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The Good French Governess
by
“I love questions in arithmetic,” exclaimed Matilda, “when they are not too difficult!” and immediately she whispered to Mad. de Rosier the answer to this easy question.
Her exclamation was not lost;–Mad. de Rosier determined to cultivate her talents for arithmetic. Without fatiguing Matilda’s attention by long exercises in the common rules, she gave her questions which obliged her to think, and which excited her to reason and to invent; she gradually explained to her pupil the relations of numbers, and gave her rather more clear ideas of the nature and use of the common rules of arithmetic than she had acquired from her writing-master, who had taught them only in a technical manner. Matilda’s confidence in herself was thus increased. When she had answered a difficult question, she could not doubt that she had succeeded; this was not a matter that admitted of the uncertainty which alarms timid tempers. Mad. de Rosier began by asking her young arithmetician questions only when they were by themselves–but by and by she appealed to her before the rest of the family. Matilda coloured at first, and looked as if she knew nothing of the business; but a distinct answer was given at last, and Isabella’s opinions of her sister’s abilities rose with amazing rapidity, when she heard that Matilda understood decimal fractions.
“Now, my dear Matilda,” said Mad. de Rosier, “since you understand what even Isabella thinks difficult, you will, I hope, have sufficient confidence in yourself to attempt things which Isabella does not think difficult.”
Matilda shook her head–“I am not Isabella yet,” said she.
“No!” cried Isabella, with generous, sincere warmth; “but you are much superior to Isabella: I am certain that I could not answer those difficult questions, though you think me so quick–and, when once you have learned any thing, you never forget it; the ideas are not superficial,” continued Isabella, turning to Mad. de Rosier; “they have depth, like the pins in mosaic work.”
Mad. de Rosier smiled at this allusion, and, encouraged by her smile, Isabella’s active imagination immediately produced another simile.
“I did not know my sister’s abilities till lately–till you drew them out, Mad. de Rosier, like your drawing upon the screen in sympathetic inks;–when you first produced it, I looked, and said there was nothing; and when I looked again, after you had held it to the fire for a few moments, beautiful colours and figures appeared.”
Mad. de Rosier, without using any artifice, succeeded in making Isabella and Matilda friends, instead of rivals, by placing them, as much as possible, in situations in which they could mutually sympathize, and by discouraging all painful competition.
With Herbert and Favoretta she pursued a similar plan. She scarcely ever left them alone together, that she might not run the hazard of their quarrelling in her absence. At this age children have not sufficient command of their tempers–they do not understand the nature of society and of justice: the less they are left together, when they are of unequal strength, and when they have not any employments in which they are mutually interested, the better. Favoretta and Herbert’s petty, but loud and violent disputes, had nearly ceased since these precautions had been regularly attended to. As they had a great deal of amusement in the few hours which they spent together, they grew fond of each other’s company: when Herbert was out in his little garden, he was impatient for the time when Favoretta was to come to visit his works; and Favoretta had equal pleasure in exhibiting to her brother her various manufactures.
Mad. de Rosier used to hear them read in Mrs. Barbauld’s excellent little books, and in “Evenings at Home;” she generally told them some interesting story when they had finished reading, and they regularly seated themselves, side by side, on the carpet, opposite to her.
One day Herbert established himself in what he called his ” happy corner,” Favoretta placed herself close beside him, and Mad. de Rosier read to them that part of Sandford and Merton in which Squire Chace is represented beating Harry Sandford unmercifully because he refused to tell which way the hare was gone. Mad. de Rosier observed that this story made a great impression upon Herbert, and she thought it a good opportunity, whilst his mind was warm, to point out the difference between resolution and obstinacy. Herbert had been formerly disposed to obstinacy; but this defect in his temper never broke out towards Mad. de Rosier, because she carefully avoided urging him to do those things to which she knew him to be adverse; and she frequently desired him to do what she knew would be agreeable to him: she thought it best to suffer him gradually to forget his former bad habits and false associations, before she made any trial of his obedience; then she endeavoured to give him new habits, by placing him in new situations. She now resolved to address herself to his understanding, which she perceived had opened to reason.