Laura 's words were a signal for Kate to hang up her violin and for me to push my pen and portfolio out of sight . Laura had hidden her brushes and water colors as she spoke . Only Margaret continued to bend serenely over her Latin grammar . Aunt Susanna frowns on musical and literary and artistic ambitions but she accords a faint approval to Margaret 's desire for an education . A college course , with a tangible diploma at the end , and a sensible pedagogic aspiration is something Aunt Susanna can understand when she tries hard . But she can not understand messing with paints , fiddling , or scribbling , and she has only unmeasured contempt for messers , fiddlers , and scribblers . Time was when we had paid no attention to Aunt Susanna 's views on these points ; but ever since she had , on one incautious day when she was in high good humor , dropped a pale , anemic little hint that she might send Margaret to college if she were a good girl we had been bending all our energies towards securing Aunt Susanna 's approval . It was not enough that Aunt Susanna should approve of Margaret ; she must approve of the whole four of us or she would not help Margaret . That is Aunt Susanna 's way . Of late we had been growing a little discouraged . Aunt Susanna had recently read a magazine article which stated that the higher education of women was ruining our country and that a woman who was a B.A. could n't , in the very nature of things , ever be a housewifely , cookly creature . Consequently , Margaret 's chances looked a little foggy ; but we had n't quite given up hope . A very little thing might sway Aunt Susanna one way or the other , so that we walked very softly and tried to mingle serpents ' wisdom and doves ' harmlessness in practical portions . When Aunt Susanna came in Laura was crocheting , Kate was sewing , and I was poring over a recipe book . That was not deception at all , since we did all these things frequently -- much more frequently , in fact , than we painted or fiddled or wrote . But Aunt Susanna would never believe it . Nor did she believe it now . She threw back her lovely new sealskin cape , looked around the sitting-room and then smiled -- a truly Aunt Susannian smile . -LSB- Illustration -RSB- `` What a pity you forgot to wipe that smudge of paint off your nose , Laura , '' she said sarcastically . `` You do n't seem to get on very fast with your lace .
How long is it XXXXX you began it ?
around at for in of over since than that to