Frances Hodgson Burnett
弗朗西斯·霍奇森·伯内特(Frances Hodgson Burnett，1849—1924年)，英国儿童文学作家。伯内特夫人创作的几部儿童小说都是经久不衰的畅销作品，曾多次被改编成话剧或搬上银幕。她的代表作有《小公主》、《秘密花园》、《方特勒罗小王爷》等。The change in her life did not come about gradually，but was madeall at once．The next morning，when she went down to breakfast she saw that herseat at Miss Minchin’S side was occupied by Lavinia，and Miss Minchinspoke to her coldly．“You will begin your new duties，Sara，”she said，“by taking yourseat with the younger children at a smaller table．You must keep themquiet，and see that they behave well and do not waste their food．”That was the beginning，and from day to day the duties given to herwere added to．She taught the younger children French and heard theiret lessons．and these were the least of her labors．It was found that she could be made use of in numberless directions．She could be sent on er—rands at any time and in all weathers．She could be told to do things other people neglected．The cook and the housemaids took their tone from Miss Minchin，and rather enjoyed ordering about the“young one’’who had been made SO much fuss over for SO long．They were not servants of the best class，and had neither good manners nor good tempers，and it was frequently convenient to have at hand someone on whom blame could be laid．
During the first month or two，Sara thought that her willingness to do things as well as she could，and her silence under reproof，might soften those who drove her SO hard．In her proud little heart she wanted them to see that she was trying to earn her living and not accepting charity．But the time came when she saw that no one was softened at all；and the more willing she was to do as she was told，the more domineering and exacting careless housemaids became，and the more ready a scolding cook was to blame her．
If she had been older，Miss Minchin would have given her the bigger girls to teach and saved money by dismissing an instructress；but while she remained and looked like a child，she could be made more useful as a sort of little superior errand girl and maid of all work．An ordinary errand boy would not have been SO clever and reliable．Sara could be trusted with difficult commissions and complicated messages．She could even go and pay bills，and she combined with this the ability to dust a room well and to set things in order．
Her own lessons became things of the past．She was taught nothing，and only after long and busy days spent in running here and there at eve—rybody’S orders was she grudgingly allowed to go into the deserted schoolroom，with a pile of old books，and study alone at night．
“If I do not remind myself of the things I have learned，perhaps Imay forget them，”she said to herself．“I am almost a scullery maid，andif I am a scullery maid who knows nothing，I shall be like poor Becky．”
One of the most curious things in her new existence was her changedposition among the pupils．Instead of being a sort of small royal person—age among them．she no longer seemed to be one of their number at all·She was kept SO constantly at work that she scarcely ever had an opportu—nity of speaking tO any of them，and she could not avoid seeing that MissMinchin preferred that she should live a life apart from that of the OCCU—pants of the schoolroom．
“1 will not have her forming intimacies and talking tO the other chil—dren，”that lady said．“Girls like a grievance，and if she begins to tell ro‘mantic stories about herself，she will become an ill—used heroine，and parents will be given a wrong impression．It is better that she should live a separate 1ife—One suited to her circumstances．I am giving her a home，and that is more than she has any right to expect from me．’’
