eir times. Their books were studied along with the
history of the countries and the peoples that they described. Then came
the geography of the places wherein the stories were laid, then a study
of the social conditions and customs of the periods to which they gave
expression.

American history was taught by both the Benjamins. It was their hobby.
Not the sort of history taught in most schools, "fixed up" for the young,
but the true history of our country--its blunders, its stupidities, its
triumphs.

So through the whole curriculum, acquiring knowledge was a pleasant
thing. It was not a matter of being fed with little unrelated chunks of
information, on this or on that. It was rather being led into a great
field, where now this part, now that, held your interest, but you never
lost sight of the whole expanse.

As for play, there were nutting expeditions, hay rides, marshmallow
roasts, any number of out-of-door joys. It was as nearly a normal life
as can be reached in these days of ours.

To Isabelle it was unbelievable. Everything they did during the day
interested her. Her old passion for leadership spurred her on, but now
it was a spur to excel in legitimate things. Her sense of rebellion was
laid away, because she liked nearly everything she had to do, and her
days were so busy that there was no excess vitality to work itself off
in pranks.

Not that she was a reformed soul--far from it! There were times when she
balked the duties she liked least, and was gently called upon by Mrs.
Benjamin to punish herself. After the first amusement of this novelty
wore off, it became plain to her that the punishment she administered to
herself was always more severe than any one else would have prescribed.
Sometimes punishment was decided upon by the community as a whole. By
degrees the girls all began to realize "the social spirit" for the first
time in their self-centred, individualistic lives.

"Mrs. Benjamin," Isabelle said one day, bursting into the presence of
that lady, "I feel full of the devil to-day!"

"Dost thou, Isabelle? Dear me! we must think of something to dispossess
him."

"Better give me something _hard_ to do."

"It is now half past eight. Suppose thee goes down to the big field to
help Henry pitch hay until ten."

"All right," agreed Isabelle.

"Thee might speak to Mr. Benjamin on thy way out, about the seven devils
that possess thee," smiled her teacher.

Another influence that was working in