The Leonards were from England, and Mrs. Leonard spoke English with a delightful British accent. She was generally soft-spoken, but she had opinions about many things and she was an interesting and well-informed conversationalist. She had a sense of humor, a friendly smile for everyone, and she was always well-groomed. She had a fondness for tailored clothing and conservative tweed outfits, but she also had tasteful dresses that made her seem elegant and classy. She didn’t wear much jewelry although she had often been seen wearing a pearl necklace that was quite exquisite. She also had some lovely hats which she wore to church on Sundays. In truth, she was not particularly beautiful, but she carried herself with dignity and she always seemed graceful, elegant, and ladylike. She had silver gray hair, and in Christine’s opinion, Mrs. Leonard sometimes looked so aristocratic that she could have passed for royalty.
Mrs. Leonard occasionally filled in when their church’s pianist could not be present, and Christine had seen that she seemed to play the piano flawlessly. Christine doubted that she could ever play as well as Mrs. Leonard, but Mrs. Leonard’s talent was wonderful, and in many ways, she seemed worth emulating.
Christine had seen Mrs. Leonard at various social occasions, and she had taken mental notes on how she carried herself, how she dressed, and how she placed her legs when she was seated. She noted how she used her hands to help express herself, and she loved the refined way in which she spoke. She had seen Mrs. Leonard in the role of a hostess, so she had seen how personable and gracious she could be.
Christine admired her elegant dignity, her cultivated British accent, her tasteful clothing, and her refined femininity. She admired her talent, her pleasant personality, and her graciousness, and although she had a rather long neck, her height and the way she carried herself made her seem almost regal. Consequently, this Englishwoman possessed many qualities that Christine admired and hoped to adopt for herself.
Christine did not know a lot about the Leonards’ background, although in class, she had heard Mr. Leonard remark that they had come from a small village in Devon and they had both been educated in Britain. He had often reminisced about the gentle English countryside that had charming little villages, quaint country cottages, and a rolling green landscape that was edged with hedgerows and stone fences. He had also spoken of the spectacular coastline of their beloved homeland, and he’d described some of the stately country homes that could be seen there. Reportedly, some of the lovely gardens produced flowers of unimaginable beauty.
He had also spoken of English cities like Salisbury, Coventry, Canterbury, and London, and he had told of the remarkable architecture and the countless historic places that one could visit in their distant homeland. He spoke of the glorious cathedrals and ancient castles that could be seen in Britain, and he had told of gracious palaces that were among the finest in the world. He had also reported how exciting it was to occasionally glimpse members of the royal family. The Leonards had viewed tennis matches at Wimbledon, and in London, they had attended marvelous concerts at Albert Hall and live theater productions in the theater district. He had acknowledged that they had dined in historic pubs and charming restaurants. The stories of their travels in various parts of England had fascinated Christine, and she had come to wonder why the Leonards would have left such a pleasant and civilized land to come to this remote corner of Africa.
Christine did not know why the Leonards had left England, but she suspected that Mr. Leonard had probably wanted to go out to Africa “for the sake of adventure,” and being a good sport, Mrs. Leonard had come along and made the best of it in this outpost of the British Empire. Although childless, they seemed to have a pleasant life and would, no doubt, return to England at some point in the future. It seemed unlikely that Mrs. Leonard would ever realize the great influence she’d had on a student named Christine Cartwright.
When Christine was growing up at home, her mother had helped to guide her choices by asking the question, What would Jesus do? That question was one that Christine had often asked herself, and it had proved to be a good guideline for her life. Now, added to that, she often posed the question, What would Mrs. Leonard do?
Part of Mrs. Leonard’s appeal was her aristocratic demeanor. The way she spoke, the way she dressed, the way she carried herself, and the way she played the piano all suggested that she was educated and very much a part of the upper class. This was appealing to Christine, perhaps, because her own background was anything but aristocratic.
Christine was keenly aware that her own background was far from upper class. Helen Von der Merwe’s father was a doctor. Elizabeth Winston’s father was a mining engineer. Anne Stanton’s father was a British official who worked in Swaziland. Other students’ fathers were school officials, instructors, lawyers—and things of that sort. A few, of course, were the children of missionaries—or were from families with equally modest means.
Christine was proud of her mother and was not ashamed that she was a missionary, but she knew that she had come from an economic background that was comparatively meager. While Christine and her mother didn’t live as well as some of her classmates, they certainly lived better than the Shangaans in Mozambique and the indigenous inhabitants of Swaziland. Missionaries, however, did live very modestly.
At home, some of their furnishings and much of Christine’s clothing were used items that had been sent to the mission station from various congregations in the United States. Christine had tried not to complain about the hand-me-down clothing that she had had to wear. Mother had been able to take some things in and modify other apparel so that they could be worn. Such clothing had been appreciated, but having to wear hand-me-down clothing had done little for Christine’s self-esteem, and she was glad that they usually wore uniforms at school, for that helped to equalize the clothing situation.
When she thought about the poverty that was so widespread in Africa, she felt rather guilty for ever complaining. She was grateful for what she had, but she had personal aspirations for enjoying what some called the good life. Among other things, she hoped to someday have a beautiful home, some lovely furnishings, nice clothing—and maybe even some elegant jewelry.
She had never forgotten the lobby of the lovely Vasco Da Gama Hotel in LM. She remembered the mirrors, the chandeliers, and the gracious furnishing that could be seen in the lobby of that hotel. She recalled the elegant carpeted staircase that she had practiced descending—as if she were a lady of some importance! She had daydreamed about living in a home that was as luxurious as that lobby. The lady in her fantasy was beautiful, of course, and came from an aristocratic background. Needless to say, she had lovely clothes, fine jewelry, and she was accustomed to enjoying the good life. Although this fantasy had lingered in her mind for years, it had never ceased to be appealing.
One day, Christine had returned to her room after classes and had planned to do some studying before dinner. Helen had not yet returned to the room, and Christine had hoped to get some studying done before her roommate returned. Although the room was quiet, her thoughts wandered, and she couldn’t seem to stop daydreaming. She thought about Jim, and she wondered how Sara was getting along up in Southern Rhodesia. She was thinking about the self-improvements that she had planned to undertake. And importantly, what did she hope to do with her life? Just what were her priorities, she wondered.
Certainly, her Christian faith was a priority. She couldn’t abandon her core beliefs and the values that had been instilled in her. She could not turn her back on the Lord, disappoint her mother, or disgrace herself as a consequence of making poor choices in life.
Undoubtedly, she would make mistakes, from time to time. Everybody did, but her intention was to try to do what was right.
Education was also a priority. She was still in school, and she needed to learn as much as she could, even though some things seemed boring or useless. Undoubtedly, a good education would increase her chances