r fellow; for in the Bible----"

Klaasje drew a piece of paper from his pocket.

"In the Bible there is really nothing said about widowers--the Master
has his own good reasons for it--but what does the boy do? He takes
the hint and writes a whole poem on widows."

Klaasje laid the paper on the table.

"Yes, I dare say, he has brought into it all the widows mentioned in
the Bible."

"You see it's a surprise. I told you so," said Juffrouw Laps.

"Read it, Klaasje! There are seventy, Mynheer, seventy widows. Read,
my boy."

Klaas pulled at his clothes, arranged his cuffs and began:

"The widows that in the Bible appear,
I've brought together in this poem here,
For the birthday that we celebrate
Of him who sadly lost his mate,
Exalting always the Master of Love,
For all that we have comes from above."

"That's the prologue," explained the father.

"Yes, that's the prologue. Now I will read:

"Genesis, 38, verse 11, it is said:
At her father-in-law's must the widow have her bed.
Exodus, 20, 22, it is penned:
Widows and orphans thou shalt not offend.
Two verses further he threatens, wrathful and grim
To make widows of all the women that anger him.
Leviticus, 21, verse 14, thou read'st
That a widow won't do for the wife of a priest.
A chapter further, one verse less, we have read,
That a childless widow must eat her father's bread.
From Numbers, 30, verse 10, we clearly infer,
That a widow's vow is sufficient for her."

In this style he continued glibly, without any interruption; but when
he came to:

"Second Samuel, 20, 3, very clearly outlines,
That as widows must live David's concubines----"

Juffrouw Pieterse became restless and had to have an explanation.

"Yes, Juffrouw, concubines," said van der Gracht senior. "You see
the boy has brought in everything relating to widows."

"The verses are not the same length," Stoffel complained; and there
is no alternation of masculine and feminine lines."

"You may be right, Stoffel, for you are a school-teacher; but that's
immaterial to me. These--these con--what shall I say----"

"Juffrouw Pieterse, you ought not to mock at it," cried Juffrouw Laps.

"That's right," said the catechist, "all blessings come from above. Go
ahead, Klaas!"

"No, I will not hear such things--on account of my daughters!"

The girls were examining their finger nails, and looked preemin