第55章

"I don't deny that you've done well, Jessie, but you've been let alone and had no one to hold your hand or interfere.If my Mac had gone to sea as your Jem did, I never should have been as severe as I am.Men are so perverse and shortsighted, they don't trouble about the future as long as things are quiet and comfortable in the present," continued Mrs.Jane, quite forgetting that the shortsighted partner of the firm, physically speaking at least, was herself.

"Ah, yes! We mothers love to foresee and foretell our children's lives even before they are born, and are very apt to be disappointed if they do not turn out as we planned.I know I am­yet I really have no cause to complain and am learning to see that all we can do is to give the dear boys good principles and the best training we may, then leave them to finish what we have begun." And Mrs.Jessie's eye wandered away to Archie, dancing with Rose, quite unconscious what a pretty little castle in the air tumbled down when he fell in love with Phebe.

"Right, quite right­on that point we agree exactly.I have spared nothing to give my boys good principles and good habits, and I am willing to trust them anywhere.Nine times did I whip my Steve to cure him of fibbing, and over and over again did Mac go without his dinner rather than wash his hands.But I whipped and starved them both into obedience, and now I have my reward," concluded the "stern parent" with a proud wave of the fan, which looked very like a ferule, being as big, hard, and uncompromising as such an article could be.

Mrs.Jessie gave a mild murmur of assent, but could not help thinking, with a smile, that in spite of their early tribulations the sins for which the boys suffered had gotten a little mixed in their result, for fibbing Steve was now the tidy one, and careless Mac the truth teller.But such small contradictions will happen in the best-regulated families, and all perplexed parents can do is to keep up a steadfast preaching and practicing in the hope that it will bear fruit sometime, for according to an old proverb, Children pick up words as pigeons pease, To utter them again as God shall please."I hope they won't dance the child to death among them, for each one seems bound to have his turn, even your sober Mac," said Mrs.Jessie a few minutes later as she saw Archie hand Rose over to his cousin, who carried her off with an air of triumph from several other claimants.

"She's very good to him, and her influence is excellent, for he is of an age now when a young woman's opinion has more weight than an old one's.

Though he is always good to his mother, and I feel as if I should take great comfort in him.He's one of the sort who will not marry till late, if ever, being fond of books and a quiet life," responded Mrs.Jane, remembering how often her son had expressed his belief that philosophers should not marry and brought up Plato as an example of the serene wisdom to be attained only by a single man while her husband sided with Socrates, for whom he felt a profound sympathy, though he didn't dare to own it.

"Well, I don't know about that.Since my Archie surprised me by losing his heart as he did, I'm prepared for anything, and advise you to do likewise.

I really shouldn't wonder if Mac did something remarkable in that line, though he shows no sign of it yet, I confess," answered Mrs.Jessie, laughing.

"It won't be in that direction, you may be sure, for her fate is sealed.Dear me, how sad it is to see a superior girl like that about to throw herself away on a handsome scapegrace.I won't mention names, but you understand me." And Mrs.Jane shook her head, as if she could mention the name of one superior girl who had thrown herself away and now saw the folly of it.

"I'm very anxious, of course, and so is Alec, but it may be the saving of one party and the happiness of the other, for some women love to give more than they receive," said Mrs.Jessie, privately wondering, for the thousandth time, why brother Mac ever married the learned Miss Humphries.

"You'll see that it won't prosper, and I shall always maintain that a wife cannot entirely undo a mother's work.Rose will have her hands full if she tries to set all Clara's mistakes right," answered Aunt Jane grimly, then began to fan violently as their hostess approached to have a dish of chat about "our dear young people."Rose was in a merry mood that night, and found Mac quite ready for fun, which was fortunate, since her first remark set them off on a droll subject.

"Oh, Mac! Annabel has just confided to me that she is engaged to Fun See! Think of her going to housekeeping in Canton someday and having to order rats, puppies, and bird's-nest soup for dinner," whispered Rose, too much amused to keep the news to herself.

"By Confucius! Isn't that a sweet prospect?" And Mac burst out laughing, to the great surprise of his neighbors, who wondered what there was amusing about the Chinese sage."It is rather alarming, though, to have these infants going on at this rate.Seems to be catching, a new sort of scarlet fever, to judge by Annabel's cheeks and Kitty's gown," he added, regarding the aforesaid ladies with eyes still twinkling with merriment.

"Don't be ungallant, but go and do likewise, for it is all the fashion.

I heard Mrs.Van tell old Mrs.Joy that it was going to be a marrying year, so you'll be sure to catch it," answered Rose, reefing her skirts, for, with all his training, Mac still found it difficult to keep his long legs out of the man-traps.

"It doesn't look like a painful disease, but I must be careful, for I've no time to be ill now.What are the symptoms?" asked Mac, trying to combine business with pleasure and improve his mind while doing his duty.

"If you ever come back I'll tell you," laughed Rose as he danced away into the wrong corner, bumped smartly against another gentleman, and returned as soberly as if that was the proper figure.

"Well, tell me 'how not to do it,' " he said, subsiding for a moment's talk when Rose had floated to and fro in her turn.