Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RECOLLECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD
71
ner divan in the drawing-room and took me on his
knee.
"Come, let ’s get acquainted, mademoiselle, my
niece!" said he. Uncle began to question me as to
what I was studying, what I was reading. Children
know themselves, generally, much better than grown
people imagine; they know their own strong points
and their weak points. Thus, for example, I knew
perfectly that I learned my lessons well, and that
every one considered me very "advanced" in my
studies for my age. Consequently I was greatly
pleased when uncle took it into his head to question
me about it, and I answered all his queries willingly
and freely. " Here’s a clever girl! She knows all
that already !" he kept repeating every moment.
" Uncle, tell me something now!" I entreated him,
in my turn.
" Well, here goes; only one can’t tell fairy tales to
such a clever young lady as you," he said, jestingly.
" One must talk to you only of serious things." So
he began to tell me about infusoria, about marine
algæ, about the formation of coral reefs. Uncle had
not been out of the university very long, so that all
this information was still fresh in his memory. He
narrated very well, and it pleased him that I listened
with so much attention, with eyes opened very wide
and fixed firmly upon him.
After this first day the same thing came to be
repeated every evening. After dinner papa and mama
went off to doze for half an hour. Uncle had nothing
to do. He would sit down on my beloved little divan,
take me on his knees, and begin to talk to me about
all sorts of things. He proposed that the other
children should listen also, but my sister, who had only
just freed herself from the school-room, was afraid of
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
