Rufus and Rose; Or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready

by Jr. Horatio Alger

  CHAPTER VI.

  A NEW HOME.

  At an early hour the next morning Miss Manning, accompanied by Rufus andRose, ascended Mrs. Clayton's steps, and rang the bell.

  The summons was answered directly by a servant.

  "Is Mrs. Clayton at home?" inquired Miss Manning.

  "Yes; you're Mrs. Colman's new governess, aint you?"

  "I am; but I would like to see Mrs. Clayton first."

  "Come in, and I'll call her."

  The three remained standing in the hall, awaiting the appearance of thelandlady.

  Rufus surveyed the interior of the house, so far as he could see it,with evident approval. Not that the house compared with the homes ofmany of my young readers who are favored by fortune. It was notmagnificent, but it was neat, and well furnished, and looked bright andcheerful. To Rufus it appeared even elegant. He had a glimpse of theparlor through the half-opened door, and it certainly was so, comparedwith the humble boarding-house in Franklin Street, not to mention themiserable old tenement house on Leonard Street, which the readers of"Rough and Ready" will easily remember.

  "I say, Miss Manning, this is jolly," said Rufus, in a tone ofsatisfaction.

  "Isn't it a nice house, Rufie?" said little Rose.

  "Yes, it is, Rosie;" and Rough and Ready, to call him for once by hisold name, felt happy in the thought that his little sister, whose life,thus far, had been passed in a miserable quarter of the city, would nowbe so much more favorably situated.

  At this moment Mrs. Clayton made her appearance.

  "Good-morning, Miss Manning," she said, cordially; "I am sorry theservant left you standing in the hall. Good-morning, my dear,"addressing Rose; "is this young man your brother?"

  "He is my brother," said Rose; "but he isn't a young man. He's a boy."

  Rufus smiled.

  "Maybe I'll be a young man in twenty or thirty years," he said. "MissManning tells me," he continued, "that you have a small room which youwill let for five dollars a week with board."

  "Yes," said the landlady; "my price has always been five and a half, butas your sister would like to have you here, I will say five to you."

  "Can I look at it?"

  "Yes, I will go up and show it to you at once."

  They followed Mrs. Clayton up two flights of stairs. The door of thevacant room was already open. It was a hall bedroom of ordinary size.The head of the bed was on the same side as the door, the room beingjust wide enough for it. Between the foot of the bed and the window, buton the opposite side, was a bureau with a mirror. There were a washstandand a couple of chairs beside it. A neat carpet covered the floor, andthe window was screened by a shade.

  "You see it is pretty good size for a hall bedroom," said the landlady."There is no closet, but you can hang your clothes on that row of pegs.If there are not enough, I will have some more put in."

  "I think there will be enough," said Rufus, thinking, as he spoke, ofhis limited wardrobe. He was not much better off than the man whocarried all his clothes on his back, and so proclaimed himselfindependent of trunk-makers.

  "Well, Rufus, what do you think of the room?" asked Miss Manning.

  "I'll take it," said our hero, promptly. He had been on the point ofcalling it _bully_, when it occurred to him that perhaps such a wordmight not be the most appropriate under the circumstances.

  "When will you come, Mr. ----?" here the landlady hesitated, not havingbeen made acquainted with the last name of our new boarder. Here itoccurs to me that as yet our hero has not been introduced by his fullname, although this is the second volume of his adventures. It is quitetime that this neglect was remedied.

  "Rushton," said Rufus.

  "When will you take possession of the room, Mr. Rushton?"

  "I'll be here to-night to dinner," said Rufus, "Maybe I won't send mytrunk round till to-morrow."

  "I didn't know you had a trunk, Rufie," said Rose, innocently.

  "I don't carry my trunk round all the time like an elephant, Rosy," saidher brother, a little embarrassed by his sister's revelation, for hewanted to keep up appearances in his new character as a boarder at anup-town boarding-house.

  "Rufus, wouldn't you like to go up and see my room?" interposed MissManning; "it's on the next floor, but, though rather high up, I thinkyou will like it."

  This opportune interruption prevented Rose from making any furtherreference to the trunk.

  So they proceeded upstairs.

  Though Mr. Colman had not yet sent in the additional furniture promisedby his wife, the room was looking bright and pleasant. The carpet had arich, warm tint, and everything looked, as the saying is, as neat as apin.

  "This is to be my room," said Miss Manning, with satisfaction,--"my roomand Rosy's. I hope you will often come up to visit us. How do you likeit?"

  "Bully," said Rufus, admiringly, unconsciously pronouncing the forbiddenword.

  "I think we shall be very comfortable here," said Miss Manning.

  Here a child's step was heard upon the stairs, and Jennie Colmanentered.

  "Mamma would like to see you downstairs, Miss Manning," she said.

  "Good-morning, my dear," said her new governess. "Rufus, this is one ofmy pupils."

  "Is that your husband, Miss Manning?" asked Jennie, surveying Rufus withattention.

  Rufus laughed, and Miss Manning also.

  "He would be rather a young husband for me, Jennie," she said. "He ismore suitable for you."

  "I am not old enough to be married yet," she answered, gravely; "butperhaps I will marry him some time. I like his looks."

  Rufus blushed a little, not being in the habit of receiving complimentsfrom young ladies.

  "Have you got that doll for me, Jennie?" asked Rose, introducing thesubject which had the greatest interest for her.

  "Yes, I've got it downstairs, in mamma's room."

  They went down, and at the door of Mrs. Colman's room Miss Manning said,"Won't you come in, Rufus? I will introduce you to Mrs. Colman."

  "Yes, come in," said Jennie, taking his hand.

  But Rufus declined, feeling bashful about being introduced.

  "It's time for me to go to the office," he said; "some other time willdo."

  "You'll be here in time for dinner, Rufus?"

  "Yes," said our hero, and putting on his hat he made his escape, feelingconsiderably relieved when he was fairly in the open air.

  "I s'pose I'll get used to it after a while," he said to himself.

  "I am glad you have come, Miss Manning," said Mrs. Colman, extending herhand. "You will be able to relieve me of a great deal of my care. Thechildren are good, but full of spirits, and when I have one of mynervous headaches, the noise goes through my head like a knife. I hopeyou won't find them a great deal of trouble."

  "I don't anticipate that," said the new governess, cheerfully; "I amfond of children."

  "Do you ever have the headache?"

  "Very seldom."

  "Then you are lucky. Children are a great trial at such a time."

  "Have you the headache this morning, Mrs. Colman?" asked Miss Manning,in a tone of sympathy.

  "Not badly, but I am seldom wholly free from it. Now suppose we talk alittle of our plans. It is time the children were beginning to learn toread. Can your little girl read?"

  "A little; not very much."

  "I suppose it will be better not to require them to study more than anhour or two a day, just at first. The rest of the time you can lookafter them. I am afraid you will find it quite an undertaking."

  "I am not afraid of that," said Miss Manning, cheerfully.

  "The children have no books to study from. Perhaps you had better takethem out for a walk now, and stop on your way at some Broadwaybookseller's, and get such books as you think they will need."

  "Very well."

  "Are we going out to walk?" said Jennie. "I shall like that."

  "And I too," said Carrie.

  "I hope you won't give Miss Manning any trouble," said their mothe
r."Here is some money to pay for the books;" and she handed the newgoverness a five-dollar bill.

  The children were soon ready, and their new governess went on with them.She congratulated herself on the change in her mode of life. When solelydependent on her labors as a seamstress, she had been compelled to sithour after hour, from early morning until evening, sewing steadily, andthen only earned enough to keep soul and body together. What wonder ifshe became thin, and her cheek grew pale, losing the rosy tint which itwore, when as a girl she lived among the hills of New England! Bettertimes had come to her at length. She would probably be expected tospend considerable time daily out of doors, as her pupils were too youngto study much or long at a time. It was a blessed freedom, so she felt,and she was sure that she should enjoy the society of the two littlegirls, having a natural love for children. She did not expect to likethem as well as Rose, for Rose seemed partly her own child, but shedidn't doubt that she should ere long become attached to them.

  Then, again, she would not only enjoy an agreeable home, but for thefirst time would receive such compensation for her services as to bequite at ease in her pecuniary circumstances. Five dollars a week mightnot be a large sum to a lady with expensive tastes; but Miss Manning hadthe art of appearing well dressed for a small sum, and, as she made herown clothes, she estimated that three dollars a week would clothe both,and enable her to save two dollars weekly, or a hundred dollars a year.This was indeed a bright prospect to one who had been engaged in ahand-to-hand struggle with poverty for the last five years.

  She went into a Broadway bookstore, and purchased primers for her newpupils, and a more advanced reading-book for Rose. At the end of an hourthey returned home. They found an express wagon at the door. Two menwere lifting out a sofa and a rocking-chair.

  "They are for your room, Miss Manning," said Jennie. "I heard ma tell pathis morning, to stop at a furniture place and buy them."

  Mr. Colman had certainly been prompt, for, though it was still early,here they were.

  When they were carried upstairs, and placed in her room, Miss Manninglooked about her with pardonable pride and satisfaction. Though the roomwas on the fourth floor, it looked quite like a parlor. She felt thatshe should take great comfort in so neat and pleasant a room. It was agreat contrast to her dull, solitary, laborious life in the shabby room,for which, poor as it was, she oftentimes found it difficult to providethe weekly rent.

  There were no lessons that morning, for Miss Manning had her trunk tounpack, and Rose's clothes and her own to lay away in thebureau-drawers. She had about completed this work when the bell rangfor lunch. Taking Rose by the hand, she led her downstairs to thebasement, where, as is common in New York boarding-houses, thedining-room was situated.

  There were five ladies and children at the table, the gentlemen beingobliged, on account of the distance, to take their lunch down town,somewhere near their places of business.

  "You may take this seat, Miss Manning," said the landlady, indicatingone near herself. "Your little girl can sit between us, and Jennie andCarrie on the other side. I will trouble you to take care of them. Theirmother seldom comes down to lunch."

  The repast was plain but plentiful, the principal meal, dinner, being atsix, an hour more convenient for men of business. I state this for thebenefit of those of my readers who live in the country, and areaccustomed to take dinner in the middle of the day.

  Miss Manning was introduced to Mrs. Pratt, a stout, elderly lady, with apleasant face, who sat opposite her; to Mrs. Florence, a young ladyrecently married, who sat at her left; and to Mrs. Clifton, formerlyMiss Peyton, who, as well as her husband, will be remembered by thereaders of the second and third volumes of this series. Mr. Clifton kepta dry goods store on Eighth Avenue.

  In the afternoon, Miss Manning gave her first lesson, and succeeded ininteresting her young pupils, who proved quite docile, and seemed tohave taken a fancy to their new governess.

  Meanwhile Rufus had succeeded in making an arrangement which promised toadd to his weekly income. Of this an account will be given in the nextchapter.