No More Learning

She had been
looking at his photograph album, and recalling names and dates
from her own prosperous times. As she went out Miss Leland came in.
She gave the old lady in passing a critical look that made the poor
creature very conscious of a threadbare mantle, and went over to Mrs.
Sherman, holding out both hands. Sherman, who knew all his mother's
peculiarities, noticed on her side a slight coldness; perhaps she did
not altogether like this beautiful dragon-fly.

'I have come,' said Miss Leland, 'to tell John that he must learn to
paint. Music and society are not enough. There is nothing like art to
give refinement. ' Then turning to John Sherman--'My dear, I will make
you quite different. You are a dreadful barbarian, you know. '

'What ails me, Margaret? '

'Just look at that necktie! Nothing shows a man's cultivation like
his necktie! Then your reading! You never read anything but old books
nobody wants to talk about.
I will lend you three everyone has read
this month. You really must acquire small talk and change your necktie. '

Presently she noticed the photograph-book lying open on a chair.

'Oh! ' she cried, 'I must have another look at John's beauties. '

It was a habit of his to gather all manner of pretty faces. It came
from incipient old bachelorhood, perhaps.

Margaret criticised each photograph in turn with, 'Ah! she looks as if
she had some life in her! ' or 'I do not like your sleepy eyelids,' or
some such phrase. The mere relations were passed by without a word. One
face occurred several times--a quiet face. As Margaret came on this one
for the third time, Mrs. Sherman, who seemed a little resentful about
something, said: 'That is his friend, Mary Carton. '

'He told me about her. He has a book she gave him.