A Penniless Girl; A Novel (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXL "ONLY A PENNILESS GIRL." Winter had come. The little Moravian village lay lonely under the leafless trees; through their bare boughs the distant mountains could plainly be discerned, their summits already glistening with snow. In the Institute the Thuringian beech logs were crackling in the stoves, and the lamps were lighted early in the afternoon. Elsie von Hegebach was coming out of the schoolroom, and about thirty little girls came running round and past her out into the new-fallen snow, where they shouted with glee and instantly began pelting one another with snow-balls. The young girl stood for a while on the threshold of the open door, looking on at the flying missiles and listening to the children's cries of joy. A smile flitted across her pale face; she had once been like one of these. She inhaled deep draughts of the invigorating snowy air; it was delicious after the close school-room. At last she walked directly across the garden to one of the wings of the building, mounted the M 23 265 creaking stairs, and in a moment was alone in her room. The dearest hours of her day had come. She could either read, or write letters, or sit at the window and gaze far out over the landscape and think--well, of what does one think when one is alone, and near at hand a violin is singing sweet old melodies? Miss Brown, the English teacher, always extemporized for an hour on the violin at this time of the afternoon. Sometimes Elsie could not listen; those were the days when heartache and longing overwhelmed her and it seemed impossible that she should go on for ever and ever leading this weary life. Then her poor head burned and throbbed, her heart ached, and so did her eyes with weeping. And she could not help asking herself, why--why should she have ...