e this was done, Sally
had turned the mattress; and the little girl made up her bed, laying on
the sheets and counterpane very smoothly, so that not a rumple could be
seen. Then she hung up such of her clothes as were lying about the room,
put her shoes into the bag on the inside of the closet door, then
dressed herself in a clean apron, and was ready, by the time Frankie
called, to take the flowers Willie had gathered for her, and walk out
with him to meet their dear teacher.

Sometimes, when they were early, they went as far as the house where she
boarded, and stood at the gate until she appeared; but generally they
sat down on the stone wall under the shade of the large maple tree at
the entrance to their avenue, and watched until she came in sight. Then
they ran eagerly to give her their morning kiss, and present their
little offering of flowers.

On this pleasant June morning, they each took a hand as usual, and
walked on rapidly toward the school, talking merrily as they went.

When they reached the building, they found nearly all the other
scholars, eighteen in number, waiting the arrival of Miss Grant. They
went into the school room, took off their hats and bonnets, hung them up
in the closet, and then went quietly to their seats on the steps, the
little ones on the lower steps, and the others above them on the higher.

When the church clock struck nine, the teacher rang the small bell,
when every eye was closed, and every head was bowed for prayer. The
little voices all joined in repeating the Lord's Prayer, after which
they sung a verse of the hymn,--

"There is a happy land,
Far, far away,
Where saints in glory stand,
Bright, bright as day."

After this, they pass down from the gallery, and march along to their
seats. For the next half hour the school is quite still, while the
pupils are studying the reading and spelling lessons: when the bell
strikes again, they march out in order to the front of the chair where
their teacher sits.

As soon as one class has recited, another is called, until every little
pupil has read and spelled.

When this has been done, every face begins to brighten, for they know
what the next exercise is; and they like it very much. The largest girl
takes her place on the circle, and the others follow her according to
their size, until they come down to the smallest one, who is a pretty
blue-eyed little urchin of four summers