Chapter 8--And what came of it
"Uncle, could you lend me a ninepence? I'll return it as soon as I getmy pocket-money," said Rose, coming into the library in a great hurrythat evening.
"I think I could, and I won't charge any interest for it, so you neednot be in any hurry to repay me. Come back here and help me settle thesebooks if you have nothing pleasanter to do," answered Dr. Alec, handingout the money with that readiness which is so delightful when we asksmall loans.
"I'll come in a minute; I've been longing to fix my books, but didn'tdare 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 thanyou 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 onenow." And away went Rose, glad to escape a lecture.
But she got it when she came back, for Uncle Alec was still knittinghis brows over the list of books, and sternly demanded, pointing to atipsy-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 tostudy 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 ofsuperior 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 handsomeplain hand that is. She went to a dame-school and learnt a few usefulthings well; that is better than a smattering of half a dozen so-calledhigher branches, I take the liberty of thinking."
"Well, I'm sure I was considered a bright girl at school, and learnedeverything I was taught. Luly and me were the first in all our classes,and 'specially praised for our French and music and those sort ofthings," 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 parsebeautifully. 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 andme,' '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 waswrong, 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 sortof things' and 'rightly,' though 'correctly' would have been a betterword, I guess."
"Thank you; and if you will kindly drop 'I guess,' I shall like mylittle Yankee all the better. Now, see here, Rosy, I don't pretendto set myself up for a model in anything, and you may come down on mygrammar, manners or morals as often as you think I'm wrong, and I'llthank you. I've been knocking about the world for years, and have gotcareless, but I want my girl to be what I call well-educated, even ifshe studies nothing but the three 'Rs' for a year to come. Let us bethorough, no matter how slowly we go."
He spoke so earnestly and looked so sorry to have ruffled her thatRose went and sat on the arm of his chair, saying, with a pretty air ofpenitence,
"I'm sorry I was cross, uncle, when I ought to thank you for takingso much interest in me. I guess no, I think you are right about beingthorough, for I used to understand a great deal better when papa taughtme a few lessons than when Miss Power hurried me through so many. Ideclare my head used to be such a jumble of French and German, historyand arithmetic, grammar and music, I used to feel sometimes as if itwould split. I'm sure I don't wonder it ached." And she held on to it asif the mere memory of the "jumble" made it swim.
"Yet that is considered an excellent school, I find, and I dare say itwould be if the benighted lady did not think it necessary to cram herpupils like Thanks-giving turkeys, instead of feeding them in a naturaland wholesome way. It is the fault with most American schools, and thepoor 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 fora gallop, but he reined himself in and gave her thoughts a new turn bysaying suddenly, as he pulled out a fat pocket-book,
"Uncle Mac has put all your affairs into my hands now, and here is yourmonth's pocket money. You keep your own little accounts, I suppose?"
"Thank you. Yes, Uncle Mac gave me an account book when I went toschool, and I used to put down my expenses, but I couldn't make them govery 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, whichshe was ashamed to show when she found it.
"Well, as figures are rather important things to most of us, and you mayhave a good many accounts to keep some day, wouldn't it be wise tobegin at once and learn to manage your pennies before the pounds come toperplex 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 youshall know how your property is managed, and do as much of it as you canby 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 Ihad them," cried Rose, scandalised at the mere suggestion.
"Ah, but I might be tempted; guardians are sometimes; so you'd betterkeep your eye on me, and in order to do that you must learn all aboutthese affairs," answered Dr. Alec, as he made an entry in his own veryneat account-book.
Rose peeped over his shoulder at it, and then turned to the arithmeticalpuzzle in her hand with a sigh of despair.
"Uncle, when you add up your expenses do you ever find you have got moremoney than you had in the beginning?"
"No; I usually find that I have a good deal less than I had in thebeginning. 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 aswell begin in the right way. But please don't laugh! I know I'm verystupid, 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 deeplygrateful when he said in a mildly suggestive tone,
"The dollars and cents seem to be rather mixed, perhaps if I juststraightened 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 niceand ship-shape as yours do."
As Rose stood by him watching the ease with which he quickly broughtorder out of chaos, she privately resolved to hunt up her old arithmeticand perfect herself in the four first rules, with a good tug atfractions, before she read any more fairy tales.
"Am I a rich girl, uncle?" she asked suddenly, as he was copying acolumn 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 partof having it I think."
"I'm glad you feel so, for you can do much good with your fortune if youknow how to use it well."
"You shall teach me, and when I am a woman we will set up a school wherenothing but the three R's shall be taught, and all the children liveon oatmeal, and the girls have waists a yard round," said Rose, with asudden saucy smile dimpling her cheeks.
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"You are an impertinent little baggage, to turn on me in that way rightin the midst of my first attempt at teaching. Never mind, I'll have anextra bitter dose for you next time, miss."
"I knew you wanted to laugh, so I gave you a chance. Now, I will begood, master, and do my lesson nicely."
So Dr. Alec had his laugh, and then Rose sat down and took a lesson inaccounts which she never forgot.
"Now come and read aloud to me; my eyes are tired, and it is pleasant tosit here by the fire while the rain pours outside and Aunt Jane lecturesupstairs," said Uncle Alec, when last month's accounts had been put ingood order and a fresh page neatly begun.
Rose liked to read aloud, and gladly gave him the chapter in "NicholasNickleby" where the Miss Kenwigses take their French lesson. She did hervery best, feeling that she was being criticised, and hoping that shemight 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 readremarkably well," was the answer that filled her heart with pride andpleasure.
"Do you really think so, uncle? I'm so glad! Papa taught me, and I readfor hours to him, but I thought perhaps, he liked it because he was fondof me."
"So am I; but you really do read unusually well, and I'm very glad ofit, for it is a rare accomplishment, and one I value highly. Come herein this cosy, low chair; the light is better, and I can pull these curlsif you go too fast. I see you are going to be a great comfort as wellas a great credit to your old uncle, Rosy." And Dr. Alec drew her closebeside him with such a fatherly look and tone that she felt it wouldbe very easy to love and obey him, since he knew how to mix praise andblame so pleasantly together.
Another chapter was just finished, when the sound of a carriage warnedthem that Aunt Jane was about to depart. Before they could go to meether, however, she appeared in the doorway looking like an unusually tallmummy in her waterproof, with her glasses shining like cat's eyes fromthe depths of the hood.
"Just as I thought! petting that child to death and letting her sit uplate reading trash. I do hope you feel the weight of the responsibilityyou have taken upon yourself, Alec," she said, with a certain grim sortof satisfaction at seeing things go wrong.
"I think I have a very realising sense of it, sister Jane," answeredDr. Alec, with a comical shrug of the shoulders and a glance at Rose'sbright face.
"It is sad to see a great girl wasting these precious hours so. Now, myboys 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 demureas she replied,
"Navigation, geography, grammar, arithmetic, and keeping my temper."
"Queer lessons, I fancy; and what have you learned from this remarkablemixture, I should like to know?"
A naughty sparkle came into Rose's eyes as she answered, with a drolllook at her uncle,
"I can't tell you all, ma'am, but I have collected some usefulinformation about China, which you may like, especially the teas. Thebest are Lapsing Souchong, Assam Pekoe, rare Ankoe, Flowery Pekoe,Howqua's mixture, Scented Caper, Padral tea, black Congou, and greenTwankey. Shanghai is on the Woosung River. Hong Kong means 'Island ofSweet waters.' Singapore is 'Lion's Town.' 'Chops' are the boats theylive in; and they drink tea out of little saucers. Principal productionsare porcelain, tea, cinnamon, shawls, tin, tamarinds and opium. Theyhave beautiful temples and queer gods; and in Canton is the Dwelling ofthe Holy Pigs, fourteen of them, very big, and all blind."
The effect of this remarkable burst was immense, especially the factlast mentioned. It entirely took the wind out of Aunt Jane's sails; itwas 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, witha hasty "Oh, indeed!" the excellent lady bundled into her carriage anddrove away, somewhat bewildered and very much disturbed.
She would have been more so if she had seen her reprehensiblebrother-in-law dancing a triumphal polka down the hall with Rose inhonour of having silenced the enemy's battery for once.