The pupils and those
of their ages grouped naturally together. I did not care to go among
the arguers and the disputants who talked anti-this and anti-that, the
new sciences of medicine--the water cure and homoeopathy; who disputed
the doctrines of community of property, western lands, politics,
approaching war with Mexico, etc., etc. Nor did I care to group with
the few who played euchre and smoked "conchas," and the book of nature
had very often more charms for me than any other.
Our family rooms were small, and as stated I was sandwiched in with
others, in rather unpromising quarters. But I almost only slept there.
My interested parents often spent the evenings as well as the days in
domestic duties, so I was much alone. I cared not. I could thoughtfully
contemplate the climbing constellations, and sometimes one of the many
who grew friendly to me would point out the planets and name the stars
for me, and I would watch the moon rise slowly above the horizon. The
beautiful meadow was below me, and above and around the whole eastern
hemisphere of sky. Or I would wander around the houses to see what was
going on, meeting groups of promenaders by the way. At the cottage the
piano would be playing, and likely as not Lucas and Jos? or Willard and
Charles were waltzing with Anna and Abbie or Katie and Agnes to
Louisa's playing.
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