affection for him was thereby increased. Neither did she ever after manifest so much impatience when any thing baffled her comprehension.
The summer she was fifteen she passed under her father's tuition, which was a source of great enjoyment to both. Her eager desire to fathom every branch of science to which her investigating mind led her, was often the cause of great annoyance to her teachers, for they could not see why a girl need to ask so many questions, who would never have any use for her knowledge. She felt the injustice of the censures sometimes incurred by her inquisitiveness, and could scarcely brook with good grace the partiality that tolerated, seemingly with greater patience, the insensible questions of the most stupid boys. She did not understand the customs of society, far more prevalent then than now, assigning to manhood a career,—to womanhood, marriage or a blank.
Whatever Mr. Claremont's views in this respect, he intended to gratify and assist Rosalind in prosecuting her studies to the extent of his power. Though engaged in a large mercantile establishment, his financial ability and prompt business habits relieved him from many of the cares and perplexities attending men of his class, so that he had more leisure to spend at home and devote to her than usual with business men. He was one of the small company of successful merchants who had a conscience that could not be wrapped up in his Sunday suit, and a religion that he carried into his counting room, practising good will to men on six days out of the seven, thus saving his soul from the all-engrossing vexations
