But now she found that neither Jean nor
Geordie could sing, so she thought it might be wise to select something
simpler than she had chosen before, and ended by singing her oldest
childish favourite, "The Happy Land." It was evidently new to the
children; for their poor old deaf granny's was not a musical home.
Geordie's eyes dilated with delight as he listened, and he kept giving
Jean a series of nods across the table, in case she should by any chance
miss the full enjoyment of such beautiful sounds.
A second knock from Margery, this time carrying a plateful of
currant-cake which Miss Hume had sent to the children, fairly broke up
the little gathering. Grace felt with disappointment that this first
class had come sadly short of her ideal, was a complete failure, in
fact, when she remembered all that she had meant to say and do, and all
the hoped-for responses on the part of the scholars.
In thinking of this afternoon long afterwards, when it lay in the clear
rounded distance of the past, Grace used to smile as she remembered her
restless impatience, and compare herself to the little girl who was
always pulling up by the roots the flowers she had planted in her
garden, to see how they were getting on.
When they prepared to leave the little still room, Grace handed Geordie
his precious "Third Primer," which she found lying on the floor, and as
he put it into his jacket pocket, he said with a smile, "I won't bring
it back with me, I'm thinkin'.
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