erent principle and a different
opinion as to what was a reasonable excuse, so that there would be no
uniformity, and consequently no justice in the operation of the system."

The boys admitted the truth of this, and as no other plan was
presented, the rule was adopted of requiring all those who were tardy,
to remain in their seats during the recess, whether they were
necessarily tardy or not. The plan very soon diminished the number of
loiterers.

4. HELEN'S LESSON. The possibility of being inflexibly firm in measures,
and at the same time gentle and mild in manners and language, is happily
illustrated in the following description, which is based on an incident
narrated by Mrs. Sherwood.

"Mrs. M. had observed even during the few days that Helen had been under
her care, that she was totally unaccustomed to habits of diligence and
application. After making all due allowance for long indulged habits of
indolence and inattention, she one morning assigned an easy lesson to
her pupil, informing her at the same time, that she should hear it
immediately before dinner. Helen made no objections to the plan, but she
silently resolved not to perform the required task. Being in some
measure a stranger, she thought her aunt would not insist upon perfect
obedience, and besides in her estimation, she was too old to be treated
like a child.

"During the whole morning, Helen exerted herself to be mild and
obliging; her conduct towards her aunt was uncommonly affectionate. By
these, and various other artifices, she endeavored to gain her first
victory. Meanwhile, Mrs. M. quietly pursued her various avocations,
without apparently noticing Helen's conduct. At length dinner hour
arrived; the lesson was called for, and found unprepared. Mrs. M. told
Helen she was sorry she had not got the lesson, and went on to explain
one or two sentences more fully, and concluded, by saying that she hoped
it would be learned before tea-time.

"Helen, finding she was not to come to the table, began to be a little
alarmed. She was acquainted in some measure with the character of her
aunt, still she hoped to be allowed to partake of the dessert as she had
been accustomed to on similar occasions at home, and soon regained her
wonted composure. But the dinner cloth was removed, and there sat Helen,
suffering not a little from hunger; still she would not complain; she
meant to convince her aunt that she was not moved by trifles.

"A walk had been propo