Lotty was
ambitious. Offers of Mrs. Ledward to teach Ida dressmaking, she had
put aside; it was not good enough.
Yet Ida was not in reality remarkable either for industry or
quickness in learning. At both schools she had frequently to be
dealt with somewhat severely. Ability she showed from time to time,
but in application she was sadly lacking. Books were distasteful to
her, more even than to most children; she learned sometimes by
listening to the teacher, but seldom the lessons given her to
prepare. At home there were no books to tempt her to read for
herself; her mother never read, and would not have known how to set
about giving her child a love for such occupation, even had she
deemed it needful. And yet Ida always seemed to have abundance to
think about; she would sit by herself for hours, without any
childlike employment, and still not seem weary. When asked what her
thoughts ran upon, she could not give very satisfactory answers; she
was always rather slow in expressing herself, and never chattered,
even to her mother. One queer and most unchildlike habit she had,
which, as if thinking it wrong, she only indulged when quite alone;
she loved to sit before a looking-glass and gaze into her own face.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64