No amiable feelings
were working within her; and the cloud on her brow was of
displeasure and disgust, as well as sadness and sorrow. Her
aunt saw it.
"What are you thinking of?" said she, rather sharply.
"I am thinking," said Ellen, "I am very sorry I cannot go to
school."
"Why, what do you want to learn so much? you know how to read
and write and cipher, don't you?"
"Read and write and cipher!" said Ellen — "to be sure I do;
but that's nothing; that's only the beginning."
"Well, what do you want to learn besides?"
"Oh, a great many things."
"Well, what?"
"Oh, a great many things," said Ellen; "French, and Italian,
and Latin, and music, and arithmetic, and chemistry, and all
about animals, and plants; and insects — I forget what it's
called — and — oh, I can't recollect; a great many things.
Every now and then I think of something I want to learn; I
can't remember them now. But I am doing nothing," said Ellen,
sadly — "learning nothing — I am not studying and improving
myself as I meant to; Mamma will be disappointed when she
comes back; and I meant to please her so much!"
The tears were fast coming; she put her hand upon her eyes to
force them back.
"If you are so tired of being idle," said Miss Fortune, "I'll
warrant I'll give you something to do; and something to learn,
too, that you want enough, more than all those crinkum-
crankums; I wonder what good they'd ever do you! That's the
way your mother was brought up, I suppose.
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