he row of eyes blinked. But Moses might have been a perfect stranger
for any sign of recognition from their owners.

"Moses," went on Desire, "was a very remarkable man. In his age he
seems even more remarkable--"

A small hand shot up and an injured voice inquired: "Please, teacher,
don't we have the Golden Text?"

"I suppose we do." There was evidently some technique here of which the
hurried assistant had not informed her. "We will have it now. What is
the Golden Text?"

Nobody seemed to know.

"I don't see how we can have it, if you don't know it," said Desire
mildly.

Another hand shot up. "Please teacher, you say it first."

There was also, then, an established order of precedence.

"I don't know it, either," said Desire.

This might have precipitated a deadlock. But, fortunately, the row did
not believe her. They smiled stiffly. Their smile revealed more clearly
than anything else how unthinkable it was for a teacher not to know the
Golden Text. Desire, in desperation, remembered the paper-covered
"Quarterly" which the assistant had put into her hands and, with a
flash of inspiration, decided that what the children wanted was
probably there. She opened it feverishly and was delighted to discover
"Golden Text" in large letters on the first page she looked at. She
read hastily.

"And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda--"

A whole row of hands shot up. "Please teacher, that was last
Christmas!" announced the class reproachfully.

With shame Desire noticed that the lessons in the Quarterly were dated.
But she was regaining something of her ordinary poise.

"You ought to know it, even if it is," she remarked firmly. This was
more according to Hoyle. The little boy's hand answered it.

"'Tain't review Sunday, teacher."

Teacher decided to ignore this. "Very well," she said. "We will now
have the Golden Text for today. Who will say it first? I will give you
a start--'As Moses--'"

"As Moses," piped a chorus of small voices.

"Lifted up," prompted Desire.

"Lifted up," shrilled the chorus.

"Yes?" expectantly.

The chorus was silent.

"Well, children, go on."

But nobody went on.

"You don't know it," declared Desire with mild severity. "Very well.
Learn it for next Sunday. Now I am going to ask you some questions.
First of all--who was Moses?"

She asked the question generally but her eye fell upon the one male
member who swallowed his Sunday gum-drop with a gulp.

"Don't know his noth