the house by a long covered passage-way,
so that the girls could go backward and forward in wet weather without
getting wet.

The school-room was not open, but the children looked through the
window, and saw the teacher's desk at one end, blackboards hung upon
the walls, and long rows of desks and seats for the scholars.

On the other side of the school-room was the garden, with vegetables
and flowers, and some pear-trees that were laden with fruit.

"Those pears look nice, don't they?" said Maude. "I wonder if they
will let us have some. Perhaps Miss Chapman keeps them all for
herself. We will have some anyway, won't we, Ruby. Well, I guess we
have seen everything now. I think I will go upstairs and see if mamma
has finished unpacking my trunk."

Ruby was quite willing to go into the house, for she was sure that by
this time Aunt Emma would have emptied her trunk, and she might write
her letter home.

"I was just coning to look for you, Ruby dear," said Aunt Emma, as her
little niece opened the door. "You can write to your mamma now, if you
like, and you will just have time to write a nice long letter before it
is supper-time."

Ruby untied the ribbon about her neck, took the little key off, and
opened the desk, with a feeling of pride. She was quite sure that
there could not be a prettier desk in all the world than this one which
Orpah had given her, and she was very anxious to show it to Maude, and
surprise her with its beauty.

"What shall I write my letter on first, Aunt Emma?" she asked.

"Here is a piece of paper and a pencil you can use, and then you can
copy it afterwards," said Aunt Emma; so Ruby sat down at a little table
by the window, and wrote to her mother.

[Illustration: RUBY WRITING A LETTER HOME.]

When she had finished her letter and Aunt Emma had looked it over, and
corrected the few mistakes in spelling that she found, Ruby opened the
desk, and putting it upon the table, took out some of her pink paper,
which she thought was the prettiest, and carefully copied the letter.

"This ought to be a very nice letter, written on such a beautiful desk,
with a silver pen-holder, ought n't it, Aunt Emma?" she asked.

"Yes, dear, and I am sure your mamma will think it is very nice," her
aunt answered.

Ruby was very proud when she finished copying it without one single
mistake. She did not usually have the patience to work so carefully
but she felt as if such a desk deserved great care