Bell had been appalled to find the child, at the age of ten, apparently incredibly neglected in her education.
“Of course you would be at some sort of school yonder in America?” she had said at an early opportunity, not hoping for much, but ready to learn of some hedge-row academy in spite of all the papers said of Yales and Harvards and the like.
“No, I never was at school; I was just going when father died,” said Bud, sitting on a sofa wrapped in a cloak of Ailie's, feeling extremely tall and beautiful and old.
“What! Do you sit there and tell me they did not send you to school?” cried her aunt, so stunned that the child delighted in her power to startle and amaze. “That's America for you! Ten years old and not the length of your alphabets!—it's what one might expect from a heathen land of niggers, and lynchers, and presidents. I was the best sewer and speller in Miss Mushet's long before I was ten. My lassie, let me tell you you have come to a country where you'll get your education! We would make you take it at its best if we had to live on meal. Look at your auntie Ailie—French and German, and a hand like copperplate; it's a treat to see her at the old scrutoire, no way put-about, composing. Just goes at it like lightning! I do declare if your uncle Dan was done, Ailie could carry on the business, all except the aliments and sequestrations. It beats all! Ten years old and not to know the ABC!”
“Oh, but I do,” said Bud, quickly. “I learned the alphabet off the play-bills—the big G's first, because there's so many Greats and Grand? and Gorgeouses in them. And then Mrs. Molyneux used to let me try to read Jim's press notices. She read them first every morning sitting up in bed at breakfast, and said, 'My! wasn't he a great man?' and then she'd cry a little, 'cause he never got justice from the managers, for they were all mean and jealous of him. Then she'd spray herself with the peau d'espagne and eat a cracker. And the best papers there was in the land said the part of the butler in the second act was well filled by Mr. Jim Molyneux; or among others in a fine cast were J. Molyneux, Ralph Devereux, and O. G. Tarpoll.”
“I don't know what you're talking about, my poor wee whitterick; but it's all haivers,” said Miss Bell. “Can you spell?”
“If the words are not too big, or silly ones where it's 'ei' or 'ie' and you have to guess,” said Bud.
“Spell cat.”
Bud stared at her incredulously.
“Spell cat,” repeated her aunt.