; "and there's Grecian history
too, Pink; and French and English history; and German."

"And American history too?" ventured Matilda.

"Well, yes; but you see we haven't a great deal of history yet, Pink;
because we are a young people."

"A _young_ people?" said Matilda, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why yes; it was only in 1776 that we set up for ourselves."

"Seventeen seventy six," repeated Matilda. "And now it is eighteen"--

"Near a hundred years; that is all."

Matilda pondered a little.

"Where must I begin, Norton?"

"O with Romulus and Remus, I guess. And then there's grammar, Pink; did
you ever study grammar?"

"A little. I didn't like it."

"No, and I don't like it; but you have to learn it, for all that. And
geography, Pink?"

"O I was drawing maps, Norton; but then I had to come away from school,
and I was busy at aunt Candy's, and I have forgot nearly all I knew, I
am afraid."

"Never mind," said Norton delightedly; "we'll find it again, and a
great deal more. I'll get you some nice sheets of paper for your maps,
and a box of colours; so that you can make a pretty affair of them. I
declare! I don't know whether we can begin, though, before Christmas."

"O yes, Norton. I have more time than I know what to do with. I would
like to begin about Romus"--

"Romulus. Yes, you shall. And now, if we turn round here we shall not
have too much time to get home, I'm thinking."

CHAPTER X.

Matilda hardly knew whether to welcome Sunday. Her mind was in such a
whirl, she was half afraid to have leisure to think. There was little
chance however for that in the morning; late breakfast and dressing
disposed of the time nicely. The whole family went to church to-day,
David alone excepted; and Matilda was divided between delight in her
new cloak and rich dress, and a certain troubled feeling that all the
sweetness which used to belong to her Sundays in church at Shadywalk
was here missing. Nothing in the service gave her any help. Her dress,
to be sure, was merged in a crowd of just such dresses; silks and laces
and velvets and feathers and bright colours were on every side of her
and other brilliant colours streamed down from the painted windows of
the church. They were altogether distracting. It was impossible not to
notice the dash of golden light which lay across her own green silk
dress and glorified it, so far; or to help watching the effect of a
stream of crimson rays on Judy's b