apter, the way it does; for thus America came to
be the country I love so dearly. I am glad, most of all, that the
Americans began by being Englishmen, for thus did I come to inherit
this beautiful language in which I think. It seems to me that in any
other language happiness is not so sweet, logic is not so clear. I am
not sure that I could believe in my neighbors as I do if I thought
about them in un-English words. I could almost say that my conviction
of immortality is bound up with the English of its promise. And as I
am attached to my prejudices, I must love the English language!

Whenever the teachers did anything special to help me over my private
difficulties, my gratitude went out to them, silently. It meant so
much to me that they halted the lesson to give me a lift, that I needs
must love them for it. Dear Miss Carrol, of the second grade, would be
amazed to hear what small things I remember, all because I was so
impressed at the time with her readiness and sweetness in taking
notice of my difficulties.

Says Miss Carrol, looking straight at me:--

"If Johnnie has three marbles, and Charlie has twice as many, how many
marbles has Charlie?"

I raise my hand for permission to speak.

"Teacher, I don't know vhat is tvice."

Teacher beckons me to her, and whispers to me the meaning of the
strange word, and I am able to write the sum correctly. It's all in
the day's work with her; with me, it is a special act of kindness and
efficiency.

She whom I found in the next grade became so dear a friend that I can
hardly name her with the rest, though I mention none of them lightly.
Her approval was always dear to me, first because she was "Teacher,"
and afterwards, as long as she lived, because she was my Miss
Dillingham. Great was my grief, therefore, when, shortly after my
admission to her class, I incurred discipline, the first, and next to
the last, time in my school career.

The class was repeating in chorus the Lord's Prayer, heads bowed on
desks. I was doing my best to keep up by the sound; my mind could not
go beyond the word "hallowed," for which I had not found the meaning.
In the middle of the prayer a Jewish boy across the aisle trod on my
foot to get my attention. "You must not say that," he admonished in a
solemn whisper; "it's Christian." I whispered back that it wasn't, and
went on to the "Amen." I did not know but what he was right, but the
name of Christ was not in the prayer, and I was bound