Madeline Leslie

“ Frankie. "I'll run out and tell Nelly to wait."
Miss Grant locked the door, and taking a small vase in her hand, joined the children who were waiting near the gate.
"What is that flower pot for?" asked Nelly.
"When school begins, I shall beg some flowers from the lady where I live," answered the teacher. "I like to have the room look cheerful and bright, [16] so that the little scholars will like to be there."
"I wish Monday would come quick," exclaimed the boy. "I want to begin to go to school. I mean to carry a great big bouquet, out of my own garden. ”

“ Gray, "with my little niece, who injured your daughter at school. She wishes to ask you to forgive her."
Nelly was crying bitterly, so that she could scarcely speak; but at last she sobbed out, "I didn't mean to hurt her so. I'm very sorry."
"Don't cry, pet!" said Mrs. Moran, kindly. "I dare say you meant her no harm; and if you did, sure and we all are in the [74] wrong sometimes. Hitty lays up nothing against you. There, honey, stop a bit, and she'll tell you the same. Come, Hitty, tell the little girl you forgive her, since the lady is so kind as to ask it." ”

“ Miss Grant gave her scholars Wednesday and Saturday afternoons for play.
One Wednesday morning it rained very hard; and as Nelly was not quite well, her aunt thought it not best for her to go to school. Margie too had been unwell for a few days; so Mrs. Gray sent for her to [100] come up to the nursery, that they might amuse themselves with their dolls.
Margie was eleven years of age; but she liked to play as well as ever. She had Frankie's black Dinah for her child; and then she had a large rag baby of her own, while Nelly had great Fanny and two smaller dolls. ”

“ Nelly held down her head and began to cry. She was very much frightened at what she had done.
"Frankie," said his mother, "you may go down with Hitty to the cook, and ask her for a piece of cake for the little girl. Then you may walk with her as far as your teacher's, and wait till I come. Hitty, you may go home and tell your mother I shall bring Nelly there soon, to [63] have her say what punishment so naughty a girl deserves."
"O, don't, aunty! don't take me there! I'm afraid to go!" sobbed Nelly, catching hold of her aunt.
"Sit down," said Mrs. Gray, gravely. ”

“ NELLY AT MRS. MORAN'S.
"Come, now, my dear," said the lady, putting on her bonnet; "we must go to Mrs. Moran's and inquire about Hitty."
"I am afraid to," screamed Nelly, clinging to her aunt. "O, I am sure I shall never do so again! I don't dare to go there."
"Why, Nelly?" asked her aunt, pitying her distress. "If [70] any little girl had injured you so, I should think it was a very small thing for her to do, to come and say she was sorry, and ask your forgiveness. You are really sorry, I think. It is but right you should tell her so." ”

“ Willie saw his brother Frankie standing by the man, helping him hold his pictures, which he was [86] exhibiting to the lady at the window. Frankie's face was very red, and great drops of perspiration stood on his forehead and nose.
"Why haven't you been home?" asked Willie. "Mother is very anxious about you."
"O, Willie, see this poor man!" exclaimed Frankie. "I have been pushing his wagon for him ever since school. He says he is a cripple, and can't walk at all. [87] I'm going to push his carriage home now, as soon as he has sold pictures here, and then ask mamma to give him some supper." ”

“ Frankie was delighted, and said, "This dog is like Ponto, only that it has a short tail instead of a long one."
Miss Grant then cut a paper [109] doll for Hitty, and afterward one for Nelly. She made paper dresses, and aprons, and capes, and paper hats for their heads; and was so much engaged when she saw how delighted the children were, that she forgot she was teaching school, and never rang the bell for the close of recess for more than an hour. ”

“ She had been so full of love to the poor, ignorant child, and so [48] anxious to do her good, that she could not bear the thought of any one in her school treating Hitty unkindly. For a moment she gazed sorrowfully in Nelly's flushed face, saw her move away from her new schoolmate as far on the seat as she could, and then she called, "Hitty, come and sit by me."
Presently Frankie raised his little fat hand, and when she nodded to him that he had [49] permission to speak, he asked, "May the new girl see me make pictures on the blackboard?" ”

“ Mrs. Moran hardly knew how to express her gratitude, as she held up one article after another, and saw how nicely they would fit Ned or others among her children.
This lesson, though severe at [77] the time, was never forgotten by Nelly. After this no one was more eager than she to show kindness to Hitty, or more pleased when the poor girl succeeded in learning to read.
In the afternoon most of the scholars repeated a hymn which they had learned at home, or a few verses from the Bible. Nelly noticed that Hitty never repeated any, and one day asked her the reason. ”

“ The lady bade the child sit down. She then went to the closet and poured some arnica [60] from a bottle into a bowl of water, and after wetting a cloth in it, bound it upon the forehead of the child. Then she rang the bell, and sent Margie to find Nelly and bring her into the house.
While she was waiting, she talked with Hitty, and soon became as much interested in her as the teacher had been.
Presently Nelly came in, followed by her cousin. She started [61] and blushed when she saw Hitty; but Frankie ran to the little girl, asking, "What is the matter with your head? Have you hurt yourself?" ”

“ 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 [29] 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. ”

“ The teacher laughed too, and [107] said, "I think we shall have a very pleasant time." She rang the bell, and Frankie marched out alone to his class. Then she rung it again, and Hitty read and spelt. She could read quite well now, and was getting to be a very good scholar.
After this, Miss Grant said, "I must march with you, I suppose;" and so she stepped upon the circle; and they marched around and around, singing, [108] —
"This is the way we wash our face,"
the teacher washing hers as hard as any of them. ”

“ It was this: "Nelly, your father is rich; you live in a fine house and wear nice clothes; you are right not to like to sit [51] by Hitty, who is very poor and ignorant."
Ah, my little girl, do you remember who has given you so many blessings? It is God; but if you are not grateful to him, and kind to those who are less favored, he may take away your father and mother, and leave you without home or friends.
[52]
CHAPTER IV.
THE INJURED GIRL.
Miss Grant was very much pleased with Frankie's kindness to Hitty; and she hoped Nelly would see how lovely it made him appear, and try to imitate him. ”

“ Recess and the various sports recommended by the teacher follow, and then come arithmetic and the numeral frame. This [33] is a wooden frame about a foot square, with twelve stout wires passing from one side to the other. Strung on each of these wires are twelve round stones, about the size of marbles. With this frame Miss Grant taught her little scholars to add, subtract, and multiply numbers, in the same manner that Mrs. Gray had taught her little pupils with marbles. ”

“ When this has been done, every face begins to brighten, for they know what the next [30] 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. ”

“ These they set up in a row, and played school; but just as they were ready to begin, Ponto [101] walked into the room, and tipped the scholars over.
"O Ponto, how naughty!" exclaimed Nelly, laughing aloud, as he carefully stepped over the pupils, who were lying on their faces. "Now let us begin again."
So Dinah, and Fanny, and Lily Gray, and Jenny, Margie's doll, were all placed in nice order again, their backs up against the wall ”