RACHEL had, in the midst of all her trouble, a spirit of independence natural to her Jewish nature. She had, as the reader knows, received a liberal education; so she endeavored to obtain a situation as governess in a family, and was successful, but did not find there, however, a very congenial atmosphere. The family comprised the parents and five children. The three girls were committed to Rachel for her to educate. She found her task difficult, for the mother was a strong-minded woman of the world, and one whose strength of mind, or rather strength of will, led her often to do rash things. She had never had her will curbed, so could now ill-brook opposition. Mrs. N—allowed her children to read low-class novels, instead of training them morally and mentally, so that when the two elder girls were come to years when school books should have been almost put away, they were very far behind their companions. They had high notions of life, trying to realize what they had read in books; and also treated with contempt those who had no "blue blood" in their veins, forgetting that God has made all of one blood—that He is no respecter of persons. Still in His governmental laws there is order. He has said, "honor to whom honor is due," and He puts people in one position as masters, and in another as servants, and if each maintained their proper position aright under their one great Master, order would be the outcome.
"Blue blood" alone is not worthy of honor, unless accompanied by a corresponding nobility of character. On the other hand, how often do we see a person by his own talent, energy and perseverance so overcome difficulties as to rise to a rank far above that in which he was born. All honor, then, is due to him, not for what he is, but for how he acts. Many there are who have left us footprints on the sands of time, giving us heart and courage to try to achieve in some little measure that which they have done.
The father of the family in which Rachel was, had been in the business world, but by the advice of his wife (whose strong will always ruled her husband), had taken his capital and with it bought a large estate, where they thought to settle down in ease. But this was to be a short-lived pleasure.
To this place, one afternoon in the month of October, Rachel was driven. The autumn sun was shedding a red tinge on the fallen leaves. The clear air was Invigorating, and the blue heavens looked lovely.
The cab rolled on till it stopped outside a gate, which was opened by a woman at the lodge. Up the winding path of the park Rachel was driven, until she came to an avenue of trees which led directly to the hall door.
The door was opened by a prim looking woman of about thirty years of age, who evidently had not been accustomed to live with people of refinement, for she left Rachel standing in the hall, and called her mistress. Rachel was puzzled with this state of things. She was a Jewess, as the reader knows; but she was a true-born lady, and here the young girl was treated as a hireling, indeed, when she had known what it was to hold her sway in her grandfather's palatial dwelling.
By the house and all its surroundings one would have expected to see a retinue of servants, but the inmates had purchased a large domain, and had not the means to uphold it as it demanded, and instead of finding the ease they expected, their want of management and ignorance made their life one continual ferment.
Life is changing—one day those in affluence take the place of their inferiors; but all honor be to those who do so willingly and bravely, and endeavor by strength from on high to fight the battle of life. The educated woman, through circumstances over which she has no control, is to be sympathized with, who has to give up all, and oftentimes find a home with the really illiterate, but who possess withal the riches that once were her own.
Mrs. N. was not an illiterate woman, but she was not an educated one; she had a trifling knowledge of everything; nothing however did she fully understand, so that she was entirely unfitted to be a judge of another's work.
Rachel at last beheld a short, dark personage, possessed of great ostentation and self-possession founded on her estimate of herself, As to good society, she had only gathered a slight knowledge of its ways from books, so tried to act as a lady, not from the heart, but in imitation of others. The feint did not deceive Rachel, she at once saw the character of Mrs. N., and quickly formed her estimate.
Mrs. N., however, was possessed of shrewdness, and she at once felt instinctively that a lady stood before her. She felt proud of having such an inmate, and was very gracious to her.
She then led her into an elaborately furnished drawing-room, full of everything that money could purchase; but lacking that which betokened true refinement. After a few remarks as to the "dear girls," Rachel was shown to her own room.
At last she was left alone, and ere she divested herself of her hat and cloak, she knelt down and thanked the God of Israel for leading her here. She had acknowledged Him in her ways, and she felt that He had led her here; she buried her face in her hands and sobbed; not loud enough, however, to be heard by any but her Father and God. He heard and spoke sweet peace to the lonely orphan.
She brushed away the tears, and descended the stairs, and found her way into the garden, where she had been told the "dear girls" were. Soon Rachel saw them resting on a seat in the garden. They did not rise to greet her, but said one to another, "It is only the new governess." Their ages respectively were ten, twelve, and thirteen years. As Rachel approached the eldest, the latter felt she saw one who possessed a something that she did not, and this made her feel the more uncomfortable. The girls, of course, thought that Rachel would come and pander to them. No; she did not speak to her pupils, but passed on and waited for a formal introduction.
What a different meeting of teacher and pupil from that when Rachel first met Caroline, so many years before. We cannot always blame children for being unnatural, cold, and repulsive—it is all in the training—as we sow, so we reap; and fathers and mothers who know not how to train children only reap the consequences.
Rachel met the whole of the family at the tea table. The elder ones—two youths: the younger, a dark lad, who was not possessed of a great amount of intellect, and even that, he evidently had not cultivated; and his elder brother, by his pomposity and stronger will, had made him feel that he possessed a superior nature. They, much to Rachel's amusement, endeavored to make her feel their importance. She, however, with calm dignity, had taken her full estimate of their characters; she possessed a kindly nature, and felt sorry indeed to see these youths idling their time in fishing, boating-excursions, and novel reading.
Although so young, she had seen life in varied forms, and knew that riches did not last always, that they took to them wings and flew away. Some have many talents, some have few; but it is in the power of all to improve that which they possess. Time is but the beginning of eternity, and it is not our own, and those who neglect to make the proper use of the God-given time, will most assuredly, sooner or later, repent it. How many thousands are living at their ease on the wealth amassed by their forefathers, and who have no object outside themselves, and imagine that they are sent into the world to please and to gratify self. Still, watch the unsatisfied expression of some of these sons and daughters of ease. Are they happy? Ah! no; they have the same yearning for something more, as all have, ever longing, and are never satisfied until they are satisfied with the Bread of Life. Some we meet, however, in every-day life wearing a calm, heaven-born expression: they have been taught by the heavenly Teacher—that to do His will from the heart is the only path of happiness; to daily deny ourselves, not to please ourselves but Him, who has bought us with His precious blood. Surely a reasonable sacrifice it is, for us to give up our ransomed powers and selves to the glad service of our Redeemer. Then comes the peaceful, satisfied expression that nothing can give but calmly resting on the Rock of Ages—the tested Rock of Ages. What a firm foundation! What want we more? No matter what waves might beat on that Rock, what wild surges break, this Rock has always stood, and will stand forever, and will be our shield against this world's wild wintry blast!
“We’ll stem the storm, it won't last long,
Soon we'll anchor in the harbor.”
Cheer thee, thou lonely daughter of Judah! a few more troubles, a few more sorrows on this surf-beaten shore, and thy frail bark will be anchored at last in that blissful haven of eternal rest.