Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 10, 2025
And she looked forward too, for Lilac's sake, and saw in years to come her proudest hope fulfilled her child grown to be a self-respecting useful woman, who could work for herself and need be beholden to no one. She had no higher ambition for her; but this she had set her heart on, she should not become lazy, vain, helpless, like her cousins the Greenways.
Father was always cross on market days, and it did not impress her in the least to be called lazy; she was far more interested in the fate of her velveteen dress than in the quality of the butter. But this was not the case with Mrs Greenways. To hear that Benson had threatened not to take the butter was a real as well as a new trouble, and alarmed her greatly.
It must therefore be something out of the common, they concluded; and before long it appeared that it was the presence of Lilac that kept Mrs Greenways silent. She threw angry looks at her, full of discontent, and presently, unable to control herself longer, said sharply: "When you've finished, Lilac, I want you to run to Dimbleby's for me. I forgot the starch.
"I can't somehow bring my tongue to it," she said to herself; "and the better she behaves the less I can do it." One day the farmer came back from Lenham in a good humour. "Benson asked if we'd got a new dairymaid," he said to his wife; "the butter's always good now. Which of 'em does it?" "Oh," said Mrs Greenways carelessly, "the girls manage it between 'em, and I look it over afore it goes."
"Couldn't spare him neither," was Peter's answer. "Heavy crop. Want all the hands we can get." Bella pouted and Agnetta looked on the edge of tears. Mrs Greenways, anxious to settle matters comfortably, made another suggestion. "Well, you must just drive yourselves then, Bella. The white horse is quiet. I've drove him often."
So she allowed the visits to go on, and contented herself by many a word in season and many a pointed practical lesson. The Greenways were seldom mentioned, but they were, nevertheless, very often in the minds of both mother and daughter. This morning she was thinking of a much more pleasant subject. "How was the artist gentleman getting along with Lilac's picture?
This scolding on the top of much excitement and disappointment was more than she could bear, but still she felt she must defend the Greenways from blame. "It was my fault," she sobbed. "I thought as how it would look nicer." "The many and many times," pursued Mrs White, drying her hands vigorously on a rough towel, "as I've tried to make you understand what's respectable and right and fitting!
"Well, I'll go and have a look round for Peter," he said; "and p'r'aps you'll send Lilac up one day to see me. She was always a favourite of mine, was Lilac White. And I'd a deal of respect for her poor mother too. Any day as suits your convenience." "Oh, she can come any day as for that, Mr Snell," replied Mrs Greenways with a little toss of her head.
It stood back from the road and hid itself from the picnickers' gaze in lovely garments of trees and green vines that would take the envious newly-sprung cottage ten years at least to imitate. Yet "Greenways" had never looked crude and painful as the naked places about did, even when it emerged years ago fresh from the hands of the local builder.
With a great effort she managed to say carelessly: "It don't matter just now, Lilac. Sit down and get your tea." But Mr Greenways quite spoilt the effect of this speech. "No, no," he called out. "Let her speak. Let's hear what she's got to say. Here's Mr Snell'd like to hear it too. Speak out, Lilac." Thus encouraged, Lilac turned a little towards her uncle and Joshua.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking