Page:Traits and Trials.pdf/256

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250
FRANCES BEAUMONT.

been lost in the country. Will Miss Beaumont write to fix what day she will arrive, as the house keeper is to meet her."

It was not the utter want of elegance in this even unlady-like note, but it was its want of any thing like encouragement. At that moment Fanny felt the full bitterness of the task she had undertaken. She would not think of this, she turned at once to the blessing of being able to support her mother, and just read enough of the note to fix attention on the amount of the salary, and the necessity of her immediate departure. Her plan had been for some time arranged in her own mind, and no obstacles intervened.

It was agreed that Mrs. Beaumont and Edith were to live at the farm-house we had before mentioned, and Fanny had the satisfaction of seeing them comfortably settled.

"I know," said Edith, (we use the expression say, to avoid perpetual recurrence to her methods of expression, which were either by talking on her fingers, or writing on her slate:) "that you are