Then
she asked if I wasn't surprised when she called me Teunis. She had
thought a good deal over it, she said, and she couldn't, couldn't like
the name of Jacob, or Jake; but Teunis was a quality name. Didn't I
think I'd like it if I changed my way of writing my name to J. Teunis
Vandemark?
"I like to have you call me Teunis," I said; "but I wouldn't like to
have any one else do it. I like to have you have a name to call me by
that nobody else uses."
"That's a very gallant speech," she said, blushing--and I vow, I didn't
know what gallant meant, and was a little flustered for fear her blushes
were called out by something shady.
"Besides," I said, "I have always heard that nobody but a dandy ever
parts his name or his hair in the middle!"
"Rubbish!" said she. "My father's name was A. Fletcher Royall, and he
was a big strong man, every inch of him. I reckon, though, that the
customs are different in the North. Then you won't take me with you, and
go back by way of our grove, and--"
And just then Elder Thorndyke came in, and we wished that Mrs. Thorndyke
would come to tell what I should bring from Dubuque. He told me in the
meantime, about his plans for building a church, and how he was teaching
Virginia, so that she could be a teacher herself when she was
old enough.
"We'll be filling this country with schools, soon," he said, "and
they'll want nice teachers like Virginia."
"Won't that be fine?" asked Virginia. "I just love children.
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