She called her mother
"Lady Placid," and her brother "Sir Imperturbable." And so much for
outlines.
Mrs. Dodd laid aside her personal ambition with her maiden name; but she
looked high for her children. Perhaps she was all the more ambitious for
them, that they had no rival aspirant in Mrs. Dodd. She educated Julia
herself from first to last: but with true feminine distrust of her power
to mould a lordling of creation, she sent Edward to Eton, at nine. This
was slackening her tortoise; for at Eton is no female master, to coax dry
knowledge into a slow head. However, he made good progress in two
branches--aquatics and cricket.
After Eton came the choice of a profession. His mother recognised but
four; and these her discreet ambition speedily sifted down to two. For
military heroes are shot now and then, however pacific the century; and
naval ones drowned. She would never expose her Edward to this class of
accidents. Glory by all means; glory by the pail; but safe glory, please;
or she would none of it. Remained the church and the bar: and, within
these reasonable limits, she left her dear boy free as air; and not even
hurried--there was plenty of time to choose: he must pass through the
university to either.
Pages:
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28