| Vol. VIII.—No. 358. | NOVEMBER 6, 1886. | Price One Penny. |
[Transcriber's Note: This Table of Contents was not present in the original.]
MERLE'S CRUSADE: Chapter 5.
GIRLS' FRIENDSHIPS: Chapter 2.
THE SHEPHERD'S FAIRY: Chapter 6.
"SHE COULDN'T BOIL A POTATO;" OR, THE IGNORANT HOUSEKEEPER, AND HOW SHE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE: Part II.
OUR TOUR IN NORTH ITALY.
CHILD ISLAND: Chapter 2.
SCHOOL LUNCHEONS.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
MERLE'S CRUSADE.
By ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY, Author of "AuntDiana," "For Lilias," etc.
"I WAS UNDRESSING THE BOY BY THE BEDROOM FIRE."CHAPTER V.
MRS. GARNETT'S ROCKERS.
I had plenty of time for such introspectivethoughts as these during mybrief railway journey, and before myluggage and I were safely depositedat 35, Queen's[Pg 82]Gate.
Again I rang the bell, and again thefootman in plush and powder answeredthe door, but this time there was nohesitation in his manner.
"Miss Fenton, I believe," he said,quite civilly. "If you step into thewaiting-room a moment I will find someoneto show you the way to the nursery,"and in two or three minutes a tall, respectableyoung woman came to me,and asked me, very pleasantly, to followher upstairs.
On the way she mentioned two orthree things; her mistress was out inthe carriage, and Miss Joyce was withher. The nurse had left the previousnight, and Master Reginald had beenso fretful that the housekeeper had beenobliged to sleep with him, as Hannahhad been no manner of use—"girls neverwere," with a toss of her head, whichshowed me the rosy-cheeked Hannahwas somewhat in disfavour. Mrs. Garnettwas with him now, and had had a"great deal of trouble in lulling him offto sleep, the pretty dear."
We had reached the children's corridorby this time, and I heard the full, cosytones of Mrs. Garnett's voice in "Husha bye, baby," and the sound of rockerson the floor. The sound made me indignantthat my baby should be soothedwith that wooden tapping. No wonderso many