"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 any thing, 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 Thanksgiving 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, scandalized 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."