He has enjoyed her letters so much, telling about her lovely time up in the Maine woods.

I am so glad you are to have a vacation, too.

So no more at present from your happy little sister." Like all people who are limited to one hobby, and who pursue one line of study for years regardless of other interests, Professor Carnes took little notice of anything outside of his especial work.

If Mary had been a new kind of bug he would have studied her with profound interest, spending days in learning her peculiarities, and sparing no pains in classifying her and assigning her to the place she occupied in the great plan of creation.

But being only a human being she attracted his attention only so far as she contributed to the success of his work.
He would go tramping through the woods wherever she led, only vaguely aware of the fact that she had enlisted half a dozen small boys in her service, and that she was turning them into enthusiastic young naturalists before his very eyes.