A Rose of Womanhood 
     
    
   
   
    
     “ I am glad you like it. Do you know 
     
     that I was called after my grandmother 
     
     and she was called after a girl in a 
     
     poem? Aunt Janet has never liked my 
     
     name, although she liked my grand- 
     
     mother. But I am glad you like both my 
     
     name and me. I was afraid you would 
     
     not like me because I cannot speak.” 
     
    

    
     “ You can speak through your music, 
     
     Kilmeny.” 
     
    

    
     She looked pleased. “ How well you 
     
     understand,” she wrote. “ Yes, I cannot 
     
     speak or sing as other people can, but I 
     
     can make my violin say things for me.” 
     
    

    
     “ Do you compose your own music? ” 
     
    
   
   
    
     he asked. But he saw she did not under- 
     
    
   
   
    
     stand him. “ I mean, did any one ever 
     
     teach you the music you played here that 
     
     evening? ” 
     
    
   
   
    
     “ Oh, no. It just came as I thought. 
     
     It has always been that way. When I was 
     
     very little Neil taught me to hold the vio- 
     
     lin and the bow, and the rest all came of 
     
     itself. My violin once belonged to Neil, 
     
    
   
   
    
     97