treasure for
eternity, must remain beneath my roof until her mind and character are
formed."
"You are mad, Rose; consider her future happiness"--
"Oh, Helen! are you more happy than your humble cousin?"
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