“And Auntie Bell says a lot think it's not knowing any Scotch language and never taking cheese to tea.”
“I think,” said Kate, “we'll never mindrefining; it's an awful bother.”
“But every lady must be refined,” said Bud. “Ailie prosists in that.”
“I don't care,” said the maid; “I'm not particular about being very much of a lady—I'll maybe never have the jewelry for it—but I would like to be a sort of lady on the Sundays, when Charles is at home. I'm not hurryin' you, my dear, but—but when do we start the writin'?” and she yawned in a way that said little for the interest of Professor Bud's opening lecture.
Whereupon Bud explained that in a systematic course of education reading came first, and the best reading was Shakespeare, who was truly ennobling to the human mind. She brought in Auntie Ailie's Shakespeare and sat upon the fender, and plunged Kate at once into some queer society at Elsinore. But, bless you, nothing came of it: Kate fell asleep, and woke to find the fire cold and the child entranced with Hamlet.
“Oh, dear! it's a slow job getting your education,” she said, pitifully, “and all this time there's my dear Charles waiting for a letter!”
CHAPTER XVI
I CANNA be bothered with that Shakespeare,” Kate cried, hopelessly, after many days of him; “the man's a mournin' thing! Could he not give us something cheery, with 'Come, all ye boys!' in it, the same as the trawlers sing in Colonsay? There was far more fun last week in the penny Horner”.