Four days later.
I’d got just that much written, when--what do you think happened?
The maid arrived with Master Jervie’s card. He is going abroad too
this summer; not with Julia and her family but entirely by himself.
I told him that you had invited me to go with a lady who is
chaperoning a party of girls. He knows about you, Daddy. That is, he
knows that my father and mother are dead, and that a kind gentleman
is sending me to college; I simply didn’t have the courage to tell
him about the John Grier Home and all the rest. He thinks that you
are my guardian and a perfectly legitimate old family friend. I have
never told him that I didn’t know you--that would seem too queer!
Anyway, he insisted on my going to Europe. He said that it was a
necessary part of my education and that I mustn’t think of
refusing. Also, that he would be in Paris at the same time, and that
we would run away from the chaperon occasionally and have dinner
together at nice, funny, foreign restaurants.
Well, Daddy, it did appeal to me! I almost weakened; if he hadn’t
been so dictatorial, maybe I should have entirely weakened. I can be
enticed step by step, but I _won’t_ be forced. He said I was a
silly, foolish, irrational, quixotic, idiotic, stubborn child (those
are a few of his abusive adjectives; the rest escape me) and that I
didn’t know what was good for me; I ought to let older people
judge. We almost quarreled--I am not sure but that we entirely did!
In any case, I packed my trunk fast and came up here. I thought I’d
better see my bridges in flames behind me before I finished writing
to you. They are entirely reduced to ashes now. Here I am at Cliff
Top (the name of Mrs. Paterson’s cottage) with my trunk unpacked and
Florence (the little one) already struggling with first declension
nouns. And it bids fair to be a struggle! She is a most uncommonly
spoiled child; I shall have to teach her first how to study--she has
never in her life concentrated on anything more difficult than
ice-cream soda water.
We use a quiet corner of the cliffs for a schoolroom--Mrs. Paterson
wishes me to keep them out of doors--and I will say that _I_ find it
difficult to concentrate with the blue sea before me and ships
a-sailing by! And when I think I might be on one, sailing off to
foreign lands--but I _won’t_ let myself think of anything but Latin
Grammar.
The prepositions a or ab, absque, coram, cum, de, e or ex, prae,
pro, sine, tenus, in, subter, sub and super govern the ablative.
So you see, Daddy, I am already plunged into work with my eyes
persistently set against temptation. Don’t be cross with me, please,
and don’t think that I do not appreciate your kindness, for I
do--always--always. The only way I can ever repay you is by turning
out a Very Useful Citizen (Are women citizens? I don’t suppose they
are). Anyway, a Very Useful Person. And when you look at me you can
say, “I gave that Very Useful Person to the world.”
That sounds well, doesn’t it, Daddy? But I don’t wish to mislead
you. The feeling often comes over me that I am not at all
remarkable; it is fun to plan a career, but in all probability,
I shan’t turn out a bit different from any other ordinary person.
I may end by marrying an undertaker and being an inspiration to him
in his work.
Yours ever,