But they could not help seeing how useful she was , and owning that she alone had remained faithful a fact which caused some of them much secret compunction now and then . Rose felt that she ruled in that room , if nowhere else , for Aunt Jane left a great deal to her , finding that her experience with her invalid father fitted her for a nurse , and in a case like this , her youth was an advantage rather than a drawback . Mac soon came to think that no one could take care of him so well as Rose , and Rose soon grew fond of her patient , though at first she had considered this cousin the least attractive of the seven . He was not polite and sensible like Archie , nor gay and handsome like Prince Charlie , nor neat and obliging like Steve , nor amusing like the `` Brats , '' nor confiding and affectionate like little Jamie . He was rough , absent-minded , careless , and awkward , rather priggish , and not at all agreeable to a dainty , beauty-loving girl like Rose . But when his trouble came upon him , she discovered many good things in this cousin of hers , and learned not only to pity but to respect and love the poor Worm , who tried to be patient , brave , and cheerful , and found it a harder task than anyone guessed , except the little nurse , who saw him in his gloomiest moods . She soon came to think that his friends did not appreciate him , and upon one occasion was moved to free her mind in a way that made a deep impression on the boys . Vacation was almost over , and the time drawing near when Mac would be left outside the happy school-world which he so much enjoyed . This made him rather low in his mind , and his cousins exerted themselves to cheer him up , especially one afternoon when a spasm of devotion seemed to seize them all . Jamie trudged down the hill with a basket of blackberries which he had `` picked all his ownself , '' as his scratched fingers and stained lips plainly testified . Will and Geordie brought their puppies to beguile the weary hours , and the three elder lads called to discuss baseball , cricket , and kindred subjects , eminently fitted to remind the invalid of his privations . Rose had gone to drive with Uncle Alec , who declared she was getting as pale as a potato sprout , living so much in a dark room . But her thoughts were with her boy all the while , and she ran up to him the moment she returned , to find things in a fine state of confusion . With the best intentions in life , the lads had done more harm than good , and the spectacle that met Nurse Rose 's eye was a trying one . The puppies were yelping , the small boys romping , and the big boys all talking at once ; the curtains were up , the room close , berries scattered freely about , Mac 's shade half off , his cheeks flushed , his temper ruffled , and his voice loudest of all as he disputed hotly with Steve about lending certain treasured books which he could no longer use . Now Rose considered this her special kingdom , and came down upon the invaders with an energy which amazed them and quelled the riot at once . They had never seen her roused before , and the effect was tremendous ; also comical , for she drove the whole flock of boys out of the room like an indignant little hen defending her brood . They all went as meekly as sheep ; the small lads fled from the house precipitately , but the three elder ones only retired to the next room , and remained there hoping for a chance to explain and apologise , and so appease the irate young lady , who had suddenly turned the tables and clattered them about their ears . As they waited , they observed her proceedings through the half-open door , and commented upon them briefly but expressively , feeling quite bowed down with remorse at the harm they had innocently done . `` She 's put the room to rights in a jiffey .
What jacks we were to let those dogs in and kick up such a row , '' observed XXXXX , after a prolonged peep .
Archie Charlie Geordie Jamie Mac Rose Steve compunction hours school-world