uises
when he falls over the banisters. He is the only one of the children who
will trouble you much; the others are small yet, happily. My sister is a
pattern of propriety, but of rather an inquiring mind, and sympathetic
if you take her the right way: she can talk with you about philosophy
and science and your dried-up old doxies. Not that she knows anything
about Schopenhauer, and Darwin, and Diogenes, of course; but she's heard
their names, and she'll pretend to be posted--you know how women are.
And when you need a mental tonic--the companionship of a robust
intellect, the stimulus of wide acquaintance with the great world of men
and things, a manly comprehension of any difficulties that you may meet,
or sound and wise advice how to steer your way through the pitfalls and
intricacies of the female character--in such cases, which will no doubt
often arise, you have only to come to me. I know all about these
matters, of which you have had no experience. I'll be at home as much as
possible while you are there, and I'll stand by you, Jim."

"Thanks, awfully--as I believe they say where we are going. Yes, you
will be an invaluable mentor, Bob. Well, I'll try not to disgrace you.
It is late: let us turn in."

This important conversation took place on the boat. You see, when I was
with Hartman in May, he took the lead; but in my own house, or on the
way to it, I like to be cock of the walk. Besides, as I had prepared the
women for his coming, so now it was necessary to prepare his mind to
meet them. In my picture of our domestic felicity, I may have laid on
some tints too heavily, as about our mutual confidence. But he will soon
see how that is. You may notice that I said nothing about the Princess.
There was a deep design in that omission. When the orb of day in all his
glory bursts from his liquid bed upon the astonished gaze of some lonely
wanderer on the Andes, or the Alps,--or our own Rockies, say,--the
spectacle is all the more effective if the wanderer was not expecting
anything of the kind; didn't suppose it was time yet, or, still better,
didn't know there was any sun. That is the way Jim will feel when he
sees Clarice. If he has forgotten about her wanting to go up there in
the woods in May, O. K.; that will meet her views, and he'll be reminded
of her existence soon enough.

This is one of those delicate ideas which might not occur to the male
mind unassisted: in fact, left to my native nothingness, I should