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 'SCHOOL;' 
 
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 THE STORY OF BELLA MARKS. 
 
 _ __:ladelphia: J^f^ ^p^fe^ 
 
 >ER JOB PRINTING OFFICE. ^^''^^^T 
 1869. ^"^"/ll 
 
 LEDGl 
 
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 SCHOOL;' 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE STOHY OF BELLA MARKS. 
 
 T. W. ROBERTSON, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "home," " CASTE," " OURS," ETC. 
 
 yy 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 LEDGER JOB PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1869. 
 
 2y. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 
 
 JOSEPH E. JACKSON, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, 
 for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
 
SCHOOL;" 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE STORY OF BELLA MARKS". 
 
 The story of Cinderella will never grow old. 
 It has an indescribable enchantment when re- 
 hearsed at the fireside, or on the stage ; and 
 will live for all time in the charming melodies 
 by which the great Rossini has made it promi- 
 nent in lyric history. 
 
 The story we have to tell of Bella Marks 
 may not suirvive so long, or become so generally 
 known, but has an interest similar to that of 
 the heroine of the little glass slipper. 
 
 Bella's parents were born to affluence, but 
 the dissipation of her father, a wild, reckless 
 fellow, who married without x^arental sanction, 
 and by so doing was discarded, they early suf- 
 fered in the harassing trials which are the 
 inseparable companions of poverty. Her father 
 died shortly after Bella's birth, and her mother 
 survived him only a few years. She had found 
 a friend in a good old lady by the name of 
 Marks, whose home was in a town a short re- 
 move from London, who comforted her last 
 
hours, and adopted the little orphan who was 
 thus left to the charity of the world. 
 
 Bella grew in grace and beauty, and when 
 the good Mrs. Marks was no longer able to pro- 
 vide for her, the attention of Dr. Sutcliffe, 
 principal of a young ladies seminary adjacent 
 to the town, was attracted to the orphan, and 
 he kindly offered her a home. Here she soon 
 won the affection of the kindly doctor, and his 
 somewhat irascible wife, as well as the good 
 will of the young ladies who were pupils at 
 Cedar Grove, as the seminary was called. She 
 was loved by every one, including Mr. Krux, 
 the usher, a mean-spirited but ambitious rascal, 
 but by none more than Naomi Tighe, an or- 
 phan heiress. "Nummy" Tighe was Bella's 
 inseparable companion, and there was no joy 
 or sorrow which they did not share. 
 
 As Bella was not a boarder, but a dependent, 
 she was obliged to perform many duties from 
 which the other young ladies were exempt. 
 She was the best scholar in the school, yet was 
 expected to run of errands, milk the cows, help 
 the cook, and make herself useful in the various 
 needs of housework ; and in addition to these 
 works of a menial, she in time became a pri- 
 mary teacher, and gave much care and atten- 
 tion to the instruction of the younger scholars. 
 
 The boarders, however, courted her society, 
 and in all their recreations she was the leading 
 spirit. One of the most popular diversions was 
 I)ic-nic-ing in the grove near the seminary, 
 
where, tired of swinging and playing, they 
 would surround Bella, and call for a story. 
 Bella was an excellent reader, and the history 
 of Cinderella being her especial favorite, it was 
 so often repeated that the whole school grew 
 
 familiar with every incident pertaining to the 
 time when 
 
 "Once a prince there chanced to be 
 Who to marry, to marry had a mind." 
 
 In the grove, one day, when Cinderella had 
 been read, and the young ladies dispersed for 
 their rambles, Mr. Krux, the usher whom we 
 have mentioned, met Bella as she was return- 
 ing to the house on an errand, and declared his 
 ardent passion for the young lady. He spe- 
 
6 
 
 ciously pleaded that the Sutcliffe's were too old 
 to much longer continue the seminary, and, 
 were Bella his wife, they could manage the 
 institution to their mutual pleasure and advan- 
 tage. Of a nature noble, generous and grateful, 
 the proposal shocked Bella, and she indignantly 
 repelled the advance thus made by Krux, and 
 spoke so feelingly and with such force of his 
 baseness and heartlessness, that from a hopeful 
 lover he became an implacable enemy, and im- 
 proved every opportunity which subsequently 
 offered to harass, insult and injure the young 
 lady. 
 
 We must now introduce some other person- 
 ages of importance in our story. The first is 
 Mr. Percy Farintosh, an old gentleman of 
 wealth and fashion, the dissipation of whose 
 younger days have forced him to abstemious- 
 ness in his older ones ; but who is ambitious of 
 appearing the "beau," which his vanity has 
 induced his friends to call him. Mr. Farintosh, 
 as we first see him, is a padded, rouged and be- 
 wigged old gentleman, whose attempts at 
 youthful airiness of manner contrast strangely 
 with his manifold and manifest infirmities. 
 He is the owner of a " shooting-box" adjacent 
 to Cedar Grove Seminary, and has come from 
 London with his nephew, his nephew's friend, 
 and a retinue of servants, to pass a few days in 
 the country. 
 
 Beau Farintosh was a widower for many 
 years, and never having learned more of a son 
 
whom he had discarded than that he died, and 
 that his widow was also dead, with a vague 
 rumor that they had left behind them a child, 
 an orphan to the world, his nephew, Lord Ar- 
 thur Beaufoy, was regarded as heir presumptive 
 to his estates. Lord Arthur was really a splen- 
 did fellow, and his friend, Mr. Jack Poyntz, 
 was a young man of good family, very com- 
 
 panionable for his intelligence, probity and the 
 many varied accomplishments he j)ossessed. 
 Poyntz won laurels in the Crimea, where he 
 proved himself a gallant soldier. 
 
 We make the acquaintance of this trio of 
 gentlemen in the grove, where they have come 
 to partake of a lunch. The young men have 
 been shooting, and meet the Beau and his ser- 
 vants by appointment. The old gentleman is 
 
loquacious, and boastful of his youthful ex- 
 ploits ; but his age and infirmities prevents his 
 enjoying with the young men tlie edibles and 
 wines which his servants so bountifully offer. 
 During the lunch he mentioned the death of 
 his son, and his great anxiety to learn whether 
 his grandchild was dead or living. He would 
 give all he possessed to discover *' the offspring 
 of poor Fred's marriage." 
 
 He informed the young men that one object 
 of their present visit was the acceptance of an 
 invitation he had received from his old friends, 
 the Sutcliffe's, to be present at the examination 
 of their school ; and he was desirous that Ar- 
 tliur should make the acquaintance of Miss 
 Naomi Tighe (the heiress whom we have men- 
 tioned as Bella's friend), with a view to matri- 
 mony, as he had already obtained the sanction 
 of that young lady's guardians for the event if 
 it could be consummated. Arthur objected to 
 being pressed into the matrimonial harness, 
 whilst Poyntz avowed his willingness to ven- 
 ture anywhere, if plenty of money rewarded 
 the hazard. Both the young men expressed 
 their willingness to attend school, and left the 
 lunch to finish shooting, and the Beau was 
 escorted home by servants for his usual noon 
 repose. 
 
 We should have mentioned that Bella's out- 
 jDOuring of scorn on Krux was somewhat 
 abruptly ended by a report of firearms, which 
 gave her excuse for making a hasty exit from 
 
the grove ; and before the usher had recovered 
 from the chagrin consequent to his repulse, 
 Lord Arthur appeared, to inquire for his com- 
 panion, from whom he separated wliilst gun- 
 ning. Krux was in no mood for pleasant con- 
 verse, and also found excuse in a second report 
 from a gun to make a sudden departure. This 
 second shot was fired by Capt. Jack Poyntz, 
 who saw an infuriated bull in chase of two 
 young ladies, and killed the animal to save 
 them from harm. Bella and Naomi Tighe 
 were the parties thus protected, and in the 
 fright the former lost her own slipper and a 
 pair of overshoes she was carrying to Mrs. Sut- 
 clifFe. The slipper was picked up by Lord 
 Arthur, and the overshoes found by Mr. Poyntz. 
 The young ladies were of course very grateful 
 to the gallant gentlemen who had rendered 
 them such signal help, and Arthur was nettled 
 that his friend's usual luck gave him honors 
 which he would have gladly won himself. A 
 pleasant interview between the parties ended 
 by the ladies joining their companions in a re- 
 turn to the school, not, however, till they had 
 made the gentlemen acquainted with their 
 names, and their relative positions in the insti- 
 tution. Lord Beaufoy had become desperately 
 enamored of Bella, and Poyntz confessed to a 
 warm regard for Miss Tighe. 
 
 The next day the Beau and his friends visited 
 the Sutcliffe's at the seminary, and were inter- 
 ested witnesses at the examination. Bella's 
 
10 
 
 aptitude and proficiency in all the various 
 branches of study, made her appear to better 
 advantage than any of the boarding pupils, 
 and increased the admiration which Lord 
 Beaufoy ah'eady entertained for her. 
 
 Before the examination had ended, Mr. 
 Krux, the usher, called tlie attention of Mrs. 
 SutclifFe to the fact tliat tlie cook had the din- 
 ner in readiness. The lady made as an excuse 
 for dispensing witli the usher's company at 
 table, that one more guest than was expected 
 was present, and left him to continue the 
 school studies. Before Mr. Krux appeared in 
 the class-room, he had visited the kitchen, as 
 was evident from the flour and dust on his coat 
 sleeve. The pupils had many hearty laughs at 
 
11 
 
 his expense before he discovered the cause of 
 their hilarity. He at once ordered Bella to 
 bring a brush, and, upon her appearing with 
 one, he commanded her to brush him. This 
 indignity Bella refused to submit to ; and 
 upon the mean fellow's threatening her with 
 violence, the pupils, rallied by the generous 
 and impulsive Naomi Tighe, treated him to 
 such a shower of books, slates, ink-pots and 
 rulers, that he was glad to make an ignomin- 
 ious retreat. 
 
 During the stay of Beau Farintosh and his 
 friends at the Seminary, the acquaintance of 
 Lord Beaufoy and Bella ripened into mutual 
 affection, and Poyntz grew desperately in love 
 with Naomi Tighe. Both couples indulged in 
 harmless flirtations, and had pleasant moon- 
 light strolls in the shrubbery. Intelligence of 
 an important nature came to the Beau, and he 
 made a hasty departure for Lt)ndon, leaving the 
 young men to return to his shooting-box at 
 their pleasure. Immediately after their de- 
 parture, Krux, the usher, made report to Mrs. 
 Sutcliffe of the intimacy he had detected exist- 
 ing between Lord Beaufoy and Bella, and the 
 ill-will he entertained for the young lady in- 
 duced him to give representations so detrimental 
 to her character as to occasion her summary 
 dismissal from the school. A ring which Lord 
 Beaufoy had placed on her finger was made to 
 appear as conclusive evidence of folly and wrong. 
 Bewildered and amazed at the foul charges made 
 
12 
 
 against her honor, Bella made no plea or ex- 
 planation, and she found herself shunned by 
 the pupils and discarded by the mistress. The 
 good old Doctor had faith in her innocence, but 
 his wife would not tolerate any show of sym- 
 pathy by him. In her great agony she was 
 joined by Naomi Tighe, who begged to accom- 
 pany her, and offered her jewels and some few 
 
 pounds in money to defray expenses. The 
 vengeful Krux frustrated her good intentions 
 by bringing Mrs. SutclifFe to witness the scene, 
 and Naomi was forced into the house, whilst 
 Bella held herself in readiness to depart for a 
 temporary home which would be provided for 
 her by Mrs. Sutcliffe. 
 After Bella's dismissal from Cedar Grove, all 
 
13 
 
 traces of hev were lost. Where she had gone 
 no one seemed to know, although every exer- 
 tion was made by Poyntz, instigated by Naomi 
 Tighe, to discover her retreat. Word reached 
 the school that Beau Farintosh had been pros- 
 trated by a serious illness, from which he prov- 
 identially recovered, and Avas a changed man. 
 He had discarded rouge, and the other artifices 
 by which he endeavored to affect juvenility, 
 
 and was sedate and sober as became one of his 
 age. He soon after made a visit to the Sut- 
 clifFe's, and astonished them with the intelli- 
 gence that he had a grand-daughter living, and 
 that she was one of their pupils. He related 
 how for years he had untiringly sought her out, 
 and was in an ecstasy of joy when he traced 
 her to them. His son had so frequently changed 
 
14 
 
 his name whilst living to avoid creditors, that 
 after his death his daughter-in-law assumed her 
 own name, and on her dying the child took 
 that of Marks, from an old lady who was its 
 foster-mother. He inquired for his dear Bella, 
 and his abject grief on being told that she had 
 clandestinely disappeared with Lord Beaufoy, 
 may be imagined but not described. Krux was 
 the only one who had heart to impart the un- 
 welcome intelligence. As it should happen, 
 Lord Beaufoy made his appearance unexpect- 
 edly at this moment, and was overwhelmed 
 with questions by the Beau, the Sutcliffes, and 
 Naomi. The old man begged him to x)roduce 
 her, and asked him to marry her, freely offer- 
 ing all the wealth he possessed as her dowry. 
 Lord Beaufoy assured them that Bella was well 
 and happy, but he could not marry her, as he 
 was already secretly married. This assertion 
 was made with such an apparent effrontery, 
 that the indignation of his hearers was aroused, 
 and even Jack Poyntz refused his proffered 
 hand. Dr. Sutciiffe indignantly ordered him 
 to leave the premises, which the lord expressed 
 a willingness to do, if they would first give 
 him the privilege of introducing his wife. 
 Her coming, with carriage and footmen, had 
 been noted by the pupils, who ran to apprize 
 Mrs. Sutciiffe of the approach of a beautiful 
 lady in rich and lordly equipage. The visitor 
 proved to be Bella Farintosh, grand-daughter 
 of Mr. Percy Farintosh, and cousin to her hus- 
 
15 
 
 band, Lord Arthur Beaufoy. Krux and the 
 pupils recognized her as Bella Marks. The 
 old grandfather, the Sutcliffe's, and Naomi 
 Tighe were in ecstasies, and the pupils were re- 
 minded of the analogy of her fortunes and 
 those of Cinderella, by Lord Arthur presenting 
 her with a pair of beautiful glass slipx)ers. 
 
 We need only say further that Poyntz found 
 favor with Naomi's guardians, as he had already 
 with that lady, and another pupil was taken 
 from school to assume the duties of wife. 
 
 From the foregoing simple story, Mr. T. W. 
 Robertson has, under the title of "School," 
 framed one of the most charming plays that 
 has been presented to an audience within the 
 past fifty years. On the next page will be 
 found one of the many favorable notices of the 
 London Press in relation to this beautiful pro- 
 duction. 
 
16 
 
 From Reynolds' (London) Newspaper. 
 
 This is another great success by Mr. T. W. Robertson. 
 "School" is perhaps the happiest of all its author's pro- 
 ductions, and, indeed, it would be difficult, if not im- 
 possible, for the critic to pick a hole either in its plot, 
 its dialogue, its acting, or its scenery. The first is simple 
 enough, the second is positively worthy of Sheridan in 
 his happiest moments, the third is faultless, and the 
 fourth is pretty, picturesque, and deliciously rural. 
 The dialogue is dashed with several hits at the prevail- 
 ing follies and frivolities of the day, couched in the 
 happiest vein of playful satire. Tiie interest of the 
 story is so admirably maintained during the four acts, 
 the dialogue is so pointed and pleasant, and the acting 
 so excellent, that the fall of the curtain, instead of, as is 
 often the case, being a positive relief, causes universal 
 regret that the two hours and a half of genuine amuse- 
 ment afforded by the comedy have come to a close. We 
 have seldom the pleasant duty of recording so genuine, 
 so complete, and so thoroughly well-deserved a .success 
 as Mr. Robertson's charming coraedy has achieved— a 
 success that must raise the reputation of the author to j 
 tliat of very first rank of living dramatists. 
 
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