CHAPTER TWENTY Getting to Know the Rivers Family
I stayed one month at Moor House. In that time, I came to love the little house, and the wild, beautiful fields around it, just like Diana and Mary did. We read books together and talked about them. Diana began to teach me the German language, and I helped Mary with her drawing. We were very much alike, so we spent the days and nights very happily together.
But St. John hardly ever spent time with us. He was usually visiting poor and sick people in a little village called Morton, near to our house. Even if the rain fell and the wind blew, he always went there. I did not think St. John was a happy person. Often, I would see him staring out the window with a sad look on his face.
I knew that Diana and Mary were planning to leave Moor House soon, to work as governesses. St. John and Hannah the old lady would go back to church man’s house in Morton. I knew my time at Moor House was almost over. I asked St. John if he had found any work for me.
“yes,” he said, “but it is a job with little money, so you may not want it. I would like to open a girls’ school in the town of Morton. I have a building for the school, and there is a small house for the teacher to live in. a lady named Miss Oliver has kindly paid for the house’s furniture. Will you come to Morton, and teach at the school? You would pay no money to live in the house. But you would receive thirty pounds a year, and no more.
I thought for a moment. This work was not as good as working for an important family, but at least I would be independent. “Thank you, Mr. Rivers, I would be happy to teach in you school,” I said.
“But you do understand?” St. John asked, a little worried. “It will only be a village school. The girls in your school will be poor and uneducated. You’ll be teaching reading, writing, counting, and sewing.”
“I understand, and I’ll be happy to do it,” I answered.
He smiled. He seemed very pleased with me.
“And I’ll open the school tomorrow, if you like,” I added.
“Very good,” he said. “But I don’t think you’ll stay at the Morton school for very long.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked. “I am happy to stay here, although I think you are not.”
He looked surprised. “You’re right. I’d like to leave here. But how did you know that about me? No, I think you won’t like living in Morton, because you need people around you.” He said no more.
When it was time for everyone to leave Moor House Diana and Mary were sad.
“You see, Jane,” Diana told me, “St. John will leave England soon, to travel in other countries and teach people about God. Mary and I won’t wee him for many years--- maybe we’ll never see him again! He’s a very determined and brave person. I know he’s doing God’s work, but it will break my heart to see him go!” and she began to cry.
Mary said sadly, “We have lost our father. Now we’ll lose our brother too!”
Just then St. John came into the room with a letter. “Our uncle John is dead,” he said. Diana and Mary did not look sad. St. John gave them the letter to read, but then they all looked at each other.
“Well,” said Diana, “I suppose we don’t really need any more money, anyway.”
“Yes,” said St. John, “but if we had that money, how different our lives would be!” he left the room.
After a few moments Diana looked at me. “Jane, you are probably surprised that we are not sad because Uncle John has died. He was our mother’s brother. Years ago, he and my father quarreled with each other. My father lost all his money, but my uncle became very rich. Uncle john did not marry and had no children. He had no other family except for us and one other person, who we do not know. My father always hoped that Uncle John would help us when he died, by giving us his money. But it seems that this other person has gotten everything. Of course we didn’t really expect anything. Uncle John disliked my father, so he probably did not want to help us. But Mary and I would have been able to help so many poor people around the world!” she said nothing else and soon left the room.
The next day, the Rivers family returned to their work. And I moved to the school in Morton. |