trembling fingers fumbled eagerly with the bunch to
call them back, a breathless hush fell upon the class, and when the story
was ended, and Mr. H---- looked up with misty eyes, he found the whole
class in tears. The picture of friendless poverty, more bitterly desolate
than any even they had known, had gone to their hearts and melted them.
The crisis was passed and peace restored.

A crisis of another kind came later, when the pupils' "young men" got into
the habit of coming to see the girls home. They waited outside until
school was dismissed, and night after night Mr. H---- found a ball in
progress on the sidewalk when the girls should long have been home. The
mothers complained and the success of the class was imperilled. Their
passion for dancing was not to be overcome. They would give up the school
first. Mr. H---- thought the matter out and took a long step--a perilous
one. He started a dancing-class, and on certain nights in the week taught
the girls the lanciers instead of writing and spelling. Simultaneously he
wrote to every mother that the school was not to be blamed if the girls
were not home at ten minutes after nine o'clock; it was dismissed at 8.55
sharp every night. The thing took tremendously. The class filled right up,
complaints ceased, and everything was lovely, when examination day
approached with the annual visit of friends and patrons. My friend awaited
its coming with fear and trembling. There was no telling what the
committee might say to the innovation. The educational plan of the Society
is most liberal, but the lanciers was a step even the broadest of its
pedagogues had not yet ventured upon. The evil day came at last, and, full
of forebodings, Mr. H---- had the girls soothe their guests with cakes and
lemonade of their own brewing, until they were in a most amiable mood.
Then, when they expected the reading to begin, with a sinking heart he
bade them dance. The visitors stared in momentary amazement, but at the
sight of the happy faces in the quadrilles, and the enthusiasm of the
girls, they caught the spirit of the thing and applauded to the echo. The
dancing-class was a success, and so has the school been ever since.

As far as I know, this is the only instance in which the quadrille has
been made one of the regular English branches taught in the Industrial
Schools. But cake and lemonade have more than once smoothed the way to a
hearty acceptance of the three R's with their useful concomit