em to the captious critic better adapted to the
body of the book than to the title page, but Rebecca was apparently
anxious that the principal personages in her chronicle should be well
described at the outset.

She seems to have had a conviction that heredity plays its part in the
evolution of genius, and her belief that the world will be inspired
by the possession of her Thoughts is too artless to be offensive. She
evidently has respect for rich material confided to her teacher, and
one can imagine Miss Dearborn's woe had she been confronted by Rebecca's
chosen literary executor and bidden to deliver certain "Valuable Poetry
and Thoughts," the property of posterity "unless carelessly destroyed."

THOUGHT BOOK of Rebecca Rowena Randall Really of Sunnybrook Farm But
temporily of The Brick House Riverboro. Own niece of Miss Miranda and
Jane Sawyer Second of seven children of her father, Mr. L. D. M. Randall
(Now at rest in Temperance cemmetary and there will be a monument as
soon as we pay off the mortgage on the farm) Also of her mother Mrs.
Aurelia Randall

In case of Death the best of these Thoughts
May be printed in my Remerniscences
For the Sunday School Library at Temperance, Maine
Which needs more books fearfully
And I hereby
Will and Testament them to Mr. Adam Ladd
Who bought 300 cakes of soap from me
And thus secured a premium
A Greatly Needed Banquet Lamp
For my friends the Simpsons.
He is the only one that incourages
My writing Remerniscences and
My teacher Miss Dearborn will
Have much valuable Poetry and Thoughts
To give him unless carelessly destroyed.

The pictures are by the same hand that
Wrote the Thoughts.

IT IS NOT NOW DECIDED WHETHER REBECCA ROWENA RANDALL WILL BE A PAINTER
OR AN AUTHOR, BUT AFTER HER DEATH IT WILL BE KNOWN WHICH SHE HAS BEEN,
IF ANY.

FINIS

From the title page, with its wealth of detail, and its unnecessary and
irrelevant information, the book ripples on like a brook, and to the
weary reader of problem novels it may have something of the brook's
refreshing quality.

OUR DIARIES May, 187--

All the girls are keeping a diary because Miss Dearborn was very much
ashamed when the school trustees told her that most of the girls' and
all of the boys' compositions were disgraceful, and must be improved
upon next term. She asked the boys to write letters to her once a week
instead of keep