she said:

"Show me A, Gustus."

He grinned. "A what, missy?"

"The letter A, of course, g----" She almost said "goosie," but thought
in time that such a word would not be dignified for a teacher to use.

She did not find the fun in teaching that she had expected.
Nevertheless, she persevered. Her face grew flushed as Gustus proved
himself more and more ignorant.

When Mrs. Davenport returned from town, she found Beth at her
self-imposed task.

"Mamma, Gustus ought to go to school."

"I don't wants to go," he cried, his eyes rolling so there was hardly
any black visible in them.

Mrs. Davenport did not press the point. She intended to talk it over
with her husband.

"Mr. Davenport and I bought these for you," she said, untying a package
and drawing out a suit of boy's clothes, stockings, shoes, and
underwear.

Gustus's pride now passed all bounds. He let forth a perfect avalanche
of thanks, using large words, the meaning of which he had little idea.