II.
Minnie’s mamma, who is almost like a mamma to Bertie too, though she is only his aunt, would be very glad to see her little ones fond of natural history, but still she does not seem quite pleased with their uncle’s idea in sending them, not only the pretty book, but the nets and the sharp, dreadful-looking steel things which they are to use in making their collection. She shook her head rather sadly when she saw the pretty nets which were to stop the butterflies from flying about so happily, and the pins and tweezers which were to turn them into lifeless specimens in a glass box.
But she did not wish to vex their kind uncle, who was a very learned man, and was always thinking of collections and museums, and science and experiments; and she did not like to tell him that she would rather her little ones should learn about butterflies from the book with its beautiful pictures, and from watching them flying about, and settling on the flowers in the fields; and that she did not think it could be a nice play for children to catch and kill the pretty harmless creatures.