In five minutes she forgot what she was eating

　　In five minutes she forgot what she was eating, so interested wasshe in the chat that went on. It amused her very much to hear AuntPlenty call her forty-year-old nephew "my dear boy"; and UncleAlec was so full of lively gossip about all creation in general, andthe Aunt-hill in particular, that the detested porridge vanishedwithout a murmur.
　　"You will go to church with us, I hope, Alec, if you are not tootired," said the old lady, when breakfast was over.
　　"I came all the way from Calcutta for that express purpose, ma'am.
　　Only I must send the sisters word of my arrival, for they don'texpect me till to-morrow, you know, and there will be a row inchurch if those boys see me without warning.""I'll send Ben up the hill, and you can step over to Myra's yourself;it will please her, and you will have plenty of time."Dr. Alec was off at once, and they saw no more of him till the oldbarouche was at the door, and Aunt Plenty just rustling downstairsin her Sunday best, with Rose like a little black shadow behindher.
　　Away they drove in state, and all the way Uncle Alec's hat wasmore off his head than on, for everyone they met smiled andbowed, and gave him as blithe a greeting as the day permitted.
　　It was evident that the warning had been a wise one, for, in spite oftime and place, the lads were in such a ferment that their elders satin momentary dread of an unseemly outbreak somewhere. It wassimply impossible to keep those fourteen eyes off Uncle Alec, andthe dreadful things that were done during sermon-time will hardlybe believed.
　　Rose dared not look up after a while, for these bad boys ventedtheir emotions upon her till she was ready to laugh and cry withmingled amusement and vexation. Charlie winked rapturously ather behind his mother's fan; Mac openly pointed to the tall figurebeside her; Jamie stared fixedly over the back of his pew, till Rosethought his round eyes would drop out of his head; George fellover a stool and dropped three books in his excitement; Will drewsailors and Chinamen on his clean cuffs, and displayed them, toRose's great tribulation; Steve nearly upset the whole party byburning his nose with salts, as he pretended to be overcome by hisjoy; even dignified Archie disgraced himself by writing in hishymn book, "Isn't he blue and brown?" and passing it politely toRose.
　　Her only salvation was trying to fix her attention upon Uncle Maca portly, placid gentleman, who seemed entirely unconscious ofthe iniquities of the Clan, and dozed peacefully in his pew corner.
　　This was the only uncle Rose had met for years, for Uncle Jem andUncle Steve, the husbands of Aunt Jessie and Aunt Clara, were atsea, and Aunt Myra was a widow. Uncle Mac was a merchant, veryrich and busy, and as quiet as a mouse at home, for he was in sucha minority among the women folk he dared not open his lips, andlet his wife rule undisturbed.
　　Rose liked the big, kindly, silent man who came to her when papadied, was always sending her splendid boxes of goodies at school,and often invited her into his great warehouse, full of teas andspices, wines and all sorts of foreign fruits, there to eat and carryaway whatever she liked. She had secretly regretted that he wasnot to be her guardian; but since she had seen Uncle Alec she feltbetter about it, for she did not particularly admire Aunt Jane.