tsteps,
and acquired only a superficial knowledge of what her sister was the
perfect mistress of, her uncle believed that, bad as she was, she would
have been much worse if she had not been forced into rational studies.
Though she was not a marvel of solidity, she still had as good a
knowledge of accounts, general information, history, and science, as is
possessed by many boys who get on very well in business or in
professions, when once set fairly to work.

Mr. Hogarth had no great opinion of the value of teaching languages,
and thought that a knowledge of things was of far more importance than
a knowledge of the names of things. The girls had learned, however, a
good deal of Latin and Greek from Mr. Wilson, their tutor, who thought
it a pity that Jane's fine abilities should not have a classical
education; and he had induced Mr. Hogarth to agree to it by the
argument that these languages are invaluable for the ready and correct
understanding of all scientific terms. French and Italian the girls
themselves were anxious to learn; and as they had been promised a
continental tour some fine summer, their uncle thought they might be
useful acquirements then, so they had lessons from the best masters in
Edinburgh, and profited by them. And here for the first time Elsie's
progress had been far greater than Jane's. Mr. Hogarth had himself
spent a good deal of time in his youth in France; but he had a higher
opinion of French society than of French literature, and he thought
that from the lips of brilliant Parisian women they would learn more of
the spirit of the language and of the people than from the books they
studied in classes or read at home.

Elsie had a natural taste for music, and a remarkably sweet voice in
speaking, which, if it had been cultivated, would have made her an
excellent singer; but her uncle was sure that to indulge her with a
musical education would only weaken her mind. Mr. Hogarth had seen no
good come of music. A taste for singing and a fine voice had been the
ruin of thousands--they had been most mischievous to Elsie's own
father, and they had been the chief fascinations which had won upon his
dear sister Mary. She and George Melville had sung duets together, and
from that had been led to try a duet through life; and a very sad and
inharmonious life they had made of it.

So poor Elsie's natural tastes were discouraged and thwarted; and after
the positive lessons were over, and her education was s