Came home from the school
and complained about the other boys not washing properly. Wanted a bath
every day, and made me buy him a new toothbrush. Brushes his hair and
washes his hands every time he goes out. Took a dislike to his tie and
burned it. Plagued me to death till I got him a new suit of
clothes--plain, ugly things, too, he would have. He won't have nothing
to do with his friends, chucked playing marbles or hopscotch, and goes
out in the country, picking flowers. Just to humor him, the first lot
he brought home I put in one of those vases that ma brought us from
Yarmouth, and what do you think he did?--threw the vase out of the
window and bought with his own pocket money a plain china bowl."
Burton listened in blank amazement. As yet the light had not come.
"Go on," he murmured. "Anything else?"
"Up comes his master a few days ago," Ellen continued. "Fairly scared
me to death. Said the boy showed signs of great talent in drawing.
Talent in drawing, indeed! I'll give him talent! Wanted me to have him
go to night school and pay for extra lessons. Said he thought the boy
would turn out an artist. Nice bit of money there is in that!"
"What did you tell him?" Burton asked.
"I told him to stop putting silly ideas into the child's head," Ellen
replied.
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