at did she talk about?"

"Blamed if I can repeat any of it. She kep' me so surprised I didn't
have my wits about me. She had a little pink sunshade--it kind o'
looked like a doll's amberill, 'n' she clung to it like a burr to a
woolen stockin'. I advised her to open it up--the sun was so hot; but
she said no, 't would fade, an' she tucked it under her dress. 'It's
the dearest thing in life to me,' says she, 'but it's a dreadful care.'
Them 's the very words, an' it's all the words I remember. 'It's the
dearest thing in life to me, but it's an awful care!' "--here Mr. Cobb
laughed aloud as he tipped his chair back against the side of the
house. "There was another thing, but I can't get it right exactly. She
was talkin' 'bout the circus parade an' the snake charmer in a gold
chariot, an' says she, 'She was so beautiful beyond compare, Mr. Cobb,
that it made you have lumps in your throat to look at her.' She'll be
comin' over to see you, mother, an' you can size her up for yourself. I
don' know how she'll git on with Mirandy Sawyer--poor little soul!"

This doubt was more or less openly expressed in Riverboro, which,
however, had two opinions on the subject; one that it was a most
generous thing in the Sawyer girls to take one of Aurelia's children to
educate, the other that the education would be bought at a price wholly
out of proportion to its intrinsic value.

Rebecca's first letters to her mother would seem to indicate that she
cordially coincided with the latter view of the situation.

IV

REBECCA'S POINT OF VIEW

Dear Mother,--I am safely here. My dress was not much tumbled
and Aunt Jane helped me press it out. I like Mr. Cobb very
much. He chews but throws newspapers straight up to the
doors. I rode outside a little while, but got inside before I
got to Aunt Miranda's house. I did not want to, but thought
you would like it better. Miranda is such a long word that I
think I will say Aunt M. and Aunt J. in my Sunday letters.
Aunt J. has given me a dictionary to look up all the hard
words in. It takes a good deal of time and I am glad people
can talk without stoping to spell. It is much eesier to talk
than write and much more fun. The brick house looks just the
same as you have told us. The parler is splendid and gives
you creeps and chills when you look in the door. The
furnature is ellergant too, and all the rooms but there are
no good sitting-d