SOME friends of Mrs. N., who lived in the south of Ireland, and had visited her during Rachel's stay, hearing of the changes, wrote to Rachel asking her to come to their house till she could find another situation. These people meant well, and no doubt thought to do Rachel a kindness. They were business people, who had risen from penury. The female portion of the family, being the eldest, had received no education whatever, and had risen to affluence, but were evidently purse-proud. Fortunate speculations enabled them for a time to carry a high hand. It pleased them to be in a position to patronize the handsome governess.
One day, towards evening, after a pleasant passage, Rachel arrived at the station, situated seven miles from the residence of these people. The family consisted of an aged father, two brothers, and three sisters. The carriage was waiting for Rachel. The eldest sister, a prim woman of forty, was seated in the vehicle waiting for her visitor, who felt, after the journey, ready for a warm welcome But no, only a stiff bow, and an icy pressure of the hand. All their actions were so studied, trying to act as ladies, and failing in the unnatural effort.
How pleasant is the grasp of true friendship! How warm the welcome that a true genial heart bestows!
Rachel was driven along a road almost close to a lovely lough, with the beautiful hills on the right. She was glad to turn from the unnatural to that which was nature itself. And as she gazed at those everlasting hills, she lifted her heart in her loneliness (for this she felt, although situated as she was) to the Maker of all the beauty she beheld around her. Rachel wanted a home for the time being so the warm-hearted girl tried to crush her feelings.
At last the carriage and its occupants arrived at the gate of the house, and then drove up the road leading to it. The dwelling was a pretty one-storied villa, the front of which faced the lovely lough, and overlooked the mountains on the opposite side, where many a legend connected with them was often told with interest by an intelligent car-driver.
When Rachel entered, the same coldness displayed by her companion pervaded everything.
At the dinner-table one and all were unnatural. Rachel pitied them, and felt if they could have only acted from Christian principles, and have broken through this unnatural reserve, the home would have been a bright one. She felt it impossible to be happy there. The patronage stung her. Still her refinement and good taste kept her from betraying her feeling. She was taken to her room, where the same coldness was displayed in everything.
The next day her sensitiveness was wounded by the coarseness and rudeness of these people, who seemed not to know that they had done anything amiss. Rachel was made to feel her position.
A few days after, a telegram was received informing them that a brother and his wife from Australia had arrived; also the young wife's sister, and would be with them in a few hours. The wife was well educated and refined, but with no experience in things of the world; she had much to suffer. Brought up in the midst of refinement, but with simplicity, for her parents were not rich, she, like Rachel, felt the coarseness of the sisters-in-law. Rachel bore, however, with true Christian fortitude. The poor little wife was so unhappy, that her husband took some pleasant lodgings at the mountain-side, and where for a time all were free from the uncongenial atmosphere of coarseness, pomposity, and purse-proud relatives. Rachel often paid them a visit, and found pleasure in the society of sweet Ada H., the wife's sister; but Ada at last went to England to visit some of her mother's relatives, and while there her sweet face attracted the heart of an intelligent young man of business, and poor Ada had at last a home of her own, and thus Rachel became a companion for a time to the lonely wife, whose husband's business called him much from home.
It will be wondered why Rachel paid a visit to these comparative strangers. She had not known much of Christian people, and being real herself, she gave others who professed the Christian faith credit for the same. These friends gave away tracts, visited the sick, and bestowed their means on those who needed. But they were not happy. Like many others who have not wholly given up the world, position and appearances to be maintained were their first object—not Christ. Riches do not always last, as has been already seen. They took wings and flew. Flood caused a great deal of damage on estates in Australia that brought in these people's revenues. And thus, the once prosperous family knew again the touch of poverty. They had had means, and an opportunity to cultivate the mind; they had not done so, and when their riches were gone they were in a worse position than at the beginning. An aimless life is not a happy one. The God-given talents are often buried, and the possessor wakes up to find that he has been of no use to himself or to others, and with hopes blighted, intellect weakened, and powers decayed, it is then too late to retrieve, not too late, however, to fly to Him who says, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." Let, us hope that Rachel's friends learned their lesson. These changes of circumstances occurred after Rachel left them.
During her visit with these Irish friends, Rachel was beginning to be stumbled. Two or three frequent lady visitors, instead of talking of Jesus, whom she had learned to love so well, were always conversing on their neighbors' shortcomings, or on doctrinal points, that to Rachel's mathematical turn of mind seemed to possess such an infinitesimal element that the young girl felt if she waded into it, she would have no time to work for her Savior. These ladies seemed to have no object in life whatever. They never sought to improve the mind, and their faces seemed to wear such an unhappy, forbidding look, that did not commend their Christianity to Rachel in any way.
These people would have no intercourse with any, except with those who saw eye to eye with them in everything, until their circle got so narrow, their only horizon themselves; hence they seemed to be so occupied with themselves that the note of praise so often sung by Rachel was quite forgotten by them. Rachel did not want however to be dwelling on unhealthy surroundings. She had been expecting too much from Christians, and had therefore been disappointed. Her only experience of real Christianity had been with Reginald Stevenson.
The inmates and friends of the house she had left did not commend their Christianity to her, and her Irish friends were no better. When she thought of her dear departed grandsire, oh! how she wished to be with him, but then came the thought, Cannot I find happiness in doing my Master's will, in trying to make others happy, instead of pleasing myself? Cannot I give out to others, instead of expecting so much from them?
She had written to scholastic agencies, but nothing turned up for her. Then came the desire to be a missionary. How could this be accomplished? She did not want to be connected with any society. Having saved a few pounds, she thought of emigrating, and endeavoring to open a school in one of the colonies. She was always firm in her resolves, and after seeking guidance from her God and Father, she watched for an opportunity to carry them out.
She now opened her heart to a Christian lady, whom she had met on one or two occasions, and who had gained her confidence. This lady said to Rachel, "When I first saw you, I thought what a field of labor that young lady would have in opening a school in the town I have just left." Mrs. A. told Rachel that she had only recently returned from S—, a now favorite resort in the Canary Islands. There were many Spanish and Portuguese residents, but a number of English families, who had gone there to reside for a time, in order to retrench, had no school to send their children to, with the exception of one kept by a native, and although very few of these English residents ever thought of eternal things, they were not willing for their children to imbibe Roman Catholicism. The lady said also, that she knew, about sixty miles from S—, the town in question, a Christian clergyman and his wife-people who had given up worldly position out of love to the Savior, and had gone out to a spot, beautiful indeed in itself, to be among a few inhabitants to try and point them the way of salvation.
Mrs. A. told Rachel she would write to them, feeling sure they would welcome her. She did write, and quickly received a reply, enclosing a letter to Rachel, asking her to come as soon as possible and she would find a glad welcome.