"It is too late to 'order'­Charlie is a man now, and Stephen will find he has been too easy with him all these years.Poor fellow, it has been hard lines for him, and is likely to be harder, I fancy, unless he comes home and straightens things out.""He won't do that if he can help it.He has lost all his energy living in that climate and hates worry more than ever, so you can imagine what an effort it would be to manage a foolish woman and a headstrong boy.We must lend a hand, Mac, and do our best for poor old Steve.""The best we can do for the lad is to marry and settle him as soon as possible.""My dear fellow, he is only three and twenty," began the doctor, as if the idea was preposterous.Then a sudden change came over him as he added with a melancholy smile, "I forget how much one can hope and suffer, even at twenty-three.""And be all the better for, if bravely outlived," said Uncle Mac, with his hand on his brother's shoulder and the sincerest approval in his voice.
Then, kindly returning to the younger people, he went on inquiringly, "You don't incline to Clara's view of a certain matter, I fancy?""Decidedly not.My girl must have the best, and Clara's training would spoil an angel," answered Dr.Alec quickly.
"But we shall find it hard to let our little Rose go out of the family.
How would Archie do? He has been well brought up and is a thoroughly excellent lad."The brothers had retired to the study by this time and were alone, yet Dr.Alec lowered his voice as he said with a tender sort of anxiety pleasant to see: "You know I do not approve of cousins marrying, so I'm in a quandary, Mac, for I love the child as if she were my own and feel as if I could not give her up to any man whom I did not know and trust entirely.It is of no use for us to plan, for she must choose for herself­yet I do wish we could keep her among us and give one of our boys a wife worth having.""We must, so never mind your theories but devote yourself to testing our elder lads and making one of them a happy fellow.All are heart-whole, I believe, and, though young still for this sort of thing, we can be gently shaping matters for them, since no one knows how soon the moment may come.
My faith­it is like living in a powder mill to be among a lot of young folks nowadays! All looks as calm as possible till a sudden spark produces an explosion, and heaven only knows where we find ourselves after it is over."And Uncle Mac sat himself comfortably down to settle Rose's fate while the doctor paced the room, plucking at his beard and knitting his brows as if he found it hard to see his way.
"Yes, Archie is a good fellow," he said, answering the question he had ignored before."An upright, steady, intelligent lad who will make an excellent husband if he ever finds out that he has a heart.I suppose I'm an old fool, but I do like a little more romance in a young man than he seems to have­more warmth and enthusiasm, you know.Bless the boy! He might be forty instead of three or four and twenty, he's so sober, calm, and cool.I'm younger than he is, and could go a-wooing like a Romeo if I had any heart to offer a woman."The doctor looked rather shamefaced as he spoke, and his brother burst out laughing."See here, Alec, it's a pity so much romance and excellence as yours should be lost, so why don't you set these young fellows an example and go a-wooing yourself? Jessie has been wondering how you have managed to keep from falling in love with Phebe all this time, and Clara is quite sure that you waited only till she was safe under Aunt Plenty's wing to offer yourself in the good old-fashioned style.""I!" And the doctor stood aghast at the mere idea, then he gave a resigned sort of sigh and added like a martyr, "If those dear women would let me alone, I'd thank them forever.Put the idea out of their minds for heaven's sake, Mac, or I shall be having that poor girl flung at my head and her comfort destroyed.She is a fine creature and I'm proud of her, but she deserves a better lot than to be tied to an old fellow like me whose only merit is his fidelity.""As you please, I was only joking," and Uncle Mac dropped the subject with secret relief.The excellent man thought a good deal of family and had been rather worried at the hints of the ladies.After a moment's silence he returned to a former topic, which was rather a pet plan of his."I don't think you do Archie justice, Alec.You don't know him as well as I do, but you'll find that he has heart enough under his cool, quiet manner.
I've grown very fond of him, think highly of him, and don't see how you could do better for Rose than to give her to him.""If she will go," said the doctor, smiling at his brother's businesslike way of disposing of the young people.
"She'll do anything to please you," began Uncle Mac in perfect good faith, for twenty-five years in the society of a very prosaic wife had taken nearly all the romance out of him.
"It is of no use for us to plan, and I shall never interfere except to advise, and if I were to choose one of the boys, I should incline to my godson," answered the doctor gravely.
"What, my Ugly Duckling!" exclaimed Uncle Mac in great surprise.
