Tuesday 9 December 2008

Where has all the money gone?

"What do I want?  A new place, in a new house, amongst new faces, under new circumstances: I want this because it is of no use wanting anything better.  How do people do to get a new place?  They apply to friends, I suppose: I have no friends.  There are many others who have no friends, who must look about for themselves and be their own helpers; and what is their resource?"  I could not tell: nothing answered me; I then ordered my brain to find a response, and quickly.  It worked and worked faster: I felt the pulses throb in my head and temples; but for nearly an hour it worked in chaos; and no result came of its efforts.  Feverish with vain labour, I got up and took a turn in the room; undrew the curtain, noted a star or two, shivered with cold, and again crept to bed.  A kind fairy, in my absence, had surely dropped the required suggestion on my pillow; for as I lay down, it came quietly and naturally to my mind.--"Those who want situations advertise; you must advertise in the _---shire Herald_."  "How?  I know nothing about advertising."  Replies rose smooth and prompt now:--  "You must enclose the advertisement and the money to pay for it under a cover directed to the editor of the _Herald_; you must put it, the first opportunity you have, into the post at Lowton; answers must be addressed to J.E., at the post-office there; you can go and inquire in about a week after you send your letter, if any are come, and act accordingly."  This scheme I went over twice, thrice; it was then digested in my mind; I had it in a clear practical form: I felt satisfied, and fell asleep.  With earliest day, I was up: I had my advertisement written, enclosed, and directed before the bell rang to rouse the school; it ran thus:--  "A young lady accustomed to tuition" (had I not been a teacher two years?) "is desirous of meeting with a situation in a private family where the children are under fourteen (I thought that as I was barely eighteen, it would not do to undertake the guidance of pupils nearer my own age).  She is qualified to teach the usual branches of a good English education, together with French, Drawing, and Music" (in those days, reader, this now narrow catalogue of accomplishments, would have been held tolerably comprehensive).  "Address, J.E., Post-office, Lowton, --- shire."  This document remained locked in my drawer all day: after tea, I asked leave of the new superintendent to go to Lowton, in order to perform some small commissions for myself and one or two of my fellow-teachers; permission was readily granted; I went.  It was a walk of two miles, and the evening was wet, but the days were still long; I visited a shop or two, slipped the letter into the post-office, and came back through heavy rain, with streaming garments, but with a relieved heart.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Hannah
    Thanks for the visit and your comments. Mmmmm... that last question...."where does all the money go?" I am still trying to answer that one - it just does. I my student days I would budget down to the last coke bottle. That would either be a movie ticket or another bottle of coke :)

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  2. Sorry to hear that you aren't so great at the moment, but it is good to hear that you are trying to be positive about Christmas. Make sure you keep writing, and get this stuff off your chest if there isn't anyone else to tell at the moment.

    Lola x

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  3. Im sorry that things arent going so well at the moment. Is there a university counselling service or support workers who could help you? Take care of yourself. Hannah X

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  4. Thanks everybody for the kind comments.

    Lola - Christmas is one of the things keeping me going at the moment and I will keep writing, this is really the only place I have to talk about everything. It's too much of a burden for my friends.

    Hannah - Thanks. There is a university counselling service but I don't know if I'd be able to get an appointment before Christmas. I'm seeing my CPN next week, but he's not usually very helpful!

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  5. 'All the little things mount up' - Don't they just?! Ruddy hell. Sometimes it's a bit of a shock how easily.

    Sorry to hear you're feeling so blah. I hope you can let it out with someone who seems like they understand soon - not just online though that has its merits, obviously.

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  6. Catatonic Kid - Thanks, I hope so too, it's just hard to find people who understand. I hate how all the little things mount up, it's stuff like bus fares and food that is making me broke!

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