`` Oh , I wish , I wish you could ! '' Rose said it so fervently that Mac was moved to grope for her apron and hold on to a corner of it , as if it was comfortable to feel her near him . But all he said was , `` You are a good little soul , Rosy . Give us ` The Birks ' ; that is a drowsy one that always sends me off . '' Quite contented with this small return for all her sympathy , Rose waved her fan and sang , in a dreamy tone , the pretty Scotch air , the burden of which is , `` Bonny lassie , will ye gang , will ye gang To the Birks of Aberfeldie ? '' Whether the lassie went or not I can not say , but the laddie was off to the land of Nod , in about ten minutes , quite worn out with hearing the bad tidings and the effort to bear them manfully . Chapter 12 -- `` The Other Fellows '' Rose did tell `` the people '' what had passed , and no one `` howled '' over Mac , or said a word to trouble him . He had his talk with the doctor , and got very little comfort out of it , for he found that `` just what he might do '' was nothing at all ; though the prospect of some study by and by , if all went well , gave him courage to bear the woes of the present . Having made up his mind to this , he behaved so well that everyone was astonished , never having suspected so much manliness in the quiet Worm . The boys were much impressed , both by the greatness of the affliction which hung over him and by his way of bearing it . They were very good to him , but not always particularly wise in their attempts to cheer and amuse ; and Rose often found him much downcast after a visit of condolence from the Clan . She still kept her place as head-nurse and chief-reader , though the boys did their best in an irregular sort of way . They were rather taken aback sometimes at finding Rose 's services preferred to their 's , and privately confided to one another that `` Old Mac was getting fond of being molly-coddled . '' 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 XXXXX outside the happy school-world which he so much enjoyed .
Aberfeldie Birks Charlie Jamie Mac Rose first lassie left minutes