has asked me to come and see him any Saturday afternoon
as he writes poetry himself, but I would rather not ask him about this
composition.

Ministers never believe in rewards, and it is useless to hope that they
will. We had the wrath of God four times in sermons this last summer,
but God cannot be angry all the time,--nobody could, especially in
summer; Mr. Baxter is different and calls his wife dear which is lovely
and the first time I ever heard it in Riverboro. Mrs. Baxter is another
kind of people too, from those that live in Temperance. I like to
watch her in meeting and see her listen to her husband who is young and
handsome for a minister; it gives me very queer and uncommon feelings,
when they look at each other, which they always do when not otherwise
engaged.

She has different clothes from anybody else. Aunt Miranda says you must
think only of two things: will your dress keep you warm and will it wear
well and there is nobody in the world to know how I love pink and red
and how I hate drab and green and how I never wear my hat with the
black and yellow porkupine quills without wishing it would blow into the
river.

Whene'er I take my walks abroad How many quills I see. But as they are
not porkupines They never come to me.

COMPOSITION

WHICH HAS THE MOST BENEFERCENT EFFECT ON THE CHARACTER, PUNISHMENT OR
REWARD?

By Rebecca Rowena Randall

(This copy not corrected by Miss Dearborn yet.)

We find ourselves very puzzled in approaching this truly great and
national question though we have tried very ernestly to understand it,
so as to show how wisely and wonderfully our dear teacher guides the
youthful mind, it being her wish that our composition class shall long
be remembered in Riverboro Centre.

We would say first of all that punishment seems more benefercently
needed by boys than girls. Boys' sins are very violent, like stealing
fruit, profane language, playing truant, fighting, breaking windows, and
killing innocent little flies and bugs. If these were not taken out of
them early in life it would be impossible for them to become like our
martyred president, Abraham Lincoln.

Although we have asked everybody on our street, they think boys' sins
can only be whipped out of them with a switch or strap, which makes
us feel very sad, as boys when not sinning the dreadful sins mentioned
above seem just as good as girls, and never cry when switched, and say
it does not hurt much.

We now approa