“Uncle, could you lend me a ninepence? I'll return it as soon as I get
my pocket-money,” said Rose, coming into the library in a great hurry
that evening.
“I think I could, and I won't charge any interest for it, so you need
not be in any hurry to repay me. Come back here and help me settle these
books if you have nothing pleasanter to do,” answered Dr. Alec, handing
out the money with that readiness which is so delightful when we ask
small loans.
“I'll come in a minute; I've been longing to fix my books, but didn't
dare to touch them, because you always shake your head when I read.”
“I shall shake my head when you write, if you don't do it better than
you did in making out this catalogue.”
“I know it's bad, but I was in a hurry when I did it, and I am in one
now.” And away went Rose, glad to escape a lecture.
But she got it when she came back, for Uncle Alec was still knitting
his brows over the list of books, and sternly demanded, pointing to a
tipsy-looking title staggering down the page,
“Is that meant for 'Pulverized Bones,' ma'am?”
“No, sir; it's 'Paradise Lost.'”
“Well, I'm glad to know it, for I began to think you were planning to
study surgery or farming. And what is this, if you please? 'Babies'
Aprons' is all I can make of it.”
Rose looked hard at the scrawl, and presently announced, with an air of
superior wisdom,
“Oh, that's 'Bacon's Essays.'”
“Miss Power did not teach anything so old-fashioned as writing, I see.
Now look at this memorandum Aunt Plenty gave me, and see what a handsome
plain hand that is. She went to a dame-school and learnt a few useful
things well; that is better than a smattering of half a dozen so-called
higher branches, I take the liberty of thinking.”
“Well, I'm sure I was considered a bright girl at school, and learned
everything I was taught. Luly and me were the first in all our classes,
and 'specially praised for our French and music and those sort of
things,” said Rose, rather offended at Uncle Alec's criticism.
“I dare say; but if your French grammar was no better than your English,
I think the praise was not deserved, my dear.”
“Why, uncle, we did study English grammar, and I could parse
beautifully. Miss Power used to have us up to show off when people came.
I don't see but I talk as right as most girls.”
“I dare say you do, but we are all too careless about our English. Now,
think a minute, and tell me if these expressions are correct 'Luly and
me,' 'those sort of things,' and 'as right as most girls.'”
Rose pulled her pet curl and put up her lip, but had to own that she was
wrong, and said meekly, after a pause which threatened to be sulky,
“I suppose I should have said 'Luly and I,' in that case, and 'that sort
of things' and 'rightly,' though 'correctly' would have been a better
word, I guess.”
“Thank you; and if you will kindly drop 'I guess,' I shall like my
little Yankee all the better. Now, see here, Rosy, I don't pretend
to set myself up for a model in anything, and you may come down on my
grammar, manners or morals as often as you think I'm wrong, and I'll
thank you. I've been knocking about the world for years, and have got
careless, but I want my girl to be what I call well-educated, even if
she studies nothing but the three 'Rs' for a year to come. Let us be
thorough, no matter how slowly we go.”
He spoke so earnestly and looked so sorry to have ruffled her that
Rose went and sat on the arm of his chair, saying, with a pretty air of
penitence,
“I'm sorry I was cross, uncle, when I ought to thank you for taking
so much interest in me. I guess no, I think you are right about being
thorough, for I used to understand a great deal better when papa taught
me a few lessons than when Miss Power hurried me through so many. I
declare my head used to be such a jumble of French and German, history
and arithmetic, grammar and music, I used to feel sometimes as if it
would split. I'm sure I don't wonder it ached.” And she held on to it as
if the mere memory of the “jumble” made it swim.
“Yet that is considered an excellent school, I find, and I dare say it
would be if the benighted lady did not think it necessary to cram her
pupils like Thanks-giving turkeys, instead of feeding them in a natural
and wholesome way. It is the fault with most American schools, and the
poor little heads will go on aching till we learn better.”
This was one of Dr. Alec's hobbies, and Rose was afraid he was off for
a gallop, but he reined himself in and gave her thoughts a new turn by
saying suddenly, as he pulled out a fat pocket-book,
“Uncle Mac has put all your affairs into my hands now, and here is your
month's pocket money. You keep your own little accounts, I suppose?”
“Thank you. Yes, Uncle Mac gave me an account book when I went to
school, and I used to put down my expenses, but I couldn't make them go
very well, for figures are the one thing I am not at all clever about,”
said Rose, rummaging in her desk for a dilapidated little book, which
she was ashamed to show when she found it.
“Well, as figures are rather important things to most of us, and you may
have a good many accounts to keep some day, wouldn't it be wise to
begin at once and learn to manage your pennies before the pounds come to
perplex you?”
“I thought you would do all that fussy part and take care of the pounds,
as you call them. Need I worry about it? I do hate sums, so!”
“I shall take care of things till you are of age, but I mean that you
shall know how your property is managed, and do as much of it as you can
by and by; then you won't be dependent on the honesty of other people.”
“Gracious me! as if I wouldn't trust you with millions of billions if I
had them,” cried Rose, scandalised at the mere suggestion.
“Ah, but I might be tempted; guardians are sometimes; so you'd better
keep your eye on me, and in order to do that you must learn all about
these affairs,” answered Dr. Alec, as he made an entry in his own very
neat account-book.
Rose peeped over his shoulder at it, and then turned to the arithmetical
puzzle in her hand with a sigh of despair.
“Uncle, when you add up your expenses do you ever find you have got more
money than you had in the beginning?”
“No; I usually find that I have a good deal less than I had in the
beginning. Are you troubled in the peculiar way you mention?”
“Yes; it is very curious, but I never can make things come out square.”
“Perhaps I can help you,” began Uncle Alec, in the most respectful tone.
“I think you had better, for if I have got to keep accounts I may as
well begin in the right way. But please don't laugh! I know I'm very
stupid, and my book is a disgrace, but I never could get it straight.”
And with great trepidation, Rose gave up her funny little accounts.
It really was good in Dr. Alec not to laugh, and Rose felt deeply
grateful when he said in a mildly suggestive tone,
“The dollars and cents seem to be rather mixed, perhaps if I just
straightened them out a bit we should find things all right.”
“Please do, and then show me on a fresh leaf how to make mine look nice
and ship-shape as yours do.”
As Rose stood by him watching the ease with which he quickly brought
order out of chaos, she privately resolved to hunt up her old arithmetic
and perfect herself in the four first rules, with a good tug at
fractions, before she read any more fairy tales.
“Am I a rich girl, uncle?” she asked suddenly, as he was copying a
column of figures.
“Rather a poor one, I should say, since you had to borrow a ninepence.”
“That was your fault, because you forgot my pocket-money. But, really,
shall I be rich by and by?”
“I am afraid you will.”
“Why afraid, uncle?”
“Too much money is a bad thing.”
“But I can give it away, you know; that is always the pleasantest part
of having it I think.”
“I'm glad you feel so, for you can do much good with your fortune if you
know how to use it well.”
“You shall teach me, and when I am a woman we will set up a school where
nothing but the three R's shall be taught, and all the children live
on oatmeal, and the girls have waists a yard round,” said Rose, with a
sudden saucy smile dimpling her cheeks.
“You are an impertinent little baggage, to turn on me in that way right
in the midst of my first attempt at teaching. Never mind, I'll have an
extra bitter dose for you next time, miss.”
“I knew you wanted to laugh, so I gave you a chance. Now, I will be
good, master, and do my lesson nicely.”
So Dr. Alec had his laugh, and then Rose sat down and took a lesson in
accounts which she never forgot.
“Now come and read aloud to me; my eyes are tired, and it is pleasant to
sit here by the fire while the rain pours outside and Aunt Jane lectures
upstairs,” said Uncle Alec, when last month's accounts had been put in
good order and a fresh page neatly begun.
Rose liked to read aloud, and gladly gave him the chapter in “Nicholas
Nickleby” where the Miss Kenwigses take their French lesson. She did her
very best, feeling that she was being criticised, and hoping that she
might not be found wanting in this as in other things.
“Shall I go on, sir?” she asked very meekly, when the chapter ended.
“If you are not tired, dear. It is a pleasure to hear you, for you read
remarkably well,” was the answer that filled her heart with pride and
pleasure.
“Do you really think so, uncle? I'm so glad! Papa taught me, and I read
for hours to him, but I thought perhaps, he liked it because he was fond
of me.”
“So am I; but you really do read unusually well, and I'm very glad of
it, for it is a rare accomplishment, and one I value highly. Come here
in this cosy, low chair; the light is better, and I can pull these curls
if you go too fast. I see you are going to be a great comfort as well
as a great credit to your old uncle, Rosy.” And Dr. Alec drew her close
beside him with such a fatherly look and tone that she felt it would
be very easy to love and obey him, since he knew how to mix praise and
blame so pleasantly together.
Another chapter was just finished, when the sound of a carriage warned
them that Aunt Jane was about to depart. Before they could go to meet
her, however, she appeared in the doorway looking like an unusually tall
mummy in her waterproof, with her glasses shining like cat's eyes from
the depths of the hood.
“Just as I thought! petting that child to death and letting her sit up
late reading trash. I do hope you feel the weight of the responsibility
you have taken upon yourself, Alec,” she said, with a certain grim sort
of satisfaction at seeing things go wrong.
“I think I have a very realising sense of it, sister Jane,” answered
Dr. Alec, with a comical shrug of the shoulders and a glance at Rose's
bright face.
“It is sad to see a great girl wasting these precious hours so. Now, my
boys have studied all day, and Mac is still at his books, I've no doubt,
while you have not had a lesson since you came, I suspect.”
“I've had five to-day, ma'am,” was Rose's very unexpected answer.
“I'm glad to hear it; and what were they, pray?” Rose looked very demure
as she replied,
“Navigation, geography, grammar, arithmetic, and keeping my temper.”
“Queer lessons, I fancy; and what have you learned from this remarkable
mixture, I should like to know?”
A naughty sparkle came into Rose's eyes as she answered, with a droll
look at her uncle,
“I can't tell you all, ma'am, but I have collected some useful
information about China, which you may like, especially the teas. The
best are Lapsing Souchong, Assam Pekoe, rare Ankoe, Flowery Pekoe,
Howqua's mixture, Scented Caper, Padral tea, black Congou, and green
Twankey. Shanghai is on the Woosung River. Hong Kong means 'Island of
Sweet waters.' Singapore is 'Lion's Town.' 'Chops' are the boats they
live in; and they drink tea out of little saucers. Principal productions
are porcelain, tea, cinnamon, shawls, tin, tamarinds and opium. They
have beautiful temples and queer gods; and in Canton is the Dwelling of
the Holy Pigs, fourteen of them, very big, and all blind.”
The effect of this remarkable burst was immense, especially the fact
last mentioned. It entirely took the wind out of Aunt Jane's sails; it
was so sudden, so varied and unexpected, that she had not a word to say.
The glasses remained fixed full upon Rose for a moment, and then, with
a hasty “Oh, indeed!” the excellent lady bundled into her carriage and
drove away, somewhat bewildered and very much disturbed.
She would have been more so if she had seen her reprehensible
brother-in-law dancing a triumphal polka down the hall with Rose in
honour of having silenced the enemy's battery for once.