I WAS JUST A COUNTRY GIRL
My name is Maria. I was 14 years old when this story started,my family is very poor. My father was a farm labourer, so I have been sent away to work as a maid,in this big house.
The Lady of the house is very nice and kind to me, they have no children. She is very young and pretty, but has tiny eyes and wears these funny looking things on her nose,they are very small and made of wire and have pieces of thick glass attached to them and with wire hooks over her ears.
I saw her reading the other day and she had a piece of round glass in her hand and moving it back and forward over the page.
Her husband doesn’t say much to me. He has a lot of hair under his nose and a piece of glass on a cord in front of one eye.
Nobody has taught me to read or write, we were too poor for me to go to school, I don’t know how people can read when I look at one of her books. There are just black marks on the paper that made no sense to me.
It is nice working for them, I think they must trust me.Today her husband gave me a box of old things to take to the garbage tip. There were lots of broken bottles in the box, and a strange trumpet looking thing,I tried blowing through it but it did not make any noise.
I was just going to tip everything away when I spotted this round piece of glass with string on it like the lady’s husband uses ,it had a little chip on the corner, I think that’s why he threw it away.
I had to try it so I held it in front of my eye, I was amazed all those little shapes over there were suddenly turned into people,It was like a miracle. I knew I shouldn’t but I had to keep it, all the way home I kept holding it in front of my eye first the left eye and then the right eye,I liked it best in front of my right eye.When I got near the house I hid it in my pocket.
The next morning I watched the Master put the piece of glasses in front of his eye, I was puzzled how he managed to keep it in front of his eye without holding it.
As soon as they left the house I rushed up to my room, after several attempts I managed to keep it it place if I screwed my face a little, I went downstairs to start my daily cleaning tasks, I was shocked how dirty the floor was. No wonder the lady of the house kept complaining that I was not good at cleaning and had to keep doing it again. I worked extra hard today. I love the piece of glass in front of my eye. For the rest of the week I wore it as often as I could On Saturday evening my Lady called me into the lounge, I was scared as this had never happened before. “Would you like to go home and see your family tomorrow Maria”
“I’m sorry madam what have I done wrong please don’t send me away my family can’t support me as well”.
“No Marie you misunderstand me, I am so pleased with your work this week,the house is so clean and tidy,I haven’t had to tell you to clean it again, So as a reward you can have the day off tomorrow, I have told the cook to give you the leftover food from this week to take home to your family.
As soon as I got out of the house in the morning I fitted the piece of glass In front of my right eye,My mother was pleased to see me but especially the food I brought with me.
She couldn’t understand why I had the piece of glass in front of my eye and when I told her it was magic, she told me to take it out and not let my father see it. I had enjoyed seeing my mother and my siblings but couldn’t wait to put the magic price of glasses in front of my eye.
I started to wonder if the things my lady had on her nose all the time were 2 pieces of magic glass as well.but if they were why did she need that other piece of glass when she looked at her book.
A few weeks later when she came home from her shopping trip I noticed, she had even thicker magic glass, held in place with gold coloured wire this time and her eyes looked even smaller When I went to clear the table that evening, I noticed that my Lady had a gold horn thing beside her. I thought that’s new, are they going to play music tonight , it was like the thing I tried to blow when I took the last box to the tip. As her husband started to speak from the other end of the long table she put the horn thing in her ear, I thought that’s silly how can you play music like that.
Then she said “You don’t need to raise your voice so much dear this hearing horn is very good.
I was confused now. The next morning she called me to her bedroom,
Can you take this box of rubbish to the tip for me Maria “Mind you don’t cut yourself on the glass I have put my very old spectacles in there they are so old they are no use to me now”
What are spectacles I thought to myself,I had never heard that word before. I wanted to look in the box so I took a different route to the tip and hide in the woods while I opened it.
There were lots of small empty bottles that smelt nice and some tins and at the bottom there were 2 oblong cases,I opened one,and inside were the wire things that my lady wore on her nose they were very small and round I wondered were these what she called spectacles, maybe they had magic glass in them.
I had to try them, I put them on my nose and hooked the wire over my ears Wow they were magic. I could see the birds in the tree above me . My left eye felt if it was being pulled to one side,I had never held the magic glass in front of that eye when I was outside. I opened the other small case and there was another pair in there,they looked the same but the glass was thicker,I tried them but they hurt my eyes. I kept the first pair on and put the others in my pocket.
I loved seeing so clearly out of both eyes and by the time I nearly got back to the house my left eye had stopped hurting.
Before I reached the long drive I took them off.What had I done everything looked blurred, was I going blind,was that my punishment for not throwing them away.
The next week I wore the magic glass that the Lady’s husband had thrown away just in front of my right eye, I was too scared to put the spectacles on.
I noticed my lady was carrying her horn thing with her all the time and when I spoke to her now she put the small end in her ear.
I was going to be on my own for the next week. My lady and her husband were going away for a week and taking the cook and the other servants with them, so I would be on my own in the house. If my lady could wear the magic spectacles and not go blind I thought I would try them again. It was wonderful seeing everything so clearly again, I liked how I looked wearing them. It was strange that my eyes looked smaller when I had them on but other things looked clearer. When I took them off that night I was nearly blind again but as soon as I put them on the next morning the magic returned.i then decided to keep them on at night I was so happy working on my own and being able to see so good,suddenly I remembered the other pair I had kept,I thought I would like to try them on again,I wondered why the glass was much thicker in them,I had not noticed the wire was black, they felt much heavier on my nose, but I could see everything even further away, that was strange, as the last time I tried them on they hurt my eyes I love the black wire,all around the glass it was like a picture frame around my eyes, I wondered why my eyes looked even smaller now. For the next week I wore them most of the time,I only took them off when I was cleaning small things. I found I could see small objects better with the first pair . So I now had 2 different pairs of magic glasses or as tmy Lady calls them spectacles.
When the Family arrived back it was difficult, I could not be seen wearing the magic spectacles, but without them I couldn’t really see to do my work, so I kept the black wire glass In my right pocket and the other pair in my left pocket so I knew which I needed.I could then quickly take them off if I heard people coming. I thought the word spectacles was strange so I now call them my magic glasses.
It’s nearly a year since I started to wear my Lady’s magic glasses,I think the magic is starting to run out as I can’t see as well with them now.I think that’s why my Lady gets new spectacles.
My Lady came home for lunch today . She has new spectacles. They are black and made of plastic and not wire. I think they must be very heavy as when she took them off to clean them. I could see red marks on the top of her nose ,they are round and the magic glass is so thick it sticks out in front of the plastic,her eyes looked even smaller
I have been waiting a month since she got new spectacles I was hoping my lady would send me to the garbage place again
I couldn’t sleep that night. I was starting to panic. The magic was running out of the glasses. I could no longer see the birds in the trees and I had to bend down to see if the floor was clean, the glasses I used for looking at small things had run out of magic so I only wore the black wire glasses. Suddenly I had a plan.
The next morning I went into the kitchen and told the cook I was going to the garbage tip should I take some of the broken dishes with me.Cook was very pleased and we quickly filled a bag. Next I went and found my lady and told her that I was going to the tip for the cook. Did she want me to take anything for her.
“That is a good idea Maria I have a few things in a box already, If you wait in the hall I will look to see if there is anything else to put in it.
An hour later she handed me a bag,”Be careful there are some breakable things in there ,I think some of the small bottles have a little perfume in them. If there is anything in the bag that you would like, you are welcome to keep it.
My heart was racing,if there were some magic glasses in there I could keep them.
I ran all the way to the woods, I was so excited my hand dived into the bag,yes there were 4 oblong cases in there I opened each one, they all looked different, I lined them up, thick, thicker,even thicker and very thick. I remembered the thicker they were the stronger the magic. The first 2 pairs did not seem much better than what I had on now, the 3rd pair I put in my pocket that would be good to use for seeing things close to me.
Without the Magic glasses I can’t see anything now,even my own hand is just a blurred shape, I loved the pair with the very thick glass in it,I did wonder why the glass in the right side was a lot thicker than the left but it did not seem to matter I could see again now with both eyes.
Now my Lady had said I could keep anything I wanted from the box I could wear the magic glasses all the time now I didn’t need to hide them
What else was in the box, I carefully changed the glasses I could see the small thing in the box better with the spectacles that I had put in my pocket. I loved the smell from one of the small bottles so I kept that. The only other thing that interested me was the horn, I tried blowing it but it was useless,I then remembered my lady put the little end in her ear.
Wow that was magic as well, I could hear the birds in the trees, and the clock on the church in the distance striking lunch time. Maybe if I took it to church with me on Sunday, I would hear what the preacher said, the servants’ seats are high up at the back of the church and I always wonder what he is saying.
When I got home I had to look in the mirror, I loved my new look. With the new glasses,my eyes were looking even smaller,I was looking more like my Lady ,especially with the horn in my ear..
The next morning I was excited and scared,my Lady did say I could keep anything from the box that I wanted,so keeping the spectacles wasn’t stealing,but nobody had seen me wearing magic glasses.
I waited until cook wasn’t looking and picked up my lady’s breakfast tray, I stood outside my lady’s door,normally I would take them off now,
I knocked and entered.I was scared what my lady was going to say, so I tried looking down and not facing my lady
“Good morning Maria,I see you found my old spectacles in the box, they look very nice on you. Can you see better with this pair ”
“Yes thank you myLady”
“That’s good, they are much more powerful than my old pairs. I think you should keep this pair on all the time now”
I went bright red, she must have seen me wearing her old spectacles.
“Would you like to learn to read Maria?”
She handed me a book, I held it at arm’s length.
“If you put the other glasses on Maria you will see it better,you are like me, you need what I call my reading glasses.
“Next Monday after lunch I will take you to the school and introduce you to the headmaster now off you go”
The rest of the week went slowly.
On Sunday I put my best clothes on, and put the horn in my bag When the priest started taking I got the horn out and put it to my ear,I did not understand what it all meant but I was able to hear everything he said. I could see my lady sitting down below she had the hearing trumpet to her ear, then she picked up a book, I watched as she changed her glasses.
I quickly changed my glasses and picked up the book pretending, to read it
When I left the church everybody was looking at me,I was the only servant wearing spectacles.I felt good. My Lady beckoned me to come over to where she was standing beside the carriage,and said I could sit beside the groom as we rode home.instead of walking. I wished I could have held the horses reins.
After lunch the next day I got ready for my first time at school.
“Have you got the bag I gave you with the pen and paper,I think you should bring your hearing aid”
I looked puzzled what did she mean, she smiled at me “The horn Maria i saw you using it in church yesterday,I call it my hearing aid,as it helps me to hear
A lot has happened in the last year, I can now read and write, I now look after my Lady, I lay her clothes out in the morning for her, I have learnt to sew, I even go in the carriage with her when we go shopping. We have a new young girl to replace me now so I tell her what she must do, She was not cleaning the floors very well at first, but it was good that I kept the first 2 pair of spectacles, so now she wears one pair all the time and keeps the other pair in her pocket for when she is cleaning small things like I used to do. I now know that it’s not magic that makes us see good when we wear spectacles, it’s the way they cut the glass.
My Lady has got new glasses today, I like the frames they are round pink plastic, but it’s sad, she seems to have broken them already,there is a big crack across the middle, and they are much thicker at the top I think the shop tried to repair them but had a different price of glass for the bottom,I wonder if she knows. When we got in the carriage my lady put her hand in her bag and brought out her round black plastic framed glasses and gave them to me.
“Here Maria you can have these,I won’t need them any more”
I put them on, they were very heavy but I loved them, people would see the big black frames and my tiny eyes behind the thick glass. Everybody would know I really needed spectacles,I’m sure they would think I’m rich, I hoped I would have red marks on my nose ,just like my Lady has,
“Won’t you need them my lady, I love your new pink spectacles but how will you manage till they repair them one did you know they are cracked.
My lady laughed.”it’s ok Maria Mr Franklin made them special for me. If I look though the very thick piece of glass at the top I can see everything so far away, but if I look though the bottom piece of glass which is a little thinner I can see thing much better near to me , so I don’t have to change glasses as often, I still need reading glasses for very small things
“So you have 2 Glasses in one frame ha, shall we called them your bispectales I know bi means 2”
“ Mr Franklin calls them bifocals.
A lot has happened in the past years.
Every time my lady got new spectacles she gave me her old ones, I didn’t like the ones with the crack in the middle. I had to keep looking up and down and if I looked straight ahead I could see the crack and everything moved,one minute I could see it the next it was blurred.And I kept falling when I went up and down stairs and I still needed reading glasses.(Yes I can read now).. It was ok for my lady because she did not have to work.
So saved enough money,and I went for my own test, The gentleman said I was very myopic, that means I can’t see very far, and my right eye is worse than my left. And my eyes are a funny shape. The pieces of glass are called lens I wanted everybody to notice I wore spectacles so I choose they latest style round black plastic frames for my distance glasses, I could have had plastic arms as well, but he suggested I kept to the hooks over my ears so the glasses would not slip down.My right lens is VERY thick now,(Even thicker than my Lady’s) If you look sideway you can see lots of rings in the glass,and if you look at my face it looks thinner on that side and my right eye is tiny.
I couldn’t afford expensive frames for my reading glasses,so you can’t see the thin wire holding the glass together. Because the glass is so thick It looks as if I just have two prices of ice in front of my eyes and my face seems a strange shape. It looks thin and shrunken where the glass is.
He had wanted me to have bifocals(The type with the crack in the middle) as my distance lens are so powerful that my muscles find it difficult to focus closer and I can only see about 2 feet away in my reading glasses. So I am saving for a third pair for seeing in the middle distance. But for now I put my old glasses on sometimes. When I have finished most of my chores and had lunch I have to cover my right eye with a black pirate patch and only use my left eye,it was very difficult to get used to it as I can’t see as much from that eye, he said my left eye is Lazy and he wants to see if I’m too old to make it work.
My lady’s nephew has come to stay, he is very nice, he has strange eyes,they look so big and the glass is very thick in the middle, instead of at the side like mine.one day I looked on the table were he had been reading and noticed he had left the pair he uses to read.I tried them on .they were just as heavy as mind, they were useless I couldn’t see anything just a total white mist. I thought I heard something so I put my hearing trumpet to my ear.
“Good morning Miss Maria, I don’t think my glasses will be of any use to you,haha I’m very long sighted. .
One day after I had finished my work my Ladys cousin invited me to come and sit in the garden with him and drink tea, he even asked me to wear my black eye patch like the doctor told me to.
Today when my lady came home she didn’t have her glasses on,she looked strange, her nose looked longer and you could see the dent on her nose where her heavy glasses were normally sitting and the red mark.also her eyes looked strange. As soon as she got to her room I saw her taking these pieces of glass out of her eyes.
The next day she looked her normal self with new glasses with the crack across the middle.
When I went for my next test I asked about the contact glasses,
I tried them for a hour.The doctor put these large curved pieces of glass on top of my eyes and under my eyelids they hurt my eyes so much and water was running down my face,I looked in the mirror I felt naked, my special look had gone, I just looked like any other maid. How did I get them out.glasses were easy to Put on and take off. What a relief when the doctor got them out of my eyes, I now know why my lady only wore them for a day.and put them in the next garbage box.
I forgot to tell you I’m married now.
George is the cousin of the Lady I used to work for,.we live in a big house not far from where I used to work.
I am the Lady of the house now.
I expect you remember I needed to use a hearing horn.
My hearing started to get worse just before our wedding, so I had started to hold it against my ear all the time, Gearge bought me a beautiful golden horn for our wedding day. He wanted me to hear the priest and himself saying his wedding vowels at the altar.
We had arranged a big ball for our first wedding anniversary, I had gathered all the staff together to give them instructions in plenty of time before the big day arrived. That’s when George saw me holding a hearing horn to both of my ears,I was so embarrassed,that he had found out that I now needed hearing horns for both ears when I have staff meetings I really could not manage with just the one anymore.
The next day he took me to London. We went to this special clinic and I was fitted with the latest hearing instruments. They have plastic plugs that are pushed deep inside BOTH of my ears and are attached to the large golden coloured buttons that you can see in my ears each have wires coming from them that connect to a box that I wear around my waist,The doctor said I had to come back next year as I might need a more powerful box as I’m still only 25 and he thinks my hearing will get worse as I get older. I tried to put the box under my blouse but I Could hear my heart beating so loudly and the noise of my clothes moving. It is wonderful to hear so clearly now,and Gearge says my speech is clearer and I don’t talk as loud.
Then we went to the eye clinic. The specialist there said he thought I was too old for him to be able to correct my lazy eye. I explain that even though I had to wear 2 hearing instruments I was only 25.
He then said that he meant I was not still a child,so that made me feel better,and also I was the first person he had seen wearing the latest type of hearing aid,his wife still used a horn. . He could see I was upset so it was decided I try something different for my lazy eye. My new glasses have something called a prisms ground into the glass for my left eye, the lens is now even thicker than my right lens, George loves it he says my eye is straight now l never knew I looked cross eyed before. I also have a special pair of glasses with a black film behind the right lens which I have to wear after lunch each day. I love it when George takes my Prism glasses off and I feel him hooking the cables of the glasses with the black lens on me.. He takes each plug out of my ear one at a time then after the glasses hook is around my ear he gently pushes the hearing aid plug back into my ear.
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon we always go to the coffee shop in town, George even suggested I wear the glasses with the black lens. The first time I was a little shy to be seen outside wearing them,but George now sits opposite me and smiles a lot and says how pretty I look and he loves me.
Last Sunday we went to church in the evening instead of the morning,George insisted I keep them on,and handed me a pair of reading glasses with a black lens as well.. I like wearing the black lens much more that the pirate patch,
I have been for my first yearly visit to the specialists in London My glasses are VERY HEAVY NOW as I have a prism lens for both eyes. Gearge told the doctor my right eye wandered some times,and asked if I could be fitted with prisms in both eyes, I told the doctor I had not noticed it, but if George was happy for me to try it then it was ok. Because I have less sight in the right eye the prism has made the already thick lens even thicker
I don’t have a black film over my right eye for my exercise glasses now, the lens has now been fogged so I can just see light out of it
The hearing specialist was very happy, my hearing has not changed. But I now have 2 boxes to wear, one for each ear, which I like much better,I can now tell which side the sounds are coming from.
All our servants and footmen wear glasses.
My own special maid wears my old glasses that I kept ,she is now on the third pair,,and her eyes get smaller each year, she loves feeling special.
I noticed last week that my old hearing aid box had been moved, so maybe next week I send my maid to the garbage tip,and tell her she can keep anything she wants haha
George and I are hoping to start a family. Yesterday I found my older glasses with the black lens,so I surprised George by wearing them in bed..
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