Marion Berkley: A Story for Girls, Page 2

  CHAPTER II.

  SCHOOL.

  Miss Stiefbach and her sister Christine, were two excellent Germanladies who, owing to a sudden reverse of fortune, were obliged to leavetheir mother-country, hoping to find means of supporting themselves inAmerica. They were most kindly received by the gentlemen to whom theybrought letters of introduction, and with their assistance they had beenable to open a school for young ladies; and now, at the end of sevenyears, they found themselves free from debt, and at the head of one ofthe best boarding-schools in the United States.

  Miss Stiefbach, the head and director of the establishment, was a stern,cold, forbidding woman; acting on what she considered to be the moststrictly conscientious principles, but never unbending in the slightestdegree her frigid, repelling manner. To look at her was enough to havetold you her character at once. She was above the medium height,excessively thin and angular in her figure, and was always dressed insome stiff material, which, as Marion Berkley expressed it, "looked asif it had been starched and frozen, and had never been thawed out."

  Miss Christine was fifteen years her junior, and her exact opposite inappearance as well as in disposition: she was short and stout, androsy-cheeked, not at all pretty; but having such a kind smile, such athoroughly good-natured face, that the girls all thought she was reallybeautiful, and would feel more repentance at one of her grieved looks,than they would for forty of Miss Stiefbach's frigid reprimands. Andwell they might love her, for she certainly was a kind friend to them.Many a school-girl trick or frolic had she concealed, which, if it hadcome under the searching eyes of her sister, would have secured theperpetrators as stern a rebuke, and perhaps as severe a punishment, asif they had committed some great wrong.

  Miss Stiefbach's school was by no means what is generally called a"fashionable school." The parents of the young girls who went therewished that their daughters should receive not only a sound education,but that they should be taught many useful things not always included inthe list of a young lady's accomplishments.

  There were thirty scholars, ranging from the ages of seventeen to ten;two in each room. They were obliged to make their own beds, and take allthe care of their rooms, except the sweeping. Every Saturday morningthey all assembled in the school-room to darn their stockings, and dowhatever other mending might be necessary. Formerly Miss Stiefbachherself had superintended their work, but for the last year she had putit under the charge of Miss Christine; an arrangement which wasextremely pleasing to the girls, making for them a pleasant pastime ofwhat had always been an irksome duty. After their mending was done, andtheir Bible lesson for the following Sabbath learned, the rest of theday was at their own disposal. Those who had friends in the neighborhoodgenerally went to visit them; while the others took long walks, oroccupied themselves in doing whatever best pleased them. There were ofcourse some restrictions; but these were so slight, and so reasonable,that no one ever thought of complaining, and the day was almost alwaysone of real enjoyment. Miss Stiefbach herself was an Episcopalian, andalways required that every one, unless prevented by illness, shouldattend that church in the morning; but, in the afternoon, any girl whowished might go to any other church, first signifying her intention toone or the other of the sisters.

  Some of Miss Stiefbach's ancestors had suffered from religiouspersecutions in Germany, and, although she felt it her duty to have herscholars attend what she considered to be the "true church," she couldnot have it on her conscience to be the means of preventing any one fromworshipping God in whatever manner their hearts dictated.