l 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 real value.

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

II

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
tobacco but throws newspapers straight up to the doors of the houses. I
rode outside with him 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-down places exsept in the
kitchen. The same cat is here but they never save the kittens and the
cat is too old to play with. Hannah told me once you ran away to be
married to father and I can see it would be nice. If Aunt M. would run
away I think I should like to live with Aunt J. She does not hate me as
bad as Aunt M. does. Tell Mark he can have my paint box, but I should
like him to keep the red cake in case I come home again. I hope Hannah
and John do mot get