rose accepted her uncle's offer, as aunt myra discovered two orthree days later. coming in for an early call, and hearing voices inthe study, she opened the door, gave a cry and shut it quickly,looking a good deal startled. the doctor appeared in a moment,and begged to know what the matter was.
"how can you ask when that long box looks so like a coffin ithought it was one, and that dreadful thing stared me in the face asi opened the door," answered mrs. myra, pointing to the skeletonthat hung from the chandelier cheerfully grinning at all beholders.
"this is a medical college where women are freely admitted, sowalk in, madam, and join the class if you'll do me the honour,"said the doctor, waving her forward with his politest bow.
"do, auntie, it's perfectly splendid," cried rose's voice, and rose'sblooming face was seen behind the ribs of the skeleton, smilingand nodding in the gayest possible manner.
"what are you doing, child?" demanded aunt myra, dropping intoa chair and staring about her.
"oh, i'm learning bones to-day, and i like it so much. there aretwelve ribs, you know, and the two lower ones are called floatingribs, because they are not fastened to the breastbone. that's whythey go in so easily if you lace tight and squeeze the lungs andheart in the let me see, what was that big word oh, i know thoraciccavity," and rose beamed with pride as she aired her little bit ofknowledge.
"do you think that is a good sort of thing for her to be pokingover? she is a nervous child, and i'm afraid it will be bad for her,"said aunt myra, watching rose as she counted vertebr‘, andwaggled a hip-joint in its socket with an inquiring expression.
"an excellent study, for she enjoys it, and i mean to teach her howto manage her nerves so that they won't be a curse to her, as manya woman's become through ignorance or want of thought. to makea mystery or terror of these things is a mistake, and i mean roseshall understand and respect her body so well that she won't dareto trifle with it as most women do.""and she really likes it?""very much, auntie! it's all so wonderful, and so nicely planned,you can hardly believe what you see. just think, there are600,000,000 air cells in one pair of lungs, and 2,000 pores to asquare inch of surface; so you see what quantities of air we musthave, and what care we should take of our skin so all the littledoors will open and shut right. and brains, auntie, you've no ideahow curious they are; i haven't got to them yet, but i long to, anduncle is going to show me a manikin that you can take to pieces.
just think how nice it will be to see all the organs in their places; ionly wish they could be made to work as ours do."it was funny to see aunt myra's face as rose stood before hertalking rapidly with one hand laid in the friendliest manner on theskeleton's shoulder. every word both the doctor and rose utteredhit the good lady in her weakest spot, and as she looked andlistened a long array of bottles and pill-boxes rose up before her,reproaching her with the "ignorance and want of thought" thatmade her what she was, a nervous, dyspeptic, unhappy old woman.
"well, i don't know but you may be right, alec, only i wouldn'tcarry it too far. women don't need much of this sort of knowledge,and are not fit for it. i couldn't bear to touch that ugly thing, and itgives me the creeps to hear about 'organs,' " said aunt myra, with asigh and her hand on her side.
"wouldn't it be a comfort to know that your liver was on the rightside, auntie, and not on the left!" asked rose with a naughty laughin her eyes, for she had lately learnt that aunt myra's livercomplaint was not in the proper place.
"it's a dying world, child, and it don't much matter where the painis, for sooner or later we all drop off and are seen no more," wasaunt myra's cheerful reply.
"well, i intend to know what kills me if i can, and meantime, i'mgoing to enjoy myself in spite of a dying world. i wish you'd do sotoo, and come and study with uncle, it would do you good, i'msure," and rose went back to counting vertebr‘ with such a happyface, that aunt myra had not the heart to say a word to dampen herardour.
"perhaps it's as well to let her do what she likes the little while sheis with us. but pray be careful of her, alec, and not allow her tooverwork," she whispered as she went out.
"that's exactly what i'm trying to do, ma'am, and rather a hard jobi find it," he added, as he shut the door, for the dear aunts weredreadfully in his way sometimes.
half an hour later came another interruption in the shape of mac,who announced his arrival by the brief but elegant remark"hullo! what new game is this?"rose explained, mac gave a long whistle of surprise, and then tooka promenade round the skeleton, observing gravely"brother bones looks very jolly, but i can't say much for hisbeauty.""you mustn't make fun of him, for he's a good old fellow, andyou'd be just as ugly if your flesh was off," said rose, defendingher new friend with warmth.
"i dare say, so i'll keep my flesh on, thank you. you are so busyyou can't read to a fellow, i suppose?" asked mac, whose eyeswere better, but still too weak for books.
"don't you want to come and join my class? uncle explains it all tous, and you can take a look at the plates as they come along. we'llgive up bones today and have eyes instead; that will be moreinteresting to you," added rose, seeing no ardent thirst forphysiological information in his face.
"rose, we must not fly about from one thing to another in thisway," began dr. alec, but she whispered quickly, with a nodtowards mac, whose goggles were turned wistfully in the directionof the forbidden books"he's blue to-day, and we must amuse him; give a little lecture oneyes, and it will do him good. no matter about me, uncle.""very well; the class will please be seated," and the doctor gave asounding rap on the table.
"come, sit by me, dear, then we can both see the pictures; and ifyour head gets tired you can lie down," said rose, generouslyopening her little college to a brother, and kindly providing for theweaknesses that all humanity is subject to.
side by side they sat and listened to a very simple explanation ofthe mechanism of the eye, finding it as wonderful as a fairy tale,for fine plates illustrated it, and a very willing teacher did his bestto make the lesson pleasant.
"jove! if i'd known what mischief i was doing to that mightydelicate machine of mine, you wouldn't have caught me reading byfirelight, or studying with a glare of sunshine on my book," saidmac, peering solemnly at a magnified eye-ball; then, pushing itaway, he added indignantly, "why isn't a fellow taught all abouthis works, and how to manage 'em, and not left to go blunderinginto all sorts of worries? telling him after he's down isn't muchuse, for then he's found it out himself and won't thank you.""ah, mac, that's just what i keep lecturing about, and people won'tlisten. you lads need that sort of knowledge so much, and fathersand mothers ought to be able to give it to you. few of them areable, and so we all go blundering, as you say. less greek and latinand more knowledge of the laws of health for my boys, if i hadthem. mathematics are all very well, but morals are better, and iwish, how i wish that i could help teachers and parents to feel it asthey ought.""some do; aunt jessie and her boys have capital talks, and i wishwe could; but mother's so busy with her housekeeping, and fatherwith his business, there never seems to be any time for that sort ofthing; even if there was, it don't seem as if it would be easy to talkto them, because we've never got into the way of it, you know."poor mac was right there, and expressed a want that many a boyand girl feels. fathers and mothers are too absorbed in businessand housekeeping to study their children, and cherish that sweetand natural confidence which is a child's surest safeguard, and aparent's subtlest power. so the young hearts hide trouble ortemptation till the harm is done, and mutual regret comes too late.
happy the boys and girls who tell all things freely to father ormother, sure of pity, help, and pardon; and thrice happy the parentswho, out of their own experience, and by their own virtues, canteach and uplift the souls for which they are responsible.
this longing stirred in the hearts of rose and mac, and by anatural impulse both turned to dr. alec, for in this queer world ofours, fatherly and motherly hearts often beat warm and wise in thebreasts of bachelor uncles and maiden aunts; and it is my privateopinion that these worthy creatures are a beautiful provision ofnature for the cherishing of other people's children. they certainlyget great comfort out of it, and receive much innocent affectionthat otherwise would be lost.
dr. alec was one of these, and his big heart had room for everyone of the eight cousins, especially orphaned rose and afflictedmac; so, when the boy uttered that unconscious reproach to hisparents, and rose added with a sigh, "it must be beautiful to have amother!" the good doctor yearned over them, and, shutting hisbook with a decided slam, said in that cordial voice of his"now, look here, children, you just come and tell me all yourworries, and with god's help, i'll settle them for you. that is whati'm here for, i believe, and it will be a great happiness to me if youcan trust me.""we can, uncle, and we will!" both answered, with a heartinessthat gratified him much.
"good! now school is dismissed, and i advise you to go and refreshyour 600,000,000 air cells by a brisk run in the garden. comeagain whenever you like, mac, and we'll teach you all we canabout your 'works,' as you call them, so you can keep them runningsmoothly.""we'll come, sir, much obliged," and the class in physiology wentout to walk.
mac did come again, glad to find something he could study in spiteof his weak eyes, and learned much that was of more value thananything his school had ever taught thim.
of course, the other lads made great fun of the whole thing, andplagued dr. alec's students half out of their lives. but they kept onpersistently, and one day something happened which made theother fellows behave themselves for ever after.
it was a holiday, and rose up in her room thought she heard thevoices of her cousins, so she ran down to welcome them, but foundno one there.
"never mind, they will be here soon, and then we'll have a frolic,"she said to herself, and thinking she had been mistaken she wentinto the study to wait. she was lounging over the table looking at amap when an odd noise caught her ear. a gentle tappingsomewhere, and following the sound it seemed to come from theinside of the long case in which the skeleton lived when notprofessionally engaged. this case stood upright in a niche betweentwo book-cases at the back of the room, a darkish corner, wherebrother bones, as the boys would call him, was out of the way.
as rose stood looking in that direction, and wondering if a rat hadgot shut in, the door of the case swung slowly open, and with agreat start she saw a bony arm lifted, and a bony finger beckon toher. for a minute she was frightened, and ran to the study doorwith a fluttering heart, but just as she touched the handle a queer,stifled sort of giggle made her stop short and turn red with anger.
she paused an instant to collect herself, and then went softlytoward the bony beckoner. a nearer look revealed black threadstied to the arm and fingers, the ends of threads disappearingthrough holes bored in the back of the case. peeping into the darkrecess, she also caught sight of the tip of an elbow covered with arough gray cloth which she knew very well.
quick as a flash she understood the joke, her fear vanished, andwith a wicked smile, she whipped out her scissors, cut the threads,and the bony arm dropped with a rattle. before she could say,"come out, charlie, and let my skeleton alone," a sudden irruptionof boys, all in a high state of tickle, proclaimed to the hidden roguethat his joke was a failure.
"i told him not to do it, because it might give you a start,"explained archie, emerging from the closet.
"i had a smelling bottle all ready if she fainted away," added steve,popping up from behind the great chair.
"it's too bad of you not to squawk and run; we depended on it, it'ssuch fun to howl after you," said will and geordie, rolling outfrom under the sofa in a promiscuous heap.
"you are getting altogether too strong-minded, rose; most girlswould have been in a jolly twitter to see this old fellow wagglinghis finger at them," complained charlie, squeezing out from histight quarters, dusty and disgusted.
"i'm used to your pranks now, so i'm always on the watch andprepared. but i won't have brother bones made fun of. i knowuncle wouldn't like it, so please don't," began rose just as dr. aleccame in, and, seeing the state of the case at a glance, he saidquietly"hear how i got that skeleton, and then i'm sure you will treat itwith respect."the boys settled down at once on any article of furniture that wasnearest and listened dutifully.
"years ago, when i was in the hospital, a poor fellow was broughtthere with a rare and very painful disease. there was no hope forhim, but we did our best, and he was so grateful that when he diedhe left us his body that we might discover the mysteries of hiscomplaint, and so be able to help others afflicted in the same way.
it did do good, and his brave patience made us remember him longafter he was gone. he thought i had been kind to him, and said to afellow-student of mine, 'tell the doctor i lave him me bones, fori've nothing else in the wide world, and i'll nos be wanting 'em atall, at all, when the great pain hat kilt me entirely.' so that is howthey came to be mine, and why i've kept them carefully, for,though only a poor, ignorant fellow, mike nolan did what he couldto help others, and prove his gratitude to those who tried to helphim."as dr. alec paused, archie closed the door of the case asrespectfully as if the mummy of an egyptian king was inside; willand geordie looked solemnly at one another, evidently muchimpressed, and charlie pensively remarked from the coal-hodwhere he sat"i've often heard of a skeleton in the house, but i think few peoplehave one as useful and as interesting as ours."
