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 Katie stood leaning listlessly against the foot of the stairs 
 Page 188. 
 
 Three Years at Glenivood. 
 
THREE YEARS AT 
 GLENWOOD 
 
 A STORY OF SCHOOL LIFE 
 
 By MARGARET E. WINSLOW 
 
 Author of “Miss Malcolm’s Ten,” “Katie Robertson,” etc. 
 
 A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 
 NEW YORK 
 
COPYRIGHTED, BY 
 
 CONGREGATIONAL S.S. AND PUBLISHING SOCIETY 
 1885 
 
8<T> 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ^ ' In Katie Robertson , the writer has endeavored 
 H to set forth some of the temptations incident 
 to the life of girls supporting themselves by work 
 in a paper-mill ; in the present volume to indi- 
 cate, those which surround the same and similar 
 girls during the boarding-school preparation for 
 an active part in life. In both, it has been her aim 
 to show that the only armor in which to resist all 
 temptations, the only strength in which to meet 
 all responsibility, the only consolation in trouble, 
 the only wisdom which can ensure success, lie in 
 the keeping of the Lord Jesus, and are to be 
 had by those who, having first given themselves 
 to him, seek them by earnest, faithful and per- 
 severing prayer. 
 
 The incidents are nearly all true ones. 
 Squantown is a real paper-mill ; Glenwood is a 
 real institute ; and the characters are many of 
 
 3 
 
 •t 
 
4 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 them so closely drawn from life, that the writer 
 must apologize if the change of names has not, 
 in all cases, disguised them from the originals. 
 
 The little educational dialogue which occurs 
 in the first part of the book was prepared by 
 the writer for one of the younger departments 
 of the institute which has served as a model of 
 Glenwood. It has never been printed ; and 
 though, as the reader will observe, not in full 
 sympathy with the prevalent fashion of thus 
 exhibiting little ones, she offers it to the public 
 as both suitable for a school entertainment, and 
 as containing nothing which can be considered 
 objectionable by the most fastidious. 
 
 The school prayer-meetings, so minutely de- 
 tailed, are exact reproductions of those once 
 carried on in the same institution ; and the story 
 of Lilian's conversion is verbatim. Whatever 
 may be the reader's opinion of this attempt to 
 carry on evangelistic work in a secular school, 
 the writer cannot but cherish a hope that some 
 young soul, yearning for a better and purer 
 life, may be led by this description to see how 
 simple and easy a thing it is to believe in 
 Jesus. 
 
PREFACE . 
 
 5 
 
 With this hope, and the earnest prayer that 
 all readers, both young and old, will not only 
 “seek first the kingdom of God and his righ- 
 teousness, ” but also find “ added ” all other 
 things pleasant and profitable for this life and 
 the next, this little volume is sent forth to the 
 public. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 Chami* Pag* 
 
 I. Homesickness 9 
 
 II. Sunday at Glenwood 26 
 
 III. School Life 45 
 
 IV. Boarding-school Fun 63 
 
 V. Sunday Visiting 80 
 
 VI. A Wasted Opportunity . . . . 100 
 
 VII. Commencing an Education . . . 114 
 
 VIII. Backbiting 13 1 
 
 IX. Helen Lorne 149 
 
 X. A Christian Sunday 168 
 
 XI. Breaking Rules 189 
 
 XII. Mademoiselle Pauline's Theory . 21 1 
 
 XIII. Busy Weeks 227 
 
 XIV. Cleared 244 
 
 XV. Vacation and Re-opening . . . 257 
 
 XVI. A Faithful Teacher’s Work . . 278 
 
 7 
 
S CONTENTS. 
 
 XVII. From Death unto Life . . 
 
 XVIII. The Second Vacation . . . 
 
 XIX. The Senior Year . . . . 
 XX. Commencement. . . , . . 
 
 . . 295 
 
 • • 3i4 
 
 . . 329 
 
 . . 344 
 
THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HOMESICKNESS. 
 
 YOUNG girl of about fifteen sat rather 
 disconsolately by the window of a long, 
 wide room at the close of a cool Sep- 
 tember day, looking out into the street, where 
 nothing more attractive presented itself than 
 dry, brown leaves whirled along the dusty pave- 
 ments, and the flat surfaces of the many-win- 
 dowed brick houses on the other side of the 
 way. Even these windows offered nothing of 
 interest, for, most of the inhabitants being still 
 in the country, the houses were closed, and dust 
 and cobwebs ornamented the neglected blinds 
 and ledges. The room inside, with its long 
 rows of shining desks, its blackboards, maps, 
 and globes, with the sociable square of class 
 9 
 
IO THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 settees in the centre, might have been pleas- 
 anter objects had the little girl taken the 
 trouble to look at them. Indeed, when she first 
 saw them two days ago, they seemed to her the 
 most beautiful objects in the world, as repre- 
 senting her long cherished desire for a complete 
 education. But to-night she was homesick, and 
 homesickness is a disease which makes every- 
 thing around us seem different, and throws a 
 shadow upon the brightest things. 
 
 Three days ago Katie Robertson had come 
 from her country home, and entered Glenwood 
 Seminary, bidding her uncle, who had brought 
 her there, good-by in high spirits, and com- 
 mencing her new life with great enthusiasm. 
 Passing examinations, being classified, getting 
 accustomed to school routine, unpacking and 
 arranging her pretty new wardrobe in the clos- 
 ets and drawers assigned to it, had filled up the 
 intervening time very busily, and left no spare 
 moments for intrusive thoughts of home. But 
 now it was Saturday ; there was no school on 
 that day, and the girls who had anywhere to go 
 to were all out enjoying their holiday, while our 
 young friend, not knowing how to find her way 
 
HOMESICKNESS . 
 
 II 
 
 alone about a strange city, sat disconsolately 
 in the great school-room, and thought very sadly 
 and somewhat tearfully of the gay group who 
 were in all probability about that time gathering 
 about the home tea-table. There was Eric, her 
 eldest brother, and Tessa, the Italian, who had 
 been her friend and room-mate so long, and who 
 had come to seem to her more like a sister than 
 a mere acquaintance, There was Gretchen, the 
 German, stolid but steady, and giving all of her 
 heart that could be spared from her own home 
 and its dear ones across the sea to those who 
 had so kindly been as a second family to her ; 
 and there were the three other factory-girls to 
 whom, at the close of the dangerous illness 
 through which she had nursed them, her mother 
 had offered a home in exchange for the cheerless 
 life of the crowded factory boarding-house, 
 giving them far more than the small amount of 
 board which they were able to pay could have 
 secured to them in any other way. 
 
 And there, chiefest of all, was the mother 
 from whom the little girl had never before been 
 separated for a day, and who must be looking 
 with a sadness almost equal to her own upon 
 
12 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 the two vacant places, not to be filled again by 
 their rightful occupants, Katie, and Alfred, the 
 other brother, whom her uncle had taken to his 
 school at Dalton for nearly a year. Even the 
 demure old pussy-cat came into Katie’s thoughts 
 as she drew for herself this vivid home-picture, 
 and she shed a few more tears which, had they 
 reached it, might have dimmed the lustre of the 
 beautifully kept fur coat. 
 
 Then, as this was Saturday night, the home- 
 sick girl’s thoughts went on to Sunday morning, 
 when all the girls of her class would gather 
 around Miss Etta Mountjoy in the beautiful 
 Sunday-school chapel built by her father and 
 brother. She pictured the girls as they came 
 in, one after the other, saw Miss Etta’s bright 
 smile, heard her morning greeting, and then 
 she seemed to be joining once more in the 
 prayers and hymns which had made the Sun- 
 day-school and church so precious. 
 
 But with that last memory came better and 
 happier thoughts. The same God who was 
 worshipped at Squantown was equally near at 
 Glenwood. He had loved her, taken care of 
 her, and led her to Himself there ; certainly He 
 
HOMESICKNESS. 
 
 13 
 
 would not cease to be watchful over her now 
 that she was so far away from all she had ever 
 known and loved, and was, besides, surrounded 
 by so many new temptations. She had in the 
 church at Squantown openly given herself to 
 Him and His service. That meant that she 
 would accept and do his will — was she not 
 rebelling a little against that will now ? And 
 then there came to her the memory of sweet 
 Bible words : “ Casting all your care upon Him, 
 for He careth for you ; ” and as she thought 
 of what they meant she knelt down in the 
 gathering darkness of the lonely room and 
 asked her heavenly Father to make her always 
 willing and happy to do His will) to comfort her 
 in her loneliness, and to enable her to resist the 
 temptations incident to her new position, and 
 to honor Him and His cause wherever she 
 might be placed. 
 
 Then there came to her, almost as if it had 
 been whispered in her ear, “ Lo, I am with you 
 always,” “I will never leave thee nor forsake 
 thee,” and from that moment Katie never again 
 felt that she was alone. 
 
 Hardly had she risen from her knees when a 
 
14 
 
 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 light step was heard in the hall, and a cheerful 
 voice was heard in the gathering darkness, 
 saying, — 
 
 “ Miss Robertson, where are you ? we ’ve been 
 looking for you everywhere. Miss Perry says 
 your room-mate has arrived and you are to come 
 and welcome her.” 
 
 “Who is she,” said Katie, rising and joining 
 the two girls who stood waiting for her at the 
 door. To tell the truth, she was a little afraid 
 of this strange room-mate, whose expected ar- 
 rival this afternoon had driven her to seek 
 refuge in the lonely school-room. What would 
 she be like ? Would she be a city girl, “ stuck 
 up ” and overdressed, or a gentle and lovable girl 
 like Tessa ? Was she a little one to be seen to 
 and cared for ; a “ Senior,” who would look 
 upon her as a “ little one ; ” or a nice girl of 
 her own age with whom she could study, and 
 of whom she could make a companion. No one 
 had told her anything about the expected “ new 
 girl,” and as yet she was too strange and timid 
 to ask the teachers. “ Who is she, what is she 
 like ? ” she repeated as she joined the girls and 
 went down stairs. 
 
HOMESICKNESS . 
 
 IS 
 
 “ I did n’t hear her name, and I did n’t see 
 her. A lady came with her, and they both 
 went into the drawing-room, which you know is 
 tabooed to us ; but Miss Perry came out in a 
 few minutes and asked some of us to call Miss 
 Robertson, and I heard her say, — 
 
 “ Katie Robertson, why I know her.” 
 
 Here was a revelation. The new girl knew 
 her; she must be from Squantown, then, for 
 Katie had never been anywhere else. But who 
 could she be ? and a review of all the girls she 
 had known at school and in the factory passed 
 before her as she crossed the dark hall, and ran 
 across the garden from the “ Institute ” to the 
 “ boarding-house,” but the right person never 
 suggested itself to her mind till the door of the 
 drawing-room, which was now brilliantly lighted, 
 being thrown open, she saw — Bertie Sanderson ! 
 
 We will take the opportunity, while Katie is 
 showing her companion the way up the long 
 flight of stairs to the room which henceforth the 
 two Squantown girls are to occupy together, — 
 not sure whether she is glad or sorry for the 
 answer to her question, — to describe the new 
 home into which the girls are entering. 
 
1 6 THREE YEARS A T GLENJVOOD. 
 
 Northrop Institute, so named from a rich and 
 munificent lady whose donation of one hundred 
 thousand dollars formed the foundation upon 
 which the beautiful, commodious, and well-exe- 
 cuted building was constructed, was situated in 
 one of our largest seaboard cities. It accom- 
 modated about eight hundred girls, of all ages 
 from five to twenty-five, who were classified into 
 separate departments, each with its responsible 
 teacher. Besides these class teachers there 
 were others in charge of the departments of 
 art, accomplishments, languages, sciences, and 
 mathematics ; which, with the writing and 
 reading teachers, librarians, and assistants of 
 various kinds, made up a corps of from forty 
 to fifty. 
 
 Very few of these lived in the “ boarding- 
 house ” next door, where about fifty girls from 
 abroad were accommodated and cared for by 
 Miss Perry, who held no position in the school, 
 and Miss Thornton, an assistant teacher. Two 
 music teachers also boarded in the house, and a 
 French governess, with whom the girls who 
 “ took French ” were supposed to converse 
 at meal times ; the result usually being that her 
 
HOMESICKNESS . 
 
 17 
 
 end of the table was conspicuous amid the 
 general hubbub, for its almost total silence. 
 
 The “ Institute ” was built in the most ap- 
 proved style, containing all that modern science 
 has contributed to make life happy and healthy, 
 in the way of furnishing, ventilation, and adorn- 
 ment. There was a museum filled with a 
 fine collection of shells, minerals, stuffed ani- 
 mals, coins, curiosities, etc. ; a laboratory whose 
 philosophical, chemical, and mechanical appara- 
 tus were the envy of many a college faculty, and 
 a library of constantly accumulating volumes, — 
 histories, biographies, encyclopaedias, in short, 
 whatever might be of use for reference in fur- 
 thering the studies of the girls. The walls of 
 both library and halls were hung with photo- 
 graphs of European scenery and portraits of 
 distinguished people. Plaster casts of well- 
 known master-pieces of sculpture filled the 
 niches, and flowering plants made summer 
 indoors all the year round. 
 
 The boarding-house was less costly in its 
 decorations, but equally comfortable in its ar- 
 rangements. There were no dormitories, but 
 two girls occupied each of the sleeping-rooms, 
 
1 8 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 There was no general place of gathering except 
 the large school-room in which we first found 
 Katie Robertson, where the lessons for the next 
 day were usually studied under the supervision 
 of Miss Thornton. 
 
 But Bertie Sanderson has been a long time 
 taking off her hat, and putting it and her wraps 
 away in the places provided for them, and now 
 she turns to Katie and says, — 
 
 “You haven’t told me you are glad. Ain't 
 you?” 
 
 “Yes I am,” said her companion; and in 
 some things she was. Bertie seemed like a 
 little piece of home, and however averse she 
 might have been formerly to such close compan- 
 ionship, we remember that since her sickness 
 Bertie had become a changed girl. She was at 
 least trying to do right, and Katie felt bound 
 to help her. Besides, as we also know, the 
 free forgiveness which she gave her treach- 
 erous companion at that time brought with it a 
 feeling of pitying love something like that which 
 our Saviour feels when he forgives all our sins 
 against him, and she put aside her disappoint- 
 ment about the imaginary lovely young creature 
 
HOMESICKNESS . 
 
 If 
 
 who, in becoming her room-mate, was to 1 m.d 
 her up to such heights of sentimental virtue and 
 culture, and accepted the care of her old com- 
 panion whom she would have to influence for 
 good, if any good was to come out of the com- 
 panionship. 
 
 “Yes, I am glad,” she repeated, this time 
 with greater cordiality ; “ but I am so surprised. 
 How did you happen to come ? How did you 
 keep it such a secret ? How did you get ready 
 in such a minute ? ” 
 
 “ One question at a time, please, and I ’ll take 
 the last first. Auntie had all my dresses made 
 by her dress-maker here, and she got my under- 
 clothes ready-made, so my things were all ready 
 at her house when I came. I did n’t have to 
 keep it a secret very long ; that is, after father 
 consented, for it was n’t decided till a few days 
 before you left, and then I thought it would be 
 such fun to surprise you that I held my tongue, 
 and would n’t let anybody say a word. “ I 
 happened to come ” because I determined I 
 would just as soon as I knew that you were 
 going. It was easy enough to persuade Ma, 
 who never did want me to work in the mill, and 
 
20 THREE YEARS AT GLENW00D. 
 
 always said I should be a lady if she could man« 
 age it, and as Sophronia and Lillian, my cousins, 
 both attended Glenwood, she thought it would 
 be just splendid.” 
 
 “But the trouble was with Pa. He said he 
 thought I could get education enough for a mill- 
 girl at the night-school and by reading the 
 books in the library, and he did n’t like the city, 
 and he could n’t afford it, and a heap of things. 
 But Ma made him see at last that I Ve never 
 been very strong since that fever,” — which was 
 the fact, — “ and that as educated people could 
 always earn more than uneducated ones, it 
 would be a good investment. And he at last 
 confessed that he could raise the money now 
 that his salary is higher ; and then the thought 
 that I would be with you, who had always 
 done me so much good, decided him — only he 
 stipulated that I should sleep with you and 
 nobody else. Ain’t it splendid ? We ’ll both be 
 ladies now, and never have to work in the mill 
 any more ? ” 
 
 “ I don’t know what you mean,” said Katie. 
 “ I like to work in the mill. If my uncle had n’t 
 come from California with so much money and 
 
HOMESICKNESS. 
 
 21 
 
 offered to send me to school, I should have 
 been quite contented to work there always. And 
 I would n't have accepted his offer, and left 
 home and all of them ” (a little of the old home- 
 sickness here crept into her tone) “for anything 
 in the world except that I might by and by 
 be more independent, and help mother more as 
 she grows older. As for being a lady, mother 
 thinks we can be that anywhere, and I am sure 
 Miss Etta and Miss Eunice think so too." 
 
 “ Oh, well, you always were queer, Katie, but 
 you know what I mean, and that makes me think 
 my cousins — I have been staying with them for 
 two days — say that we must 'nt let any one in 
 school know that we ever worked in the mill. 
 Sophronia says that none of the girls would 
 speak to us if they knew, and that it would 
 make it very unpleasant for her and Lillian, who 
 have always been known here as the children of 
 rich people, if the girls found out that their 
 cousin was a factory girl. So I promised them 
 I wouldn't tell, and you must do the same." 
 
 “ I shall not make any such promise," said 
 Katie. “ I am not ashamed of anything I ever 
 did — certainly not of that. I shall not trouble 
 
22 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 any one with my home affairs, for I don’t sup- 
 pose they care about them ; but if the matter 
 comes up I shall say just what seems right at 
 the time, and I won’t promise. But there ’s the 
 tea-bell ; we must go right down, — the rules are 
 very strict.” 
 
 It was something of an ordeal for our two 
 country girls to walk the length of the long 
 dining-room to the places assigned them at the 
 end of the table, under the fire of fifty pairs of 
 eyes. Katie was beginning to get used to it, this 
 being her fourth day, but she could not help the 
 heightened color which rose beneath her down- 
 cast eyes. Bertie, conscious of her new and 
 city-made clothes, attempted to hide her em- 
 barrassment by a haughty manner, which only 
 made one girl whisper to her companion, “ I 
 wonder who that vulgar-looking country girl can 
 be?” 
 
 After tea, lessons for Monday were studied 
 in the long school-room, and at nine o’clock the 
 bell rang and every one went to bed. On reach- 
 ing her room, Bertie Sanderson threw off her 
 clothes, pitching them on to the nearest chair, 
 and sprang into bed before the more methodical 
 
HOMESICKNESS. 
 
 23 
 
 Katie, who did justice to her mother’s teach- 
 ings, had half disrobed herself and put her 
 things away, brushing out her hair and taking 
 out the fresh underclothing which would be 
 needed in the morning, thus lightening as much 
 as possible her Sunday’s work After that she 
 took up her Bible, for which a suitable place had 
 been already found, read her usual chapter, and, 
 kneeling down, once more sought to have the 
 homesick feelings taken away by communing 
 with her Father which is in heaven. 
 
 Bertie looked on but said nothing until her 
 companion asked, very gently : 
 
 “ Are you done with the light ? Shall I put 
 it out now ? ” she answered, rather gruffly : 
 “Yes, indeed; it has been shining in my 
 eyes and keeping me awake for ever so long.” 
 “Don’t you say your prayers, Bertie ? ” 
 
 “Yes, of course. But when I’m tired as I 
 am to-night I say them in bed ; it don’t make 
 any difference. God hears anywhere, don’t 
 he ?” 
 
 And of course Katie could only say, “Yes.” 
 
 “ By the by,” said Bertie, suddenly, “ I forgot 
 to pack up my Bible, there was so much to 
 
24 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 do ; you ’ll lend me yours sometimes, won’t 
 you?” 
 
 “ Of course ; but how could you forget ? I 
 put mine in my trunk the first of anything.” 
 
 Bertie did not answer, and her companion 
 soon knew by her regular breathing that she 
 was asleep.” 
 
 Poor Bertie ! she was a Christian ; she had 
 learned her own sinfulness by painful expe- 
 rience ; she had sought God’s forgiveness and 
 given herself to him. But she had no good 
 habits to fall back upon. Her mother, a silly, 
 worldly woman, had never taught her children 
 to pray, or, indeed, to do anything regularly, 
 and her religion thus far was a thing of “ fits and 
 starts.” When the circumstances around her 
 were of the right kind, when the Sunday-school 
 lesson was very impressive, or some particu- 
 larly good influence was at work, she would feel 
 as though there was nothing in the world to 
 live for except religion. She then would read 
 chapter after chapter of the Bible, and would 
 pray a long time, but when something else oc- 
 curred to interest her, — just now it was going 
 to school, — religion would seem to move a long 
 
HOMESICKNESS . 
 
 25 
 
 way off. She did not give it up exactly, but she 
 did not think very much about it. Her prayers 
 became formal, and she seldom opened her Bible. 
 She fancied she could pray just as well in bed, 
 but she generally, as to-night, fell asleep before 
 she had uttered more than a few incoherent 
 sentences. 
 
 That is the way a good many young Chris- 
 tians live before they have become fully estab- 
 lished in the ways of God. But it is a very 
 unhappy way, and so they often find out by 
 falling under the power of some ‘temptation 
 just because they have put off “the whole ar- 
 mor of God,” which can only be kept in place 
 by constant prayer and study of his holy word. 
 
26 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SUNDAY AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 UNDAY morning dawned clear and 
 bright. A cool, fresh breeze was blow- 
 ing, and the golden autumn sunshine 
 glorified even the dusty city streets. Myriads 
 of bells rang out on the air, calling the many 
 multitudes of every denomination, or of none, 
 to the house of God. Alas ! by how many they 
 were totally unheeded ! Multitudes lay in their 
 close, fetid bedrooms till noon, under the im- 
 pression that this was the way to rest upon the 
 first day of the week, after the labors of the 
 other six. Multitudes more, looking upon Sun- 
 day as a day of worldly pleasure, spent it in the 
 public parks or in excursions to the neighboring 
 suburban towns, coming home late at night a 
 great deal more tired than they would have 
 been had they worked all day. Still others, who 
 did not consider such open Sabbath desecration 
 
SUNDA Y AT GLEN WOOD , . 
 
 quite respectable, rose late, devoted themselves 
 to an uncommonly luxurious dinner, yawning 
 away the afternoon and evening, and wishing 
 the sacred hours well over. Such people have 
 not learned to “call the Sabbath a delight, 
 the holy of the Lord, honorable.” 
 
 But our little Katie loved the Sabbath. The 
 sacred day had been to her for many years a 
 sweet and precious time, and she would have 
 been glad had its hours been twice as long, and 
 had there been twice as many services. Early 
 as she had been in the habit of rising on other 
 days in order to reach the factory, she had 
 never thought of lying in bed any later on Sun- 
 days, and thus not only did her assistance enable 
 her mother to get through her daily housework 
 in time to attend the morning service at church, 
 but also Katie herself gained several quiet hours 
 for the study of her Sunday-school lesson, which 
 perhaps otherwise, in her busy life, would not 
 have been so well prepared. 
 
 She was quite surprised, therefore, on this 
 first Sunday in the city, that the rising bell did 
 not ring at its usual hour. She thought she 
 must have mistaken the strokes of the clock, 
 
28 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 and tried to compose herself to sleep again, but 
 in vain ; and when another hour had passed, 
 and there were unmistakably eight strokes, she 
 sprang from the bed and, waking her com- 
 panion, shouted, — 
 
 “ Wake up, Bertie ! hurry ! we have overslept 
 ourselves and not heard the bell ; it ’s breakfast- 
 time and we shall both get bad marks ; ” and 
 suiting the action to the word she began to dress 
 in a great hurry. 
 
 “ That ’s only the first bell,” said Bertie, 
 sleepily. 
 
 “ It must be the breakfast bell,” said Katie : 
 “ I did n’t hear any other, to be sure, but it ’s 
 eight o’clock, and that’s breakfast-time.” 
 
 “ Not on Sunday,” said Bertie ; “ people 
 always sleep later on Sunday morning. We do 
 at home, and at my aunt’s they never have 
 breakfast till ten o’clock on Sunday.” 
 
 “ How do they get ready for Sunday-school, 
 then ? ” 
 
 “ Oh, Sunday-school ’s in the afternoon ; but I 
 do n’t believe they go half the time. At home 
 I used to have a hard time to get ready, 
 but I managed it somehow. Oh dear, how 
 
SUNDAY AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 2 9 
 
 sleepy lam!” and she turned over for another 
 nap. 
 
 Katie, however, dressed herself as quickly as 
 was her wont, and sitting down by the one win- 
 dow with her Bible, enjoyed half an hour think- 
 ing of the dear home so far away, and realizing 
 that the same Saviour who had been her friend 
 in the old days there was as really her friend here, 
 would take care of all the dear ones there, and 
 help her here to resist temptation and to glorify 
 Him in whatever situation she might be placed. 
 
 About a quarter before nine, Bertie sprang 
 out of bed in a great hurry, and, seeing how 
 her companion was engaged, said, — 
 
 “ There, I must read my chapter this morn- 
 ing ; I have n’t remembered it since I left home,” 
 and she hurried through her preparations with 
 all the speed she could. But before the refrac- 
 tory hair was quite in order the great clock 
 down-stairs struck nine, and at the same mo- 
 ment the breakfast-bell pealed through the 
 house. 
 
 “ Come, Bertie, aren’t you ready ? ” said Katie, 
 closing her Bible ; “ we 'll get bad marks, you 
 know, if we ’re late.” 
 
30 THREE YEARS AT GLENW00D. 
 
 "Yes, I suppose so,” said the latter, putting 
 in the last hair-pin ; “ oh, dear ! there ’s my chap- 
 ter, I never do find time for that ; well, I ’ll have 
 to wait till after breakfast,” and she followed 
 her friend down stairs. 
 
 Boarding-school breakfasts are not very luxu- 
 rious as a rule, but the table at Glenwood had 
 the reputation of being a very good one, and to 
 our two country girls the table and its appoint- 
 ments seemed very elegant and the fare very 
 good. The Sunday morning breakfasts were 
 better than those of other days, and as there 
 were no pressing school duties to follow, the 
 girls lingered long at the table, enjoying their 
 relays of griddle-cakes till the clock again struck ; 
 then Katie Robertson whispered to the girl next 
 to her, — 
 
 “How will we ever be ready for Sunday- 
 school and church ? ” 
 
 “ Church is n’t till eleven, and we don’t go to 
 Sunday-school. There’s a Bible-class for the 
 girls in Miss Perry’s study at three o’clock this 
 afternoon. You won’t like it, though ; none of 
 us do. I always shirk it when I can.” 
 
 Katie began to wonder as she remembered 
 
SUNDA y AT GLENWOOD. 3 ! 
 
 Miss Etta’s lively, intelligent teaching, and 
 Miss Eunice’s quiet, earnest talks, how any one 
 could want to shirk a Bible-class, but at that 
 moment her wondering was cut short by a 
 signal at which all the girls drew back their 
 chairs and Miss Perry proceeded to read a chap- 
 ter from the Bible, followed by a short prayer, 
 which she read from a thin book in so low a 
 tone of voice that very few of the girls heard 
 it. Several, we are sorry to say, took this 
 time for sundry whispered confidences with 
 each other. 
 
 Morning prayers were not a regular thing at 
 the boarding-house. The hour between break- 
 fast and school-time was too precious to be spent 
 in that way. Some of the many who used the few 
 pianos were obliged to seize that time for “ prac- 
 tising ; ” some went out for their regular and 
 hated morning walk ; others made up the arrears 
 of unprepared lessons ; and as the school session 
 always opened with public prayers in the chapel 
 it was considered that these few moments were 
 all that could be spared out of the busy day for 
 the service of God. But Sunday was a spe- 
 cialty, and the teachers In the boarding-house 
 
32 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 often found it difficult to fill up the long, sacred 
 hours for their charges in a creditable manner : 
 hence, everything that was done was done slowly 
 and made to occupy as much time as possible. 
 
 Prayers over, the boarders were dismissed 
 with the words, “ Please be in time, young la- 
 dies, ten minutes to eleven,” and all went to 
 their rooms to dress for church. 
 
 Bertie Sanderson thought of her neglected 
 chapter, and was just going to open Katie’s 
 Bible, but she decided that, as it was now twenty 
 minutes past ten, perhaps she had better dress 
 first and then devote what time there was left to 
 her reading. Bertie had not yet learned to “ seek 
 j first the kingdom of God,” and trust to find 
 time afterwards for all the “ other things.” 
 
 Dressing for church this first Sunday morn- 
 ing was an important business, at least to Bertie 
 Sanderson, whose winter “suit” had been 
 provided by her aunt in a style of magnificence 
 tfery unsuitable to the young girl’s position 
 either as a school girl or an overseer’s daughter. 
 But Mrs. Cleveland had argued : The dress is my 
 gift, and I have a right to make it as handsome 
 as I like. I want my sister’s child, for once, to 
 
SUNDAY AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 33 
 
 look as well as my own do, and a girl’s standing 
 among her companions depends largely upon 
 the beauty of her clothes. So the suit had 
 been chosen and made according to the latest 
 dictates of fashion, and fitted Bertie to perfec- 
 tion. It was not so showy as the purple silk for 
 which she had once been so anxious, but it was 
 much more beautiful ; and as the young girl ob- 
 served how well the rich, dark hues toned down 
 her somewhat high color and coarse features, 
 and the tight-fitting basque pinched in her large, 
 muscular waist, while the delicate kid gloves, 
 “ to match,” covered her rough, red hands, she 
 thought she looked quite as well as “ Miss 
 Etta,” whose wonderful toilettes had, in the old 
 times, so excited the envy and admiration of 
 Squantown. 
 
 Bertie had laid aside her brass jewelry, and 
 ceased to adorn her frowzy hair with soiled 
 ribbons, when she professed herself a follower 
 of Christ ; she had learned to be neat and lady- 
 like, and in the months which followed her long 
 sickness, her repentance for her sin against 
 Katie, and her happy finding of Jesus as her 
 Saviour, had thought much less than formerly 
 
34 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 about the outward adornment of her person. 
 But Bertie was Bertie still. The same tastes 
 lay in her heart, the same home influences still 
 surrounded her, and it would take a long time 
 and many battles fought in the strength of 
 God’s Holy Spirit to undo the evil teachings of 
 her worldly aunt and silly mother. 
 
 Girls who have such enemies to battle with 
 need to live very close to the Lord in daily, 
 constant prayer and study of His word ; that is 
 the armor in which they are to fight, the means 
 by which they are to resist temptation. But, 
 as we have seen, Bertie was putting off her 
 armor by neglecting to pray and read her Bible, 
 and no wonder she fell an easy prey to the 
 enemy, who is always lying in wait to “deceive, 
 if it were possible, even the elect.” 
 
 “ Now,” thought the poor, vain girl, as she 
 turned herself round and round before the glass, 
 striving to catch a glimpse of her drapery be- 
 hind and the drooping feather of her hat, “ I 
 really am a lady at last ; nobody ’d ever take me 
 for a factory-girl : I ’d just like to show Miss 
 Etta Mountjoy that I ’m quite as good as she is. 
 Anyway, I won’t have anything to do with those 
 
SUNDAY AT GLENWOOD, 
 
 35 
 
 common girls at Mrs. Robertson's when I go 
 home ; ” and while she was picturing to herself 
 her own scorn and the mortification of Tessa 
 and Gretchen, the voice of Miss Perry sounded 
 from below, and she was obliged to join the 
 church party down stairs, having quite forgot- 
 ten that neglected chapter. 
 
 Katie Robertson, too, dressed herself in her 
 new church suit with real pleasure. Her kind 
 uncle had seen to it that his little niece, in going 
 among richer and more fashionable girls, should 
 not be mortified by wearing old, faded, or 
 “queer" apparel. A nice, suitable, and well- 
 made wardrobe had been provided for her, and, 
 although her dresses made by her mother and 
 the village dressmaker lacked the indescribable 
 something known as style, she thought them all 
 exceedingly pretty, especially the church suit of 
 dark-blue cloth, with its warm, wadded jacket, 
 which as yet it was too warm to wear, and the 
 dark-blue felt hat ornamented with a little gray 
 wing which no damp, winter storms could uncurl 
 or draggle. Putting it all on new for the first 
 time, she was conscious of a glow of thankful- 
 ness not only to her uncle, but to her heavenly 
 
36 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 Father, who had put it into his heart to do so 
 much for her, and had Himself given her so 
 many things “richly to enjoy.” When she was 
 quite ready, finding there were still a few mo- 
 ments to spare, she went quietly to the other 
 side of her own little white bed, and, kneeling 
 down, silently told her dear heavenly Friend her 
 grateful thoughts, asking Him at the same time 
 to keep her from thinking too much about these 
 “ earthly things,” and to make this bright Sun- 
 day a very blessed and happy one in His 
 service. 
 
 The church which the boarding scholars of 
 Glenwood Institute attended was a very large 
 and beautiful one, and was already filled with a 
 fashionable congregation as the girls, one at a 
 time, filed into the row of seats reserved for 
 them in the gallery. The organist was playing 
 a grand voluntary ; hot-house flowers were taste- 
 fully arranged by the pulpit, and the whole 
 scene was very beautiful and grand. Katie 
 soon forgot the strangeness and grandeur, how- 
 ever, when the minister, in his clear, impressive 
 voice, read the twenty-third Psalm, which had 
 been familiar to her since her infancy, and 
 
SUNDA Y AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 37 
 
 prayed that the Good Shepherd would lead His 
 people into the green pastures of His love and 
 faithfulness, and in the paths of righteousness 
 for His name's sake ; that in all their sorrows 
 and difficulties His rod and His staff might 
 comfort them, and that, His goodness and mercy 
 having followed them all the days of their lives, 
 they might eventually “ dwell in the house of 
 the Lord forever.” 
 
 Then followed music, more beautiful than 
 our two country girls had ever dreamed of, and 
 then a sermon, so simple, so earnest, and so 
 grand, that, while all the fashionable city peo- 
 ple listened entranced to the eloquence of their 
 popular preacher, the little, homesick, country 
 girl felt that he was speaking directly to her, 
 and telling her to “fear no evil,” neither pov- 
 erty, nor loneliness, nor sin, nor death, since 
 God was with her, and would keep those who 
 had committed themselves to Him, safe in 
 every danger, firm m every temptation, making 
 them “ more than conquerors ” in this life, and 
 presenting them “faultless before the throne 
 of His glory” in that which is to come. 
 
 “ The youngest child here/' said Dr. Pea- 
 
3* THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 body, “ who can understand what it is to trust 
 in our Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Saviour 
 need fear no evil, not even the evil of sin ; for if 
 we will only do our part by constantly praying 
 to Him, by studying His will that we may un- 
 derstand it and do it, and by trusting in His 
 strength to resist temptation, we may so live 
 as to glorify Him day by day, and know by our 
 own blessed experience that He is with us.” 
 
 Even Bertie Sanderson, who had devoted the 
 first part of the sendee to admiring the beauti- 
 ful silks, laces, feathers, and flowers in the pews 
 below, — an occupation, by-the-by, in which she 
 was joined by the majority of the boarders, — 
 was attracted by this sermon, and began to say 
 to herself : “ I wish I was a more earnest Chris- 
 tian ; I will pray more ; I mean to read my chap- 
 ter every day,” etc. Have none of our young 
 Christian readers ever made similar good reso- 
 lutions under the impressions of an earnest 
 sermon ? Have such always been faithfully 
 kept ? 
 
 The service over, the girls all filed out again, 
 and were soon seated in the long dining-hall at 
 their early dinner. That is, about half of them, 
 
SUNDA Y AT GLENJVOOD. 39 
 
 for Sunday was the great visiting day of the 
 Glenwood boarders. Many whose families lived 
 a few miles from the city went home regularly 
 on Friday afternoon to stay until Monday; 
 while those who had friends and acquaintances 
 in the city secured Sunday invitations among 
 them as they best could, often attending other 
 churches with their friends and going home 
 with them to dinner. So that, as on this 
 occasion, it often happened that not more than 
 twenty girls were scattered round the long 
 dining-tables, and the gaps thus left were very 
 conducive to home-sickness. 
 
 After dinner the girls all retired to their 
 rooms, there being no general sitting-room, and 
 the Institute being fast closed on Sunday. 
 Here Bertie, from whom the influence of the 
 sermon had not yet fully passed away, com- 
 menced to keep her resolutions by reading up 
 in Katie’s Bible all the chapters which she 
 ought to have read in full course during the 
 last two weeks. As she was obliged to read 
 very fast, and could not stop to think of the 
 meaning, she soon began to tire of the occupa- 
 tion, and more than one yawn testified to Katie, 
 
40 THREE YEARS AT GLENW00D . 
 
 who was engaged upon a letter to her mother, 
 that to Bertie Sanderson Bible-reading was a 
 very dull thing. 
 
 Katie had hesitated somewhat as to the pro- 
 priety of letter-writing upon Sunday, but had 
 finally come to the conclusion that as, were she 
 at home, she would talk with her mother about 
 all that interested her upon this sacred day, it 
 could be no harm to talk on paper also, pro- 
 vided she did not let her letters interfere with 
 Sunday duties or services, and she was deep in 
 a description of the morning’s sermon when the 
 bell-ringing announced that the hour for the 
 Bible Class had arrived, and she quickly laid 
 aside her writing as Bertie sprang from her seat 
 with a sensation of great relief, and the two 
 room-mates went down the stairs together to 
 Miss Perry’s room. 
 
 How is it that some people have the faculty 
 of making sacred things disagreeable and for- 
 bidding, while others make them so attractive ? 
 There was scarcely a girl at Glenwood who did 
 not hate that Bible Class. Even the conscien- 
 tious Christian girls were glad of a good reason 
 for absence, while the “ shirks ” invented all 
 
SUNDA y AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 41 
 
 manner of excuses in the way of headaches, 
 colds, and home letters, and usually managed, 
 as shirks do, to carry their point and spend the 
 dreaded hour anywhere else but in Miss Perry’s 
 study. 
 
 As Katie entered the room — which, by the 
 way, was never otherwise visited by the girls ex- 
 cept to receive the severe lectures which stood 
 them in stead of condign punishment, — she 
 saw two formidable rows of chairs which were 
 fast being filled by unwilling-looking girls, each 
 carrying a Bible. The room was dark and 
 cheerless, and Miss Perry, who was ordinarily 
 rather an amiable, good-natured-looking woman, 
 wore a solemn, stern air, such as she thought 
 befitted a religious exercise. Katie could not 
 help contrasting it with Miss Eunice’s pleasant 
 ways, the genuine interest with which she had 
 welcomed her tea party, and the natural, easy 
 manner in which she had led the conversation 
 to the most precious and holy things. 
 
 Miss Perry was the matron of the boarding- 
 house, not a teacher in the school. She had 
 taken the position for money, renting the 
 boarding-house from the trustees of the Insti- 
 
43 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 tute and making what she could out of the 
 boarding scholars. To make this as much as 
 possible it was requisite to make the house 
 popular and keep it full, and one of the steps 
 toward popularity was a reputation for careful 
 guardianship and sound religious influence. 
 
 To do the matron justice, she was not exactly 
 a hypocrite. She belonged to the church, or had 
 done so years ago, and she was quite competent 
 to read the questions in the book, which, being 
 a consecutive course of Scripture history, had 
 just reached the middle of Chronicles and dealt 
 with the varying fortunes of the kingdoms of 
 Israel and Judah. She was competent to 
 “ mark ” those girls who had not studied their 
 lessons and to reprimand those who persisted in 
 whispering and tittering when it was not their 
 turn to answer ; but she was utterly unqualified 
 by both inclination and preparation to make 
 any lesson interesting, especially one which 
 dealt with such bare historical outlines. She 
 had, however, imbibed a conventional idea that 
 she ought to talk religion to the members of her 
 class on Sunday, and as, to her, religion meant 
 “you shall and you shall not,” she generally 
 
SUNDAY AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 43 
 
 managed to weave into her teaching a stern 
 exordium upon the faults of her pupils, and the 
 things they ought to do and be, which, as it 
 was often exceedingly pointed and personal, 
 made the Bible Class a still more unpopular 
 institution, and it is difficult to say whether 
 teacher or pupils were most glad when the hour 
 came to a close. 
 
 After it was over, the girls’ time till the tea- 
 bell rang was their own, and they spent it in 
 walking up and down the well-warmed halls, or 
 conversing in groups on the staircase. Katie 
 and Bertie were “ new girls ” as yet and had made 
 no acquaintances ; they passed their arms round 
 each other’s waists, and, having nothing in par- 
 ticular to talk about, followed the prevailing 
 fashion, and walked silently up and down till 
 the ringing of the tea-bell formed a very wel- 
 come diversion. 
 
 After tea, at which Miss Perry was all smiles 
 and kindness, the whole party went to church 
 once more, and on their return were at once 
 hurried off to bed. 
 
 Bertie Sanderson knelt to say her prayers 
 that night, feeling, as she did so, that she was 
 
44 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 getting to be a very good girl ; and yet, some- 
 how, prayer did not seem so sweet and real 
 a thing as it used to do. She had got out of the 
 habit, and she did not very much want the 
 things she prayed for. Her thoughts would 
 keep wandering to the new and strange sur- 
 roundings of her life, and it was with a sensa- 
 tion of very great relief that she got into bed, 
 exclaiming, — 
 
 “ I ’m so glad Sunday ’s over ! It seemed as 
 though it never would come to an end.” 
 
SCHOOL LIFE . 
 
 45 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 O prettier sight could be seen than the 
 assembling of Glenwood Institute for 
 morning prayers in the beautiful Goth- 
 ic chapel, larger and more highly decorated 
 than many a country church. The eight hun- 
 dred pupils assembled in their own several de- 
 partments at twenty minutes to nine and 
 formed in line, headed by the department 
 teachers. At exactly ten minutes before nine, 
 the head professor of music struck his first 
 chord on the great chapel organ, which was 
 heard all over the building, and at the same 
 moment all the files commenced to move. 
 
 A visitor seated on the platform facing the 
 doors would then see all three open simulta- 
 neously and also those in the gallery. Into 
 these doors poured orderly rows of girls of all 
 ages, singing a “ processional” hymn, as with- 
 
46 THREE YEARS AT GIENWOOD. 
 
 out confusion they took their well-known seats, 
 and before the last verse of the hymn ceased, 
 the whole eight hundred were in their places 
 quietly awaiting the devotional exercises of the 
 morning. These consisted of the chanting of 
 the Lord’s Prayer by the school, standing with 
 bowed heads, the reading of a brief portion of 
 Holy Scripture, and the offering of a short, 
 extemporaneous prayer, which was cold and 
 formal, or tender, earnest, and simple, according 
 as the gentleman officiating made it. 
 
 The principal, Dr. Claverick, ordinarily per- 
 formed this part of the service, but whenever 
 any gentlemen visitors of distinction, clergymen 
 or others, happened to be present, — as was 
 often the case, — they took his place and some- 
 times followed the exercises with profitable and 
 interesting talks upon various subjects. When 
 no stranger was present the school rose at the 
 close of the prayer, and, chanting another hymn 
 as they passed out in regular order, were in 
 their rooms and ready to commence the day’s 
 work by a quarter past nine. On Friday morn- 
 ing the service was a little longer, each depart- 
 ment reporting the names of all delinquents 
 
SCHOOL LIFE . 
 
 47 
 
 during the week, with the number of absences 
 and times of being late. As this was the only 
 thing resembling punishment known in the 
 school, these reports were listened to with great 
 interest, and every one was unwilling to have 
 her name on this roll of demerit, for the other 
 members of her department deeply visited upon 
 her their sense of the common disgrace. 
 
 This was Bertie Sanderson's first day at 
 school, and she looked with wide-open eyes at 
 the beautiful, well-appointed building, the dig- 
 nified teachers, and the multitudes of well 
 dressed girls. She had accompanied her room- 
 mate to her seat in the chapel, though the 
 teacher who had told her to do so said, — 
 
 “You will probably be placed higher. You 
 look much older than your little friend." 
 
 Great was this teacher's surprise, however, 
 when she came to examine the tall, well-de- 
 veloped girl, to find that, by placing her three 
 departments below her “ little friend," she 
 would be only able to hold her own by diligent 
 study and close application. 
 
 Poor Bertie, as we know, had never been 
 used to diligence or application, either at school 
 
48 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 or in the factory, and, but for Miss Etta's un- 
 wearied care at last winter's night-school, she 
 would have been placed much lower than she 
 was. She was very much mortified, and felt 
 something of her old jealousy of Katie rising in 
 her heart. But yesterday’s good influences were 
 still at work. Her prayer of that morning, 
 brief and formal as it was, had not been with- 
 out effect in bringing to her aid the promised 
 strength of the blessed Holy Spirit, and she 
 swallowed down the evil feelings, and went 
 pleasantly away to her appointed place among 
 the very little girls, resolved to do her very 
 best and catch up with Katie as soon as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 A brief recess occurred at noon, when the 
 day-scholars ate the lunch they had brought, or 
 purchased a hot cup of beef-tea and a roll for 
 five cents in a pleasant basement room, where 
 these substantiate, with fruit and plain cakes, 
 were provided for them. 
 
 Others again, whose dinners, like those of the 
 boarders, came immediately at the close of 
 the session, wandered around the halls, or in 
 the paths of the beautiful, well-kept garden, no 
 
SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 49 
 
 screaming, running, or noisy games, however, 
 being allowed. 
 
 Strangers amid this vast world of girls, our 
 two country friends were wandering somewhat 
 aimlessly about, when Bertie exclaimed, — 
 
 “ Here's my cousin Sophronia!” pointing at 
 the same time to a tall, over-dressed girl who 
 was walking arm-in-arm with another about the 
 same size, much more plainly attired, but with 
 a certain air of refinement quite wanting to her 
 companion. This girl was named Helen Lome. 
 She belonged to one of the richest and most aris- 
 tocratic families in the city, and such girls as 
 Sophronia Cleveland considered it a great honor 
 to be noticed by her. Helen would hardly 
 have selected Sophronia for a companion, but 
 she was very good-natured, and when her 
 school-mate put her arm round her waist, saying, 
 “ Let ’s walk,” she did not shake her off, but 
 submitted quietly, and talked as pleasantly as 
 she might have done to one of her own inti- 
 mate friends. 
 
 In such society Sophronia would have passed 
 her country cousin without notice, but her com- 
 panion had seen the gesture and heard the 
 
50 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 words of the strange girl, and she stopped at 
 once in front of Bertie and Katie. 
 
 “ I did n’t know you had a cousin at school,” 
 she said. “ How nice ! When did you come ? ” 
 she said to Bertie, with a schoolgirl’s indiffer- 
 ence to the formality of an introduction. 
 
 “ I left home on Wednesday, and I came to 
 the boarding-house on Saturday evening,” said 
 the girl addressed, to whom timidity or bashful- 
 ness was a thing unknown. 
 
 “ And this ? ” said Helen, looking inquiringly 
 at Katie, whose appearance pleased her much 
 more than that of her bolder and more florid 
 companion. 
 
 “ This is my friend Katie Robertson. We ’re 
 from the same place, and we ’re room- 
 mates.” 
 
 “ Then you ’re both boarding-scholars. Poor 
 girls, how I pity you ! It must be so horrid to 
 have no home to go to when school ’s over. 
 Whose room are you in ? ” 
 
 Katie named the teacher of one department, 
 and Bertie that of another, in the same breath, 
 and Helen, turning to Sophronia, said, — 
 
 “Then you and your cousin are not together; 
 
i 
 
 SCHOOL LIFE. 5 1 
 
 what a pity ! you might help one another so 
 much/* 
 
 Sophronia opened her eyes in astonishment at 
 the preposterous idea of Bertie’s helping her, 
 and said, — 
 
 “ Why, I *m miles ahead of her ; she *s only a 
 country girl.” She would have liked to substi- 
 tute the word factory for cotmtry , but could not 
 without compromising her own position. 
 
 “Oh, well,” said Helen, “she’ll soon learn, 
 and it ’s a good thing that you know the school 
 so well, and can help her on. I shall be glad to 
 see more of you and Miss Robertson,” she said, 
 as she turned away to join another group of 
 girls. 
 
 “ Bertie,” said Sophronia, her smiling looks 
 all gone, “ if ever you let anybody here know 
 that you worked in the factory at Squantown, 
 I ’ll never forgive you.” 
 
 “What difference does having worked in a 
 factory make in us ? ” asked Katie, in her 
 straightforward manner. 
 
 “ It don’t to you,” answered Sophronia. “ Your 
 mother’s only a poor widow, and of course 
 you ’ve got to work for yourself ; but Bertie ’s 
 
52 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 our cousin, and she shan’t disgrace us in 
 school. Nobody here knows even that our 
 father ’s a grocer, and I don’t mean that they 
 shall.” 
 
 The clock at that moment pointing to twenty 
 minutes past twelve, and the various teachers 
 appearing at the doors of their several depart- 
 ments as a signal for the close of recess, — no 
 bells were allowed in the Institute, — the va- 
 rious groups broke up and the girls composing 
 them floated away to their own rooms. 
 
 “ I thought you had two cousins,” said Katie 
 to her companion as they separated. 
 
 “ So I have ; Lilian ’s in your department, but 
 she is n’t very well and has n’t been to school for 
 a week.” 
 
 “ Is n’t that girl with Sophronia lovely ? ” 
 
 “ I did n’t think much of her ; her dress 
 wasn’t half so handsome as Sophronia’s.” 
 
 There was no more time for words, and Katie 
 went her way, wondering how Bertie could prefer 
 her cousin to Helen Lome. 
 
 At two o’clock the school-session closed ; the 
 day scholars all went home, and the boarders 
 went to their rooms to prepare for dinner, which 
 
SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 53 
 
 was always ready at half-past two. The after- 
 noons were devoted to music lessons, practising, 
 drawing-lessons, and the like. When the girls 
 had no such pressing duties they were allowed 
 to go out — under certain restrictions — but 
 every one had to be in the house by five o’clock, 
 or earlier when the days grew shorter. 
 
 From five to six was the recreation hour, 
 spent by the girls in wandering round the halls or 
 visiting each other’s rooms. Six o’clock was the 
 tea hour, immediately after which all the pupils 
 went across the garden to the Institute, where 
 they prepared their lessons for the next day, 
 under the superintendence of Miss Thornton, in 
 the large schoolroom. At nine they went to bed. 
 
 Of course, there is always great sameness in 
 boarding-school life. The same things are done 
 at the same hours ; the minutes are carefully 
 counted out and filled with regular duties and 
 engagements, and to children used to the free- 
 dom and excitements of home, the monotony 
 • would be extremely irksome, and conducive 
 to that dreaded enemy, homesickness, except 
 that the constant occupation fills up all their 
 thoughts. 
 
54 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 But to Bertie and Katie, used to the long 
 hours and steady monotony of the mill, the 
 school routine seemed one of infinite variety, 
 and the hours of leisure more and greater than 
 they had known for a long time. Bertie was 
 glad to idle, but Katie’s ambition urged her to 
 use the hours in extra study with the purpose of 
 keeping abreast of her class, where she was at 
 first, to some degree, at a disadvantage, the 
 methods of study being so different in her own 
 home and in a great city school. She availed 
 herself of every spare moment, and soon not 
 only stood as well as any of her classmates, but 
 was prepared to pass the examination, which 
 occurred at the close of every three months, and 
 be at once promoted to the next higher depart- 
 ment. 
 
 Bertie, too, was for a time spurred on, partly 
 by her friend’s example, which, ever since her 
 illness, had had great weight with her, and 
 partly by her mortification at being rated so 
 much below her cousins and her friend ; and 
 she really acquitted herself very creditably, win- 
 ning her promotion, also, at the end of the first 
 quarter. But here her fit of assiduity came to 
 
SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 ss 
 
 an end for the present. She was tired of the 
 continued strain ; she had accomplished the 
 object for which she had been striving, and a 
 reactionary feeling made the thought of a little 
 idleness pleasant. 
 
 Moreover, Bertie had by this time made a 
 good many acquaintances, and become quite 
 popular among a certain set, which always 
 exists in large schools, — girls who, without 
 being exactly vicious, think it is “ fun ” to 
 waste time, break rules, and annoy teachers; 
 girls, moreover, who are always ready for what- 
 ever may turn up in the way of a “ lark,” and 
 are easily led astray into wrong-doing when it 
 comes in connection with amusement. 
 
 Sophronia Cleveland belonged to this set, 
 though she would not have liked to have Helen 
 Lome know it ; and so did a good many of the 
 city girls, with perhaps a dozen of the boarders. 
 These latter found in it a medium of communi- 
 cation with the outside world, from which their 
 position debarred them. A certain Amelia Bas- 
 com, who was one of these, soon completely 
 fascinated Bertie, whose spare time out of 
 school-hours was chiefly absorbed in whispered 
 
56 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 colloquies with her new friend, who, for reasons 
 of her own, made herself exceedingly fasci- 
 nating. 
 
 The “rules” at Glenwood were not very 
 strict. Girls old enough to attend an advanced 
 institution of this sort were supposed to be old 
 enough to take care of themselves, and to have 
 received sufficient home-training to comport 
 themselves like ladies wherever they might 
 happen to be placed. Hence, within certain 
 limits, they were allowed complete liberty to 
 come and go as they pleased. But, as we have 
 seen, there were limits. No one might go out 
 walking, shopping, or visiting when such excur- 
 sions interfered with school duties ; no one might 
 be out after dark, and no one was ever allowed 
 to go out alone who had once forfeited her free- 
 dom by unlady-like actions in public. This 
 latter was Amelia's case, and though the details 
 were not known, it was rumored that she had 
 done something dreadful during the last term, 
 for which reason she could now only go outside 
 the Institute precincts with a teacher or a friend 
 indorsed by her parents. 
 
 Amelia, however, who was a handsome, well- 
 
SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 5 7 
 
 grown girl of sixteen, greatly resented this 
 treatment, which she said was just like making 
 a baby of her, and took all the pains she could 
 to circumvent it by coaxing her friends to call for 
 her as often as she could, and by employing 
 her companions constantly to purchase for her 
 finery and confectionery, for which she always 
 gave ample commissions. Of course, it is a 
 foregone conclusion that Amelia was one of the 
 party a plank in whose platform it was to annoy 
 the teachers. She had heretofore found her 
 agents and emissaries among the day scholars ; 
 but it was more convenient, for many reasons, 
 to have a boarder at her beck and call, and at 
 first, by being very coaxing and flattering, after- 
 wards by becoming possessed of a certain secret 
 which she often threatened to reveal, she gained 
 such an influence over the weak, undisciplined 
 Bertie Sanderson, that the latter became her 
 complete slave. 
 
 At “ recess ” the set were apt to congregate 
 in one corner of the garden, planning the petty 
 mischief by which the discipline and order of 
 the schoolroom might be upset — talking, it may 
 be, of the parties and entertainments which 
 
5 « THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 many of the out-door girls were, by their inju* 
 dicious parents, allowed to attend ; rendering 
 an account of the commissions with which they 
 had been entrusted, and accompanying the 
 whole with a great deal of laughter and merri- 
 ment. 
 
 Katie Robertson came upon this merry group 
 one day, as she was wandering about rather 
 forlornly, and, seeing her room-mate, at once 
 joined her. But the merriment immediately 
 ceased ; cold looks were turned upon the new- 
 comer ; and very soon the gay group melted 
 away, leaving only Sophronia, Bertie, and Katie. 
 The latter, seeing that she was evidently not 
 wanted, moved away also, with a pain in her 
 heart at the unkindness of the friend through 
 whom she had suffered so much and whom she 
 had so freely forgiven. 
 
 “ Why should n't the girls like Katie ? ” said 
 Bertie to her cousin when they were left alone. 
 “ Everybody thought her an angel at Squan- 
 town.” 
 
 “Oh well, girls, as a rule, don't care about 
 angels for companions. They like somebody 
 with some spirit — a ‘spice of the devil' — as 
 
SCHOOL LIFE. 
 
 59 
 
 Augusta’s lover says. Katie ’s so * goody,’ but- 
 ter would n’t melt in her mouth. She could n’t 
 understand a joke if it was explained to her, 
 and as soon as she got a chance she’d be 
 preaching us a sermon. We don’t want religion 
 at recess.” 
 
 “ Why, Soph, I thought you were a Christian ! 
 didn’t you join the church that time you said 
 you were going to, after I ’d made you that long 
 visit ?” 
 
 “ Of course I did, — Augusta too, — but that ’s 
 no reason we should turn into old women or 
 priests. And look here, Bertie, take care how 
 you seem to be very intimate with Katie Rob- 
 ertson. She ’s so straightforward she will tell 
 some day that she’s been a factory girl, and 
 then it ’ll come out that you were one, too, and 
 I ’ll never notice you if it does. I would n’t have 
 Helen Lome know it for the whole world.” 
 
 Bertie blushed, but she did not tell her cousin 
 that she feared the damaging fact was known 
 already, and that this fear was one cause of 
 Amelia Bascom’s strong influence over her, and 
 she was glad for once when the signal was 
 naade for the close of recess. 
 
6o THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 Somewhere in the early part of Bertie's inti* 
 macy with her tyrannical companion, the latter 
 had said : 
 
 “ I do pity you for your room-mate. It seems 
 a pity that you could n’t have been with a lady.” 
 
 “ Why, Katie ’s more lady-like than I am. Miss 
 Eunice and Miss Etta always thought so, I’m 
 sure.” 
 
 “ Who are Miss Eunice and Miss Etta ? 99 
 
 “ The daughters of Mr. Mountjoy, the manu- 
 facturer at Squantown.” 
 
 “ The factory Miss Robertson worked in ? ” 
 with a satirical accent upon the Miss . 
 
 “ Why, how did you know?” said Bertie, very 
 much surprised, while a glow of false shame 
 spread over her face and neck. 
 
 “ Never mind ; there are plenty of little birds 
 to carry secrets in a school like this.” Amelia 
 did not mention the fact of her having stood 
 close to Bertie, her cousin, and Katie, when 
 Sophronia had uttered her first threat, and Katie 
 had asked what difference working in a factory 
 made in herself and her room-mate. “I have a 
 good many little birds in my employ ; one of 
 them told me that Bertie Sanderson was a mill- 
 
SCHOOL LIFE . 6 t 
 
 girl, too, but of course he made a mistake. I did 
 not believe his nonsense.” 
 
 “Of course ,” said Bertie, laughing uneasily, 
 “ Katie’s mother ’s a widow and very poor, but 
 my father ’s the overseer, and we ’re as good as 
 the Mountjoys,” 
 
 “ Of course, dear,” with a delicate little 
 caress. “ I don’t know who the Mountjoys are, 
 but I ’ve no doubt you ’re a great deal better. 
 So I am to tell my bird, am I, that Bertie San- 
 derson never did work in the mill ? ” and, fixing 
 her keen eyes upon her companion, she waited 
 resolutely for an answer. 
 
 It was a long time in coming. Bertie was 
 not the girl she had once been. Her moral 
 nature had been awakened, her conscience had 
 been aroused. She had seen the sinfulness of 
 her own heart, and sought and obtained forgive- 
 ness from the Saviour against whom she had 
 sinned ; she had professed herself His disciple ; 
 she meant, in the main, to please Him; she 
 did not want to tell a lie, but she was under 
 very strong temptation to do so ; she had already 
 committed herself by saying “of course she 
 remembered her cousin’s threats ; she even 
 
62 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 thought how unkind it would be in her to dis> 
 grace Sophronia among her school-mates, and 
 at length she said, — 
 
 “ Yes, you may tell your bird that ; I never 
 did.” 
 
 Poor girl ! she had hardly got the words out 
 of her mouth when she would have given every- 
 thing in her possession to recall them, and her 
 painful confusion plainly told her watchful com- 
 panion that what she said was not true. The 
 latter, however, only said, — 
 
 “ I knew the birdie must be wrong ; ” but 
 Bertie knew very well that Amelia knew just 
 how the matter stood, lie and all, and from that 
 moment she was in the power of one who knew 
 well how to make the most of her ascendancy. 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN 
 
 63 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 
 
 HE weeks and months at Glenwood 
 passed rapidly away, full of duties, 
 pleasant to the girls, or otherwise, ac- 
 cording to their tastes. The Christmas holi- 
 days had come and gone, January was well 
 advanced, and another quarter was rapidly draw- 
 ing to a close. Promotions were not usually 
 made oftener than every half year. Indeed the 
 majority of scholars remained in one depart- 
 ment for a year or even more. 
 
 The written examinations on which promo- 
 tion alone depended were strict and impartial, 
 and few girls of ordinary intelligence and assi- 
 duity could pass them the first time. Never- 
 theless, the course of study was so well ar- 
 ranged that the portion assigned to each depart- 
 ment could be passed over in three months, 
 thus affording ambitious and conscientious stu- 
 
64 THREE FEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 dents an opportunity of going through the 
 school with great rapidity. It is needless to 
 say that our Katie was one of this class ; she 
 studied every lesson in its course thoroughly, 
 mastering every point at the time, and leaving 
 no arrears to be made up at review time. She 
 considered that her one business at school was 
 to secure the education for which she went 
 there, and which was to be so much capital in 
 her after-struggle for independence. Conse- 
 quently she had very little time for the gossip 
 and “ carrying-on,” which fritter away so much 
 of a school-girl’s life, very little even for the 
 secular part of her weekly home letters, which 
 she did not write on Sunday afternoons. She 
 remained at school during the Christmas holi- 
 days, the distance to Squantown being too great 
 and the journey too expensive to make it worth 
 while for her to go home. And these ten pre- 
 cious days were invaluable to her in going over 
 the ground she had already travelled again and 
 again, and forecasting that which was to come. 
 She also found plenty of time for extra practis- 
 ing hours, and for her French and drawing, 
 which, as they did n ’t influence the promotions. 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN 65 
 
 the Glenwood girls were apt to consider and 
 neglect as of secondary importance. 
 
 She was therefore quite ready for the next 
 examination, and reasonably sure of a promotion, 
 which would bring her within one class of 
 Sophronia and Helen Lome. 
 
 But the young girl was beginning to feel the 
 strain of such constant and steady application. 
 She never went out except for the stated and 
 hated daily promenades of the boarders and on 
 Sunday to church. She was so tired every night 
 that her eyes would close of themselves over 
 the sacred Bible words, which she would not for 
 the world have omitted to read, and so tired in 
 the morning that only a mighty effort of prin- 
 ciple and will enabled her to answer the rising- 
 bell and enter upon the duties of another day. 
 The close confinement told upon the country 
 girl, used to fresh breezes and mountain air ; 
 her cheeks lost their delicate color, dark rings 
 came under her eyes, and her step had a slow 
 languor that would have greatly alarmed her 
 mother could she have seen it. One or two 
 of the teachers, when they could notice anything 
 else in the rush and hurry of their overwhelm- 
 
66 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 ing duties, noted these symptoms and asked 
 Katie if she was sick, but she always said No. 
 It was such a comfort to have to do with a 
 scholar who did not need driving that the over- 
 worked teachers forbore to rebuke the girl’s 
 ambition, and she worked resolutely on. 
 
 “ How do you manage always to get good 
 marks,” said Bertie one day, looking over Katie’s 
 diary ; “ ten, ten, ten ; there ’s never anything 
 else ; how do you manage it ? ” 
 
 “ By always knowing my lessons, I suppose.” 
 “ But how can you always know them ? Some- 
 times I can’t study at all, and when I do, and 
 think I know them best, they slip out of my 
 head, or else the question that comes to me is 
 just the one that I don’t know anything about.” 
 “ Do you ever ask God to help you study your 
 lessons ? ” said Katie gravely. 
 
 “ Pray about lessons ! ” said Bertie, opening 
 her eyes very widely, as if the idea was too pre- 
 posterous to take in. “ Why, Katie, how 
 strangely you talk. Who ever heard of such a 
 thing ? ” 
 
 “I always ask the Lord Jesus to help me,” 
 said Katie simply ; “ and I think He does. He 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 67 
 
 would help you, too, if you asked Him, I am 
 sure.” 
 
 “But it seems so awful, almost wicked, to 
 pray about such a little thing.” 
 
 “ There is a verse here, Bertie, which says, ‘ In 
 everything, by prayer and supplication, let your 
 requests be made known unto God ; ' I think 
 ‘ everything ’ must mean lessons, too.” 
 
 Bertie did not say any more just then, but sat 
 drumming on the window and looking out into 
 the street. It was the recreation hour, but late 
 in January it was still quite light, and Katie was 
 using up the moments in finishing her next 
 week’s composition. After an interval her 
 room-mate spoke again : 
 
 “ Katie, I wish I was as good a girl as you 
 are ; but I am not, and I don’t believe I ever 
 shall be. It don’t seem any use to try.” 
 
 Katie Robertson was not above temptation ; 
 no Christian, old or young, is. The tempter is 
 very subtle ; he knows how to adapt himself to 
 the peculiarities of every soul, and if our blessed 
 Lord himself did not escape his suggestions of 
 evil, we may be sure that we shall not do so. 
 It was a long time since the evil one had found 
 
68 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 any ground on which to approach our little 
 friend. The more open ways in which he could 
 reach Bertie Sanderson were quite closed by 
 Katie's years of trust in the Lord Jesus. But 
 there was one point where the enemy could 
 touch even her, and he was not slow to avail 
 himself of his opportunity. Katie did dearly love 
 to be called a good girl, and she had been called 
 one so long that she quite believed she was one, 
 forgetting that we are all sinners except just so 
 far as the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ena- 
 bles us to resist evil and do right, and that it is 
 only to those who are like Him, “ meek and 
 lowly in heart," feeling their own weakness, 
 that He vouchsafes to give this grace. 
 
 There had been a great deal in hte life at 
 Glenwood to make Katie feel herself a very 
 good girl indeed. Her steady application to 
 her lessons, her uniformly good marks, her 
 rapid promotion, the unqualified approbation of 
 her teachers, and her reputation as the best 
 scholar in her class, all tended to inflame her 
 vanity. Even her ambition, which caused her 
 to deny herself necessary rest and recreation, 
 and the steadiness with which she continued to 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 69 
 
 attend to her religious duties in the midst of 
 the feverish hurry of her school-life, seemed to 
 make her, in her own estimation, a very re- 
 markably good girl ; and with a little compla- 
 cent smile and an accent of decided superiority, 
 she said, — 
 
 “ Why are you not as good as I am ? I am 
 sure you’ve only to try.” 
 
 “ But I have tried over and over again. Every 
 Sunday, almost, I used to resolve that I would 
 be better next week ; but I never was, and I ’ve 
 given up trying now.” 
 
 “ You don’t pray enough,” said Katie, senten- 
 tiously, remembering how seldom her companion 
 now knelt in evening or morning prayer, and 
 how much more seldom she borrowed her 
 friend’s Bible. 
 
 “ Katie,” said Bertie, who was in one of her 
 occasional conscientious fits, when the memory 
 of what she had openly professed and the long- 
 ings to be what she was called were at work 
 within her, “ do you think any one can pray with 
 a sin — a great sin — upon her conscience ? ” 
 
 “ Of course not. Have you committed such 
 a sin ? What is it ? ” 
 
70 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 “ A lie,” said Bertie, “ a great lie. I can't 
 tell you about it ; but I 'm so unhappy.” 
 
 “ Why, Bertie ! ” said her shocked companion, 
 “ and you a member of the church, too ! I 
 should think you would be unhappy. You de- 
 serve to be.” 
 
 At that moment the tea-bell rang, and no 
 more could be said. Bertie’s good impulses 
 were checked by her companion’s censorious 
 tone, and Katie felt a little condemned, though 
 she hardly saw how her self-righteous feelings 
 had prevented her seizing the opportunity 
 offered her of speaking a loving word for the 
 Saviour, who is always ready to receive and 
 welcome back His repentant children when they 
 have wandered away from Him. 
 
 But Bertie did not often favor her room-mate 
 with her companionship or her confidence. She 
 was becoming more and more closely bound to 
 Amelia and her set, who managed to occupy 
 almost all her leisure time. She walked with 
 the former in her daily promenade, went on 
 errands for her in the afternoons and on Satur- 
 days, and held mysterious conferences with her 
 at odd moments in corners and on the stairs. 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 
 
 7f 
 
 After the first few weeks she had told her aunt 
 that boarding-school Sundays were unendura- 
 ble, and begged permission to spend them with 
 her cousins, and now she generally went to 
 them after church, remaining all day, and being 
 brought home late in the evening by her uncle 
 or Mr. Peake, the gentleman to whom her eldest 
 cousin was engaged to be married. 
 
 Of course, Katie felt her friend’s defection 
 very much. Somehow Katie was not very pop- 
 ular among the girls at school, and did not make 
 intimate friends among the boarders. It is very 
 rare that the same girl is popular with both 
 teachers and scholars. School-girls, like other 
 mortals, are jealous, and when a companion 
 invariably has perfect recitations, and is uni- 
 formly praised for them, the contrast is one 
 which they are very likely to resent. Moreover, 
 in order to be “perfect in deportment,” it was 
 necessary to keep rules and to decline participa- 
 tion in the petty mischief which is always brew- 
 ing in a schoolroom where the scarcely repressed 
 spirits of forty or fifty girls are continually brim- 
 ming over. When it is remembered, also, that 
 Katie Robertson made use of every odd moment 
 
72 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 for study, our school-girl readers will see that 
 she was not likely to be considered “ splendid ” 
 by the majority of her companions. 
 
 But why she was not more of a favorite with 
 the boarders often puzzled her, recalling the old 
 times when she was so conscious of the general 
 avoidance of the factory girls without being 
 able to understand the reason. She had tried 
 to make acquaintance with several ; but, though 
 the girls were never rude, they never went any 
 farther, never came into her room for a talk, 
 never sought to be her companion in the pro- 
 menade, etc., and very often, when a group 
 were conversing together, if Katie was seen 
 approaching, an embarrassed silence would sud- 
 denly fall upon the chatterers, and one after 
 another would silently saunter away. It was 
 some time before the lonely girl realized the 
 state of things, and then she puzzled vainly as 
 to its cause. But she could think of nothing. 
 Indeed, she knew that she had tried to be kind 
 to the girls, often during the study hour lending 
 them books and pencils, helping them look out 
 words in the dictionary, struggling with the dif- 
 ficulties of refractory “ examples/' and the like. 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 
 
 73 
 
 Katie felt the case to be a hard one, but there 
 was no help for it. The general avoidance was 
 not marked enough to call out the censure of 
 the teachers, even if she had been “ mean ” 
 enough to complain, and all she could do was, 
 as in the old time, to “ commit her way unto 
 the Lord,” and quietly submit to walk with the 
 youngest or most disagreeable girls, whose com- 
 panionship no one else wanted on the daily 
 promenade and to church, and to devote the 
 lonely recreation hours to still more assiduous 
 study. It was but natural, however, that she 
 should feel somewhat embittered, and that she 
 should dwell more and more upon her own 
 superiority to these “ selfish ” girls. 
 
 “You’ve dropped your handkerchief, Amelia,” 
 said Bertie, as the two marched together in the 
 hated morning procession. 
 
 Amelia caught it up with a blush, but in a 
 few moments dropped it again, and this time it 
 was returned to her by a flashily-dressed young 
 fellow who happened to be leaning against the 
 street lamp by which they were passing. Its 
 owner received it with a blush and a smile, but 
 instantly looked the other way with an expres- 
 
74 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 sion of bland unconsciousness as Miss Thornton, 
 who was at the head of the line, chanced to look 
 around. 
 
 The next day the handkerchief was dropped 
 again at the same place, and the same young 
 man picked it up, but, instead of returning it, 
 held it to his lips with a ridiculous air of gallant- 
 ry, and put it into his pocket. Amelia turned 
 scarlet with delight, but at the same time 
 looked furtively round to see if any one else had 
 noticed the action. Being apparently convinced 
 that Bertie was the only spectator, she produced 
 another handkerchief with a knot tied in the 
 end, waved it about, and then put it into her 
 own pocket, the young man giving a nod of 
 comprehension and walking rapidly away. 
 
 “ Bertie,” said Amelia, that afternoon, “ I 
 want you to do an errand for me this afternoon. 
 You will, I’m sure, — you’re so obliging.” 
 
 “ I ’ve got my composition to write,” said 
 Bertie hesitating.” 
 
 “ Bother your composition ! You can write 
 that any time, and I very particularly want you 
 to do something for me to-day.” 
 
 “I hope it isn’t to get another ‘Seaside.’ I 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN 
 
 75 
 
 almost got caught last time.” Novels of any 
 kind, be it understood, were among the things 
 forbidden to the boarders, the consequence of 
 such prohibition being that the day scholars of 
 a certain “ set ” were often employed to procure 
 and bring them surreptitiously to school, where 
 they were devoured in those intervals known as 
 “study hours.” 
 
 “I don’t believe you love me, Bertie. I 
 would n’t refuse to do a little favor for a friend, 
 when I knew she was a prisoner and could n’t 
 do it herself. It isn’t to get a book either. 
 Never mind, I ’ll find somebody. I might have 
 asked Sophronia at recess, only I was sure of 
 you. Don’t trouble yourself. I wonder, when 
 I come to think of it, that I should care to make 
 friends with the companion of a factory-girl. 
 Who knows — ” 
 
 “ What ? ” said Bertie as the other made a 
 long and significant pause. 
 
 “ Oh, nothing, only, — ” 
 
 “ What do you want me to do ? ” 
 
 “ Nothing, except to carry this little note to 
 
 the corner of C Street, and if you should 
 
 happen to see that young man who picked up my 
 
76 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 handkerchief give it to him. There 's no trea- 
 son in it. Here, I 'll show it to you,” and she 
 took the tiny sheet of note-paper out of the en- 
 velope, and showed her companion that it con- 
 tained only these words, — 
 
 “Don’t do that again; it’s dangerous. Invent some 
 other way. A.” 
 
 “Do you know that young man ? ” said Bertie 
 in astonishment. 
 
 “ Never saw him in my life till yesterday.” 
 
 “ How rude he was to steal your handker- 
 chief ! ” 
 
 “Nonsense, child! that wasn't stealing. It's 
 the handkerchief game. You 're an ignorant 
 little — country girl.” There was a long pause 
 before, and a peculiar accent on the word coun- 
 try, as though the speaker might have substi- 
 tuted some other, which again frightened Bertie 
 into submission, as she hurried to put on her 
 wraps, and, taking the note, made the best of 
 her way to C Street. 
 
 The messenger had not long to wait. Several 
 boys, who no doubt preferred to consider them- 
 selves young men, were lounging up and down 
 
BOARDING-SCHOOL FUN. 
 
 77 
 
 the sidewalk, and to one of them she at once 
 presented the note. 
 
 “Hulloa!” said he, opening it. “ Here ’s a 
 lark! Who's A., I wonder? Oh, I know! the 
 damsel of the handkerchief, no doubt. I thought 
 she was a case when I looked at her. Your 
 friend ? " said he, looking at Bertie. 
 
 “Yes, sir," said the messenger, to whose 
 young country eyes he looked very grand and 
 grown-up, indeed. 
 
 “ Then you tell her that I won't do that 
 again ; but I ’ll be on the sidewalk in front of 
 the Institute, not the boarding-house, at a quar- 
 ter before nine, just when all the outside girls 
 are coming in." 
 
 Bertie departed with her message, quite over- 
 awed by the grown-up air, the dude collar, and 
 kid gloves, and too inexperienced to know that 
 they belonged to a young, silly, and rather 
 common boy. 
 
 “ All right," said Amelia, her eyes sparkling 
 with delight, as her friend delivered her mes- 
 sage. “Now we'll see sport." 
 
 “ I don't see the fun. Why should you want 
 to see anybody you don’t know ? " 
 
7 8 THREE YEARS AT G LEAWOOD. 
 
 “Mercy! you don’t know anything about 
 boarding-school life. I shouldn’t want to if I 
 was at home, where I can do just as I please ; 
 but it ’s such fun to break laws and circumvent 
 teachers. Mean old things ! What business 
 have they to make a prisoner of me ? I ’ll show 
 them they can’t do it, anyhow.” 
 
 “Suppose you should get caught?” suggested 
 her companion. 
 
 “ I ’ll risk that. They can’t kill me ; it 
 would n’t look well for the Institute. But look 
 here, Bertie, if you ever tell a living soul about 
 this thing I ’ll make it too hot for you to stay 
 here. You know what I ’ll do ? ” 
 
 “ What ? ” said the other, for a moment off her 
 guard. 
 
 “Tell everybody that you’re not only a 
 
 but also a •. Do you want me to say the 
 
 words ? ” 
 
 “No, no,” said Bertie, in great alarm. “You 
 can depend upon me ; I ’ll never tell, never.” 
 
 “I knew you would n’t. You ’re a real, good 
 girl, and I love you ever so much. Watch now, 
 and you ’ll see fun.” 
 
 Bertie did watch and at a quarter before nine 
 
BOA RDING-SCHOOL FUN. 
 
 79 
 
 the next morning saw Amelia Bascom, with her 
 hat on, go out of the Institute door and mingle 
 with the crowds of girls hurrying along in time 
 to avoid being marked tardy. She also saw the 
 same young man to whom she had given the 
 note, walk rapidly by, and, looking the other 
 way, run against a group of girls as if by acci- 
 dent. Then he turned, bowed, and apologized 
 to one of them, who happened to be Amelia, 
 managing at the same time to slip a thick white 
 envelope into her hand, and passed on as though 
 the whole incident had been an accidental one. 
 Amelia hurried to her department, which was 
 above Bertie's, and, seizing the first study hour, 
 opened the envelope, and under cover of her 
 desk-lid read page after page of sentimental 
 nonsense with great delight. 
 
 “Isn’t it a beautiful letter ?” she asked of 
 Bertie, to whom she showed the precious epis- 
 tle at recess. And of course the latter assented, 
 though, not being in the least sentimental, she 
 did not at all understand the expressions, and 
 failed to see the fun. 
 
So THREE YEARS AT CLENWOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SUNDAY VISITING. 
 
 ATIE ROBERTSON had at last found 
 a friend — not a very old one, nor yet a 
 very fascinating one ; but still some- 
 body whom she could love, and to whom she 
 could be kind, and of course she was much 
 happier in consequence. 
 
 Bertie’s cousin Lilian was a very different 
 sort of girl to either of her older sisters. She 
 was slight, pale, freckled, sickly, and fretful. 
 She had good natural abilities, and, having at- 
 tended school ever since she was old enough, had 
 managed to creep up to the department in 
 which Katie was entered, although two years 
 younger than the latter, in spite of the many 
 days and weeks which she had lost by her fre- 
 quent illnesses. She and Sophronia were on the 
 terms which, alas, sometimes exist between sis- 
 ters ; that is, the elder had her own way in al- 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 81 
 
 most everything, tyrannizing over her younger 
 sister, who in turn was cross and hateful, 
 while not daring to refuse to do the bidding of 
 the older and stronger girl. There were three 
 years between her and Sophronia, and four 
 between the latter and Augusta ; but Sophronia 
 always preferred to consider herself upon a level 
 with her elder sister and to treat her younger 
 one as a “baby.” Augusta was a good-natured 
 girl, and would have taken poor little Lilian’s 
 part and done more for her, but for the last 
 year her thoughts had been taken up with her 
 engagement and approaching marriage, and she 
 had little time to give to such small matters as 
 the concerns of school-girls. 
 
 Lilian was kept at home with one of her 
 many colds the first week of Katie’s entrance 
 into the school, and when she appeared in her 
 place, the latter could see nothing attractive 
 about her. But she soon began to experience 
 a fellow-feeling for the friendless little one, 
 whose sister neglected her more than ever, now 
 that she had her cousin for her companion; and 
 by degrees — she hardly knew how it came about 
 — she began to walk with her at recess and to 
 
82 THREE FEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 give her help in making up the back lessons 
 she so frequently lost. 
 
 Lilian became very fond of her new friend, 
 and there was one school-girl, at least, who 
 thought Katie Robertson was “ splendid.” The 
 intimacy continued when the latter was pro- 
 moted, and perhaps added another reason 
 why she found no friends in her new depart- 
 ment. 
 
 Lilian had often wished to have Katie come 
 and see her at her own home ; but, as we have 
 seen, the studious girl never went out except on 
 compulsion. And whenever she suggested that 
 it would be nice to have Katie come some Sun- 
 day, Sophronia vetoed the proposition by say- 
 ing, “ Who wants a prig?” 
 
 At length, however, Lilian went to her father, 
 with whom she was a prime favorite, and boldly 
 asked if she might invite Katie Robertson, 
 Bertie’s room-mate, to spend Sunday with them. 
 
 “ Certainly,” said Mr. Cleveland, a fat, good- 
 natured man, who liked to have everybody 
 round him enjoy themselves. “She’s the girl 
 who was so kind to your cousin when she was 
 sick, is n’t she ? I wonder your mother and 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 83 
 
 sisters have n't paid her some attention before 
 this. I always do pity those poor girls shut up 
 in a boarding-school.” 
 
 So the next Sunday, in answer to a note sent 
 to Miss Perry by Mr. Cleveland, Katie accom- 
 panied Bertie from church to her aunt's house. 
 She had hesitated a little about accepting the 
 invitation ; for Sunday visiting, except for pur- 
 poses of kindness and charity, had not been 
 the custom at Squantown, and had never been 
 thought right by her mother. But it was the 
 general custom at school. Every boarder who 
 could get an invitation for Sunday did so, and 
 the teachers always seemed to be glad to be re- 
 lieved of their charge on this weary day. For 
 it was a weary day, even to Katie Robertson. 
 She enjoyed, of course, the good sermons of Dr. 
 Peabody, her own quiet Bible reading and 
 prayer, and her letters to her mother ; but she 
 missed the dear home Sunday-school, and the 
 companionship of Tessa, and she was apt to 
 feel both lonely and homesick as twilight drew 
 on and she had no one to talk to. Bertie had 
 spoken in high terms of the good times they 
 had at her aunt’s and she knew that the family 
 
84 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 were all church members, and that the children 
 attended Sunday-school. 
 
 Bertie, who was very fond of her companion 
 in spite of her subjection to Amelia, and in 
 spite of the half-guilty feeling which kept her 
 from being very intimate with one so much 
 better than herself, was delighted to have a 
 chance of showing off the fine city house, which 
 was such a contrast to her own plain home at 
 Squantown. And Katie was indeed quite sur- 
 prised at the brilliant velvet carpets and gay, 
 showy furniture, much grander than any she 
 had ever seen, even at Mr. Mountjoy’s. And 
 yet her fine taste at once missed the delicate air 
 of culture and refinement which pervaded the 
 “ great house ” at home, and which Miss Eunice 
 had known so well how to utilize as a moral and 
 spiritual influence over her girls. 
 
 There were elegant, plush-covered chairs and 
 sofas in the drawing-room here, heavy brocatelle 
 curtains with deep, gilded cornices at the front 
 windows, with a long, narrow mirror resting on 
 a marble slab between them ; there were tall, 
 costly vases on the mantel-piece, and a hand- 
 some rosewood piano in the back room. But 
 
SUNDAY VISITING. 
 
 Ss 
 
 there were no pictures except two badly-colored 
 photograph portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland 
 and a brilliant chromo in a gaudy frame ; no 
 books except a large family Bible on a stand in 
 the corner ; no engravings, and none of the 
 countless little nick-nacks with which modern 
 taste covers tables and mantels, and which give 
 character and expression to a room. 
 
 The dinner was very good. All sorts of nice 
 things were on the table, to which our two 
 country girls, used of late to the monotonous 
 boarding-school fare, did ample justice. Great, 
 however, was Katie’s astonishment, when, as an 
 after-dinner treat, a decanter of wine was pro- 
 duced, Mr Cleveland filling glasses with it, and 
 passing them to the children as well as the 
 grown people. Never in her life had she seen 
 intoxicating liquor on any one’s table, and, 
 whether it was wine or whiskey, it seemed to her 
 indissolubly associated with bar-rooms, shanties, 
 drunken factory operatives, and the awful tra- 
 gedy which had so aroused Squantown and led 
 to the temperance movement there. 
 
 She looked at Bertie as the glass was placed 
 beside her, and saw that while her companion 
 
86 THREE YEARS AT GLEJV WOOD. 
 
 was evidently embarrassed, she said nothing; 
 neither did she put the glass to her lips as she 
 saw both her young cousins do. 
 
 Katie endeavored to follow her example, ai.i 
 not seem to be rude by refusing the offered 
 courtesy, but. she could not prevent her tell-tale 
 face from expressing its astonishment and hor- 
 ror, which so amused Mr. Peake, Augusta’s 
 fianct, who was also at table, that he burst into 
 a good-natured laugh, which added greatly to 
 her embarrassment. 
 
 “ Did you think it would bite ? ” said he, as 
 soon as he could speak. “You look as though 
 you thought it a wild beast.” 
 
 Katie thought of the Bible words, “ It biteth 
 like a serpent and stingeth like an adder ; ” but 
 she did not speak, though she felt conscience- 
 stricken as she remembered the pledge of the 
 Do-Good Society which she had signed, and in 
 which she had promised to use “ all her influ- 
 ence against liquor and tobacco.” She felt 
 that it was cowardly to sit there and say 
 nothing, but she could not find anything to say. 
 She knew she would be laughed at in that soci- 
 ety, and she had not moral courage to face a 
 
SUNDA Y VISITING . 87 
 
 laugh. Mr. Cleveland pitied her embarrass- 
 ment, and turned the conversation by saying, — 
 “ Whoever is going to Sunday-school will 
 
 have to hurry ; the bell has almost done ring- 
 
 * „ »> 
 m g. 
 
 " Don’t let ’s go, Bertie,” said Sophronia, as 
 her cousin rose really anxious to go, for her fit 
 of Sunday goodness was upon her, excited by 
 an uncommonly good sermon of Dr. Peabody’s. 
 “ Don’t let ’s go. I ’ve got something to show you 
 in my room — the loveliest story,” she said in a 
 lower tone, which however was heard by Katie. 
 “We ’ll just have time to read it together, and 
 the book will have to go back to the library to- 
 morrow.” Bertie looked a little irresolute, but 
 as usual, yielded to the stronger influence, and 
 went upstairs with her cousin. 
 
 “ You ’re surely not going to immolate yourself 
 in that crowded Sunday-school room,” said Mr. 
 Peake, as Augusta also rose from the table. 
 
 “My class will expect me,” she said, “1 have 
 not provided a substitute.” 
 
 “Then they’ll have to expect, or the school 
 will have to provide one. Do you think I am 
 going to spare you to a set of infants this whole 
 
88 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 Sunday afternoon ? Come into the parlor now, 
 and make yourself agreeable. I need somebody 
 to teach me, and I’m of a great deal more con- 
 sequence than all the infants,” and of course 
 the young lady obeyed and followed him into 
 the drawing-room. 
 
 “ Come, Lilian, hurry, ” said her mother, 
 “you’ll be late.” 
 
 “ I don’t see why I need go if Sophie don’t,” 
 said the child fretfully, “besides I want to go to 
 ride.” 
 
 “ There ’ll be plenty of time for both, puss,” 
 said her father kindly. “ I am sure your friend 
 here will like to see our model Sunday-school, 
 and I ’ll stop for you both at the door, as soon 
 as the exercises are over.” 
 
 “ Would you like to go, Katie ? ” said the little 
 girl, with an entire change of tone. 
 
 “ Of course I should. I have n’t been inside a 
 city Sunday-school yet.” 
 
 “Of course I ’ll go then,” said Lily, and ran 
 away to get her hat. 
 
 Katie Robertson was used to the extremely 
 pretty Gothic Sunday-school room at Squan- 
 town. She had imagined that nothing could be 
 
SUNDAY VISITING 
 
 89 
 
 grander or more beautiful, but she was lost in 
 astonishment when she entered the immense 
 rotunda, capable of seating three thousand, filled 
 to almost its utmost capacity with children, 
 teachers and visitors. There was a fountain in 
 the centre, whose cool waters plashed down 
 upon bright yellow pebbles, surrounded with a 
 fringe of flowering green-house plants, and re- 
 flected in a thousand prismatic rays the colored 
 glass, of which the roof was almost entirely 
 composed. The classes were arranged around 
 the fountain in radiating lines, as far as a semi- 
 circular row of columns, between which were 
 fastened sliding doors, which, when they were 
 closed, formed a row of little rooms or chapels, 
 in each of which was gathered a Bible Class of 
 older boys and girls. Above this ran a gallery, 
 in which were seats for visitors, multitudes of 
 whom always attended the sessions of this 
 model school. Across the other side of the 
 building ran a broad platform, where the super- 
 intendent and officers sat, where the organ was 
 situated, and where gentlemen stood when they 
 addressed the school. Back of this were great 
 sliding doors, which, when opened, disclosed the 
 
90 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 Infant and Primary Classes, several hundreds of 
 small children being arranged on low seats. 
 
 Nothing could equal the order and regularity 
 with which the school exercises were conducted, 
 the unanimity of the Scripture reading, the heart- 
 iness of the responses and the readiness with 
 which a few general questions upon the lesson 
 were answered. But when the classes were left 
 to their teachers, the young visitor experienced a 
 sense of disappointment, and sighed in vain for 
 the spiritual lessons of her first teacher and the 
 thorough preparation of Miss Etta. The young 
 lady to whose class she had accompanied Lilian, 
 got through the lesson as rapidly as possible by 
 asking the printed questions, and supplying the 
 answers when any one hesitated. Then she 
 turned to the young lady teacher next to her, 
 and commenced a lively conversation concern- 
 ing dress, and the parties of the week past or 
 to come, in which, it is not to be wondered 
 at, the girls of both classes took a deep inter- 
 est, finding it much more exciting than the dry, 
 formal lesson. The advent of the librarian with 
 the “books,” put an end to this, and then came 
 the closing exercises, after which the vast mul- 
 
SUNDAY VISITING, 
 
 9 1 
 
 titude of little folks, filed in an orderly manner, 
 out of the eight doors, and in a few minutes, 
 without noise or confusion, the great building 
 was emptied. 
 
 It must not be supposed that all the classes 
 in the Sunday-school were taught by the same 
 kind of teachers as Lilian’s and the one next 
 to it. There were many earnest, hard-working 
 Christians among them. Good teachers’-meet- 
 ings and plenty of “ helps ” were provided ; and 
 all, had they chosen to avail themselves of their 
 privileges, might have been well prepared to 
 teach, elucidate, and enforce the sacred lessons 
 of God’s holy Word. But in all our fashionable 
 Sunday-schools, as, alas ! in our fashionable 
 churches, there is a class of young people who 
 take their places there because it is “ the thing ” 
 to do, and are not a whit the less worldly than 
 their companions who stand professedly on 
 the outside. Perhaps there have been times 
 when the longing to live a Christ-like life burned 
 strongly in their souls, and they even felt a de- 
 sire to tell unto others the wonderful story of 
 the Cross ; but the world had too strong a 
 hold upon them ; the pleasures and cares so 
 
92 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 fascinating and so absorbing in a city life have 
 choked the good seed, rendering it, for the time, 
 unfruitful, and, while having a name to live, 
 they are, to all appearances, dead. 
 
 At the door of the Sunday-school, Katie and 
 Lilian found a great sleigh piled up with furs 
 and drawn by two splendid horses, which, as 
 Mr. Cleveland was a grocer, on week days drew 
 the provision-carts from door to door. Lilian’s 
 father held the reins, and in the sleigh were 
 already her three sisters, Bertie, and Mr. Peake. 
 
 “Stow yourselves in, little girls,” said Mr. 
 Cleveland good-naturedly, “only make haste, 
 for the afternoon is rapidly passing away.” 
 
 “ It is n’t far to walk,” said Katie, supposing 
 they were only going home ; “ not nearly so 
 far as we always walk at Squantown.” 
 
 “ You ’d be greatly tired to walk where we are 
 going, little Puritan,” said Mr. Peake. “Wait 
 till you see.” 
 
 And then the big horses began to prance, and 
 they dashed up the avenue through miles and 
 miles of gay parties on foot, on horseback, in car- 
 riages, and in sleighs. Such elegant equipages, 
 so much fine dress, such bustle, glitter, and gai- 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 93 
 
 ety Katie Robertson had never seen in her life, 
 and when at the end of the long street they 
 entered the park, she was still more aston- 
 ished, and could hardly believe it was Sunday. 
 Hundreds of merry skaters wheeled and flew 
 over the ice in the pond, hundreds of people 
 promenaded over the terraces, and hundreds 
 more kept constantly entering the doors of a 
 gaily-decorated building, where, in their turn, 
 our party alighted, and going into a well-lighted 
 hall, took such seats as they could find, and lis- 
 tened, with the rest of the crowds, to the gay 
 and inspiriting tones of a multitude of musical 
 instruments. 
 
 Katie had at first supposed that they were 
 going to some kind of a church service, but the 
 music was unfamiliar in its nature ; and pres- 
 ently, in answer to a puzzling question, Lilian 
 said, — 
 
 “Oh, it’s only a concert. In summer they 
 always had it in the open air ; but since the cold 
 weather came on, the music-stand has been 
 moved into the Casino/' 
 
 “ But do they always have it on Sunday ? ” 
 
 “ Now they do. It used to be on Satur- 
 
94 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 day afternoon ; but there were a good many 
 people who could not come then, and last sum- 
 mer they tried changing it to Sunday. Mr. 
 Peake says it 's a very successful experiment, 
 and can never be changed back again now.” 
 
 “I think it’s perfectly awful,” said Katie. 
 “It’s just Sabbath-breaking. I wish I hadn’t 
 come.” 
 
 “ Well, we ’re going home now ; the music is 
 over, and it ’s most dark ; we were very late to- 
 day, anyway.” The party were then again 
 packed into the sleigh, which took its place in 
 the procession of gay equipages, dashing rapidly 
 back to the city. 
 
 “ What a gain we have made upon the old 
 Puritanic times,” said Mr. Peake. “ I wonder 
 the Pilgrim Fathers don’t turn over in their 
 graves ; but we ’ve beat the Sabbath anyhow. 
 As if there could be any sin in a pleasant 
 drive and a little fine music on Sunday after- 
 noons.” 
 
 “I can’t see any harm,” said Mr. Cleveland; 
 “ at any rate I could n’t drive any other day, and 
 I suppose there are many other people situated 
 in the same way. I would not interfere with 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 95 
 
 any one else's conscience, but I always hate to 
 see Sunday made cold and forbidding, or reli- 
 gion held up as a bugbear.” 
 
 “Yes,” said Mr. Peake, “fanatics have no 
 right to take away the workingman's only holi- 
 day, and the sooner a religion that ‘ grinds the 
 face of the poor’ is abolished, the better.” 
 
 “ Stop, Eustace,” said Augusta; “you've too 
 many listeners for that sort of talk ; ” and the 
 two fell into a colloquy of too low a tone for the 
 little girls in the back seat to hear. 
 
 “ Do you think it 's wrong to go riding and to 
 listen to music on Sunday ? ” said Lilian, turn- 
 ing to Katie. 
 
 “ I always thought it was wrong to do any- 
 thing except go to church and Sunday-school, 
 and to read good books and the Bible. But 
 your father 's very kind to take me, and what he 
 said sounded right. I really don’t know what 
 to think.” 
 
 “ I thought it wrong, too, in Squantown,” said 
 Bertie, “ but it seems right here. Uncle Oscar 
 is a church member, and Augusta and Sophro- 
 nia ; they would n't all do what 's wrong.” 
 
 “ I wish,” said Lilian, and then she hesitated 
 
9 6 THREE YEARS A T GLENWOOD. 
 
 and changed her sentence to — “ How is it, 
 Katie, that you always want to know what ’s 
 right instead of what ’s pleasant ? ” 
 
 “I want to please the Lord Jesus who has 
 done so much for me. Don’t you ? ” 
 
 “ I don’t know. I have n’t thought much 
 about it, — at least not till quite lately.” 
 
 By this time it was quite dark, and they had 
 reached the house, where another luxurious 
 meal called by Mr. Cleveland “ supper ” (a piece 
 of vulgarity of which his daughters could never 
 break him) awaited them. There was cold ham 
 and tongue and stewed oysters and hot biscuits 
 and preserves and honey and varieties of cake. 
 Mr. Cleveland always said that if a grocer’s 
 family should n’t have good things he did n’t 
 know who should ; and Sunday was in his house 
 a special day of feasting. Katie could not help 
 remembering the wording of the commandment, 
 and wondering how the “ maid-servant ” was to 
 keep it who had so much cooking to do and so 
 many dishes to wash upon the Sabbath day. 
 
 The bells rang for evening church before 
 they had all left the tea-table, but no one 
 showed any inclination to go. Augusta said 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 97 
 
 she was “ tired to death,” and threw herself 
 upon the sofa, where Mr. Peake fanned her. 
 Poor over-worked Aunt Cleveland, who spent all 
 her week-day time and strength in ruffling the 
 girls’ skirts and trimming their dresses, took 
 the only rest she allowed herself through the 
 week by falling asleep in a big easy chair, 
 while her husband followed her example in 
 another. 
 
 The four younger girls sat together and 
 talked a little, but they had all eaten too much 
 supper, and the ride in the cold air had made 
 them sleepy, and no one was sorry when Mr. 
 Peake, looking at his watch, said, — 
 
 “Now, you unfortunate young prisoners, I 
 suppose you will get a taste of jail discipline if 
 I don’t carry you home immediately.” 
 
 “Didn’t we have a lovely time?” said Bertie, 
 when the girls were alone in their own room. 
 “Was n’t everything just splendid.” 
 
 “ The dinner and tea were beautiful, and the 
 furniture and carpets, and it was very kind in 
 your uncle and aunt to invite me,” said Katie, 
 trying to think of all the pleasant things to say 
 that she possibly could. 
 
9 § THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 “ But did n’t you have a splendid time ? ” 
 
 “ No, I can’t say that I did,” said Katie 
 slowly. “ It don’t seem right to spend Sunday 
 just that way.” 
 
 “Well, you are a queer girl,” said Bertie, 
 much offended, and nothing more was said. 
 
 Katie Robertson was very much dissatisfied 
 with herself that evening as she knelt for her 
 evening prayer. Her spirits were not in tune ; 
 instead of the words she wanted to say, memo- 
 ries of the gay sleighing parties ran through 
 her mind, and questions as to whether Bertie’s 
 uncle and Mr. Peake were right in what they 
 had said about Sunday pleasure. She felt, too, 
 as though she had been cowardly in not assert- 
 ing her principles upon the wine question, and 
 in not refusing to go to ride when she felt it to 
 be wrong. Most of all she missed the influ- 
 ence of her usual time of quiet Bible reading 
 and prayer, in which she had been wont to lay 
 down all the week’s cares at the feet of Him 
 who “ careth for us,” and to gather up strength 
 for the coming week’s duties and responsibili- 
 ties. 
 
 Thinking the matter quietly over before she 
 
SUNDAY VISITING . 
 
 99 
 
 went to sleep, Katie decided, once for all, that, 
 in spite of the agreeable change from boarding- 
 school fare, and in spite of her lonely Sunday 
 afternoons, she would not again accompany 
 Bertie to her cousin’s, as she had been asked to 
 do “ whenever she felt like it.” 
 
 Having made this decision and asked forgive- 
 ness for all that had been amiss through the 
 day, our little Christian found it easier to pray, 
 and was soon soundly and quietly asleep. 
 
IOO THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 
 
 HE long spring days had come. There 
 was more light now, and, for those who 
 desired so to use it, more time to study. 
 Katie Robertson, though feeling the spring lan- 
 guor, threw herself into her work with renewed 
 energy, and had no time to feel lonely. She 
 had passed her second examination, and secured 
 her second promotion the first of March. One 
 quarter more of steady effort would bring her 
 into the same class with Sophronia and Helen 
 Lome, and she bent all her energies to the 
 task, at no matter what cost. She was not 
 really doing herself justice now, for though 
 she never failed to have perfect recitations 
 and her deportment marks were unvarying, she 
 often completely failed to grasp a subject com- 
 prehensively, and her perfect answers became 
 things of rote. Worse still, the constant ner- 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. IOC 
 
 vous strain began to tell upon her temper. She 
 lost some of her usual bright, happy spirit, and 
 became cross and snappish towards the girls 
 with whom she came in contact. 
 
 Lilian still continued Katie’s warm admirer 
 and faithful friend. She sought her at recess, 
 and when she could succeed in drawing her from 
 her books for a few moments in the garden or 
 hall, she was exceedingly happy. Lilian always 
 brought her “ lunch” to school. It generally 
 consisted of rich cake and other delicacies, a 
 generous portion of which was often pressed 
 upon Katie, who found it a great improvement 
 upon the plain but good boarding-school fare. 
 Occasionally, also, the little girl, who went and 
 came as she chose, unquestioned by any one at 
 home, would come round to the boarding-house 
 late in the afternoon, and insist upon her friend’s 
 taking a walk with her, on which occasions the 
 country girl had become somewhat familiar with 
 the great city of which she was at present a 
 resident. On several occasions she had gone 
 home with Lily, and one Saturday evening she 
 had been invited to tea, and been treated with 
 the usual lavish hospitality by the grocer and 
 
102 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 his wife, with good-natured indulgence by Au- 
 gusta, and haughty rudeness by Sophronia ; but 
 she had never accepted another Sunday invi- 
 tation. 
 
 Sophronia Cleveland was one of those exceed- 
 ingly silly girls who think that the possession 
 of a certain amount of money, or the holding of 
 a certain position in society, makes a person 
 better, and she was always trying to become ac- 
 quainted with what she called “ genteel girls,” 
 like Helen Lome, or else with those who, having 
 a great deal of money to waste, became by its 
 use very popular among their companions. She 
 was not a great favorite among such girls, in 
 spite of the faultless dresses which she insisted 
 her mother should provide for both herself and 
 Lilian. She was in constant terror lest the girls 
 whose fathers were bankers and produce-dealers 
 should discover that her father was a retail gro- 
 cer, and she should thus sink lower in the social 
 scale. She was heartily ashamed of the fact 
 that Bertie had worked in the Squantown Paper 
 Mill, and would have been glad to ignore her 
 acquaintance had that been possible. But as 
 the country girl was her own cousin, she could 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 103 
 
 not very well do that, so she did what seemed 
 to her the next best thing, that is, to keep the 
 terrible fact from the knowledge of the girls, 
 if it could be done. As a step in this direction 
 she never noticed Katie, whose connection with 
 Bertie might so easily reveal the secret. On 
 the contrary, she hinted, to those who would 
 listen, how unfortunate it was for her cousin to 
 be forced to room with one whom she would 
 never have associated with at home ; a girl who 
 was educated by charity, and about whose past 
 there was something — though she did not say 
 what — extremely disgraceful. It was in part 
 owing to these somewhat undefined hints, that 
 Katie found herself a subject of such marked 
 avoidance. Had the girls been a little older and 
 wiser they would have seen that our delicate, 
 lady-like little Katie was greatly the superior — 
 even in the social scale — of the rough Bertie 
 Sanderson and the pretentious Sophronia Cleve- 
 land. And perhaps, had they been told directly 
 that the “ disgraceful ” thing was simply work- 
 ing in a paper mill, they would not have seen 
 anything so very disgraceful in it. As it was, 
 however, they magnified the mystery into some- 
 
104 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 thing very awful, and this feeling, added to 
 Katie’s own absorption in her work, left her 
 almost without friends. 
 
 But Lilian's devotion was unbounded. Her 
 new friend was, as she told her old ones, “ per- 
 fectly lovely." She looked up to her with the re- 
 spect of a little girl for a “big” one, and fought 
 many a battle with her sister, on behalf of her 
 friend. Lilian had another reason for seeking 
 Katie’s acquaintance, which as yet she had been 
 too bashful to express. In her many days of 
 sickness and loneliness, the Holy Spirit had 
 touched the little girl’s heart. She felt that she 
 needed something that she did not have, to 
 make her good and happy here, and to fit her 
 for that early death which she sometimes 
 thought to be very probable. And that some- 
 thing, she instinctively felt, Katie Robertson 
 had. She knew that Augusta and Sophronia 
 did not have it, although more than a year ago 
 they had stood before the church and confessed 
 themselves followers of their Saviour. She had 
 seen no difference in their lives ; they cared as 
 much as ever for dress and worldly amusements, 
 and while the oldest sister was, as she always 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 
 
 105 
 
 had been, good-natured and kind to the little 
 one, Sophronia was even more cross and disa- 
 greeable, and the poor child felt that she could 
 get no help or sympathy from hen 
 
 With regard to Augusta, Lilian made a mis- 
 take. There had been a time when the girl's 
 heart was very tender ; when, under the influ- 
 ence of the earnest preaching of the young 
 pastor, of whom Bertie had spoken in her let- 
 ter, she had resolved to give up the world, 
 and live for Him who had given his life for 
 hen Under the influence of these feelings 
 she had joined the church, and persuaded her 
 younger sister to do so at about the same time 
 that all the girls in Miss Etta Mountjoy’s Sun- 
 day-school class had taken the same step at 
 Squantown. 
 
 But she “ went into society ” soon after that, 
 and found its parties, and dress, and excitements 
 very fascinating. And then she was engaged to 
 Mr. Peake, and he, being one of the young men 
 of the day who think it manly and superior to say 
 flippant things about religion, soon put Augus- 
 ta’s transient “ goodness" to flight. It may be 
 that the good seed still lay dormant in her 
 
10 6 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOGD. 
 
 heart, waiting for better influences to cause it to 
 germinate and bring forth fruit ; but for the 
 present it was to all appearances dead, buried 
 under the cares and pleasures and concerns of 
 this world. As to Sophronia, she had never 
 known any religious convictions at all. She had 
 been carried along by the general tide of feeling 
 around her, — her sisters influence, and the fact 
 that many of the most wealthy and aristocratic 
 girls of the church and Sunday-school were 
 going to “ join the church ” at the same time. 
 No one offered any opposition when she an- 
 nounced her purpose of being one of them, and 
 somehow, among so many, she escaped any 
 very special examination as to her fitness for 
 so solemn a step. She came forward with the 
 rest, felt a passing sense of importance as she 
 stood before so many approving eyes, and then 
 went back to school and her daily life, the same 
 worldly, self-seeking girl as ever — the incident 
 of Sunday making scarcely a ripple upon the 
 smoothly-flowing current. Of how many of the 
 young people of our Sunday-schools, who are 
 “ taken into the church ” in great numbers at 
 times of general religious interest, is the spi- 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 
 
 107 
 
 ritual history of Augusta and Sophronia an 
 exact counterpart ? 
 
 But Lilian had seen enough of Bertie during 
 her former visit to know that her repentance 
 was genuine, and to feel, young as she was, that 
 the mysterious something, which we know is the 
 influence of the blessed Holy Spirit, was at 
 work in her cousin’s heart. All the months 
 which had intervened she had been feeling 
 her own way along ; sometimes careless and 
 thoughtless, but sometimes realizing that the 
 fretfulness and crossness for which she was 
 constantly reproved, and the flashes of anger 
 with which she received her sister’s snubbing, 
 were sinful. Sometimes she struggled very 
 hard to be better ; but she somehow never made 
 any progress, and before long became com- 
 pletely disgusted with herself, as every one 
 will be who attempts to be good in her own 
 strength. 
 
 When Lilian heard that Bertie Sanderson was 
 coming to the same school as herself, she was 
 full of hope, and thought that she should learn 
 from her cousin the secret she so much desired 
 to know. But, alas! Bertie at once devoted 
 
108 THREE YEARS AT GLENJVOOD. 
 
 herself to Sophronia, who was about her own 
 age, and took very little notice of “ the baby,” 
 as pale, under-sized little Lilian was often called 
 in her own home. It was not long, however, 
 before she saw that to Katie Robertson religion 
 was a reality ; that Katie really did endeavor to 
 be faithful to all her duties, to please God in 
 little things, and in all her ways to acknowledge 
 Him ; and she felt that Katie might be able to 
 give her the help she so much desired. There- 
 fore she clung to her and watched her, and tried, 
 in spite of that causeless yet real shrinking, 
 which we all feel from telling any one when we 
 are first thinking about sacred things, to bring 
 herself to the point of asking her companion 
 the old question, “ What must I do to be 
 saved ? ” 
 
 One day Lilian felt unusually brave. She 
 saw Katie sitting at her desk at recess, and she 
 went to her and said, — 
 
 " Come and walk ; I have something very par- 
 ticular I want to ask you about/' The color 
 flashed to her usually pale cheeks as she did so, 
 and she trembled from head to foot. It may 
 seem to us a very little matter, but the success- 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 109 
 
 ful effort to say as much as that had cost the 
 timid little girl more than many a greater self- 
 sacrifice of witnessing has cost the martyrs. 
 
 But Katie was quite unconscious of the 
 struggle. She did not see the scarlet cheeks or 
 the tear-dimmed eyes, nor did she catch the 
 nervous quiver of the plaintive voice. She 
 never looked up from the paper upon which she 
 was steadily writing, as she said : 
 
 “I can’t come, Lily, I really can’t You’ll 
 have to find some one else to walk with to-day, 
 I’m so busy I can’t spare a single minute;” and 
 if it had not been for her uniform habits of 
 sweetness and gentleness, she might have ut- 
 tered an impatient exclamation about the “ tire- 
 some little thing,” who still leaned wistfully 
 upon the back of her chair. 
 
 Instead she went quietly on with her writing, 
 and by and by Lilian walked slowly away, swal- 
 lowing her disappointed tears as best she could, 
 and it was a long time before she again screwed 
 up her courage to talk to any one about re- 
 ligion. 
 
 And what was it that so engrossed our Katie 
 as to make her quite forget to be Christ-like, 
 
IIO THREE YEARS AT GLEATVOOD. 
 
 and to throw away the opportunity which He 
 brought to her of doing direct work for Him ? 
 
 There was to be an “ entertainment ” given 
 by several of the intermediate departments. 
 Such things were common at Glenwood, and 
 their uniform success added greatly to the repu- 
 tation and popularity of the school. It was to 
 be a dialogue in character and costume. The 
 main part had been written by one of the 
 teachers who was clever with her pen, but it 
 was to close with a little poem, written by the 
 girl who delivered it, and of course the writer of 
 the poem would receive great admiration and 
 applause. For this honor Katie was making 
 strenuous efforts. She had already distin- 
 guished herself by several little attempts at ver- 
 sification, two of which had been read in the 
 chapel before the whole assembled school on 
 Friday afternoons. She was determined to suc- 
 ceed now, and she had utilized every hour that 
 could be spared from her other duties to write 
 and re-write her verses and to polish them to 
 the utmost degree of which she was capable. 
 She was now making the last fair copy which 
 she expected to hand in to the composition 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. Ill 
 
 teacher, in whose hands lay the decision, imme- 
 diately after recess. There was no harm in 
 what she was doing. It was, indeed, simple com- 
 pliance with the wishes of those who were in 
 authority over her ; but Katie’s motives of 
 action were somehow becoming complicated. 
 She was ceasing to act with an eye single to 
 God’s glory. Her ambition was tinged with some 
 thoughts of herself and her own honor, and the 
 tempter made use of these mixed motives to 
 turn her attention from the opportunities her 
 Saviour gave her of doing self-denying work for 
 Him. 
 
 The poem was accepted and commended. 
 The parts were given out, and for a week or 
 two there were constant rehearsals and a great 
 deal of time spent in arranging costumes and 
 planning postures and details. For emblems 
 to denote the different characters, the labora- 
 tory and museum were laid under contribution, 
 while the mothers of the day-scholars provided 
 what they thought suitable dresses. Fortu- 
 nately a perfectly simple white dress, with the 
 addition of a white wreath loaned by one of the 
 other boarders, was the most suitable costume 
 
1 12 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 for the part which Katie was to take, and this 
 the wardrobe supplied by her uncle’s liberality 
 afforded. Lilian, on account of her exceedingly 
 diminutive size which made her appear much 
 younger than she really was, was selected as 
 the principal character, and the constant study 
 of her part, with the frequent rehearsals and 
 continual flutter of anticipation, effectually put 
 an end, for the present, to the little girl’s reli- 
 gious anxieties. Katie was greatly elated with 
 her triumph, but had she known at what cost it 
 was won, she might well have heard a still, 
 small voice, saying in her ear, — 
 
 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain 
 the whole world, and lose his own or his neigh- 
 bor’s soul ? 
 
 On the appointed evening the chapel of the 
 Institute, brilliantly lighted and adorned with 
 flowers, was filled with a crowd of well-dressed 
 mammas and papas and other friends who were 
 all delighted to see their children act, and who, 
 by constant rounds of applause, added the intoxi- 
 cants of flattery to the other dangerous influ- 
 ences of the occasion. Thirty-five of the girls 
 took part, Lilian personating the Little Scho - 
 
A WASTED OPPORTUNITY. 113 
 
 lav and Katie Robertson Religion who came 
 in at the close. Bertie, who very much desired 
 to take part, was declared to be too big — pos- 
 sibly the teacher in charge doubted her powers 
 of committing the part to memory. Sophronia 
 scornfully declined to have anything to do with 
 “the baby show/’ but sat with her friends 
 among the audience. 
 
114 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. 
 
 m 
 
 HE platform of the chapel had been 
 somewhat enlarged and covered with a 
 bright carpet. In the centre of it was 
 a chair, against which Lilian was discovered in 
 a very short dress, holding a hoop in one hand, 
 and with the other pressing a doll to her bosom. 
 Speaking to herself, she said, — 
 
 “ Oh dear ! I ’ve got to be educated. I don’t 
 know what that means, but I am afraid it won’t 
 be half as pleasant as playing with my doll and 
 rolling my hoop have been.” 
 
 A grave-looking figure in a long dressing- 
 gown, wearing spectacles and carrying a pile of 
 books, here entered, and the Little Scholar con- 
 tinued : 
 
 “ What a queer-looking person that is. Pray, 
 who are you ? ” 
 
 Figure (advancing from right and offering 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION 1 15 
 
 books). — “ My name is Reading. I am to be 
 your constant companion in the future. Without 
 knowing me you could know nothing of what 
 has happened in the past, or is now going on in 
 the world. You would grow up to be an igno- 
 rant dunce.” 
 
 Little Scholar . — “ I don’t want to be that, of 
 course ; but I don’t like your looks much. I hope 
 you will leave me alone sometimes ” (turning to 
 the left to greet a figure wrapped in a great map 
 and carrying a globe, while Reading fell back, 
 and stood still). “ What ’s your name ? ” 
 
 “ I am a great traveller. I can tell you about 
 all the countries in the world, what grows in 
 them, how the people live, what they do, and 
 how they dress. I received my education from 
 an old philosopher named Thales, of Miletus, 
 more than two thousand years ago. I am called 
 Geography , from two Greek words, which mean 
 the earth and to write.” 
 
 “ I am sure I shall like you, and to hear all 
 you have to tell about the countries and the 
 people, but I hope you don’t always use such 
 long words as Geo-graphy and Phi-los-opher ; it 
 makes my mouth ache to say them.” 
 
il6 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 While Lilian was repeating these words, a 
 procession of girls advanced from the other 
 side, dressed in the distinctive costumes of 
 France, Italy, Hindostan, Persia, etc. At their 
 head walked one with the word Language em- 
 broidered upon a sash passed across her chest. 
 
 Language . — “ While you learn about all these 
 countries, you will want to understand their 
 speech. These, my handmaidens, will teach you 
 to do so. This ” (drawing forwards a dark girl 
 in Oriental dress) “ is Hebrew , the language in 
 which the Bible was written. This 99 (pointing 
 to a girl dressed as nearly like a statue as pos- 
 sible) “is ancient Greek , spoken by the men 
 who first developed art and literature, and this 99 
 (indicating another, wrapped in a flowing white 
 sheet to represent a Roman toga, and bearing a 
 rod surmounted with a gilt eagle) “ is Latin , the 
 tongue of the brave Roman conquerors of the 
 world. These ” (pointing out each in its turn) 
 “ are French , German > Spanish, Italian , Swedish , 
 Danish , Russian , and Portuguese , all spoken at 
 the present day, and therefore all called living 
 languages.” 
 
 Great care had been taken in studying up the 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. II 7 
 
 national costumes of these different countries, 
 and as one after another of the girls came for- 
 ward and then, retiring, formed part of a pret- 
 tily-arranged tableau at the extremity of the 
 platform, the effect was very striking, and was 
 greeted by a round of applause, during which 
 there came from the other side a quaint figure, 
 dressed like a traditional school-mistress, with a 
 high cap, a little shawl pinned across her bosom, 
 spectacles, and a chart on which were printed 
 in large letters the different parts of speech. 
 She said, in measured tones : 
 
 “You cannot study all these languages, or 
 even speak your own correctly, unless you make 
 my acquaintance. I, Gramviar , with my pha- 
 lanx of Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Prepositions, 
 Conjunctions, Interjections, Articles, and Par- 
 ticiples, will show you how all the sentences 
 are put together, and what it is right to say and 
 what not.” 
 
 At the name of each part of speech, a very little 
 girl, dressed in white exactly like her compan- 
 ions, and holding up a gilded scroll upon which 
 the words were inscribed, came forward, bowed, 
 and retired to the other side of the platform, 
 
il8 THREE YEARS AT GLENlVOOD. 
 
 where a tableau, similar to that of the lan- 
 guages, was formed. 
 
 And now came a small girl, carrying a dic- 
 tionary so big that her arms could scarcely 
 embrace it, and saying, — 
 
 “ And I, Spelling , will teach you to spell the 
 words, for though it is no honor to spell well, it 
 is a great disgrace not to do so. I will furnish 
 you with a code of rules and a whole library of 
 lexicons.” 
 
 While a laugh at the big words in the little 
 mouth was going on, and the speaker was drop- 
 ping the big book and making a seat of it, 
 another girl came in, dressed like an Arab, 
 with a long, white beard, a white mantle 
 covered with black digits, and a turban 
 from which depended a big 9 in place of a 
 tassel. 
 
 The little scholar gazed at this figure, and 
 said, — 
 
 “Upon my word, you’re a comical old fellow! 
 What have you to say for yourself ? ” 
 
 Arithmetic . — “I come from the spicy coun- 
 try of Arabia, though some people say I was 
 born in Egypt, on the sacred shores of the Nile, 
 
COMMENCING AN ED DC A TION. 1 1 9 
 
 among the mummies and the crocodiles. I rule 
 the world nowadays. Without my aid no one 
 could make money or spend it. I have in my 
 service nine crooked little elves, called digits” 
 (pointing to the figures scrawled upon the 
 mantle), “who will play all manner of curious 
 pranks for you, and sometimes make your head 
 ache, I am afraid/' 
 
 “I shan't have anything to do with you or 
 your elves,” exclaimed Lilian, “ for I have heard 
 that — 
 
 “ 6 Multiplication is vexation, 
 
 Division is as bad, 
 
 The rule of three doth puzzle me, 
 
 And fractions drive me mad.* ” 
 
 “Allow me, then, to introduce you to my 
 mathematical cousins ” — two girls dressed like 
 old sages in long black gowns, and carrying 
 trigonometrical and other mathematical instru- 
 ments. 
 
 “ Indeed, you will have a good deal to do with 
 me, my brother, and my cousin,” said one, 
 while the other stooped down and traced circles, 
 squares, and triangles on the carpet with a 
 piece of chalk. “ We are the most abstruse 
 
120 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 of your new friends, and yet are of the most 
 universal application. Behold our mysteries.” 
 
 “And, pray, of what use are all those lines 
 and corners ? ” 
 
 “ They are of great use to me,” said an ad- 
 vancing figure, a tall girl dressed in silver 
 gauze, with a crown of stars and a sceptre 
 crowned with a crescent moon. “ I, Astronomy , 
 am the oldest of the sciences. No one knows 
 when or where I was born. I walked with 
 the patriarchs before the flood. I talked with 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob during the long, 
 solemn night-time concerning the wonderful 
 power of God. I can tell you the names of 
 all the stars ; can point out to you the Dipper 
 and Orion, the Great Bear and the Pleiades. 
 With the assistance of these, my mathematical 
 companions, I will show you how to calculate 
 eclipses, how to weigh the sun, how to de- 
 termine the parallax, how — ” 
 
 “ Oh, for mercy’s sake, stop ! ” exclaimed 
 Lilian, putting her hands to her ears. “You’re 
 quite awful ! ” and, at the same moment, she 
 turned with an expression of delighted surprise 
 to where nine girls, as nearly the same size as 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. 121 
 
 possible, dressed in blue and white gymnasium 
 suits, stood grouped in regular order, and said : 
 “ I lik z your looks. Who are you ? ” 
 
 “I am called,” said the leader, facing about, 
 “by a very long name, — Cal-is-then-ics ; but 
 you can’t help liking me in spite of that. I will 
 teach you to move your arms thus ” (raising her 
 own, and being imitated by the others), “your 
 head, your eyes, your feet, your waist, and your 
 fingers.” At each motion the whole class went 
 through an appropriate series of free gymnastic 
 exercises. “ Under my direction you will learn 
 to jump and run, to skip and climb, while you 
 daily grow stronger and more beautiful.” 
 
 “Oh, that’s awfully jolly! Let’s go and 
 have a race at once.” 
 
 “Not quite so fast,” said a figure advancing 
 from the other side in the dress of an Eastern 
 scribe, with an inkstand fastened in the belt, an 
 immense quill behind its ear, and a copy-book in 
 its fingers. “Not quite so fast. You must sit 
 still and tire your arms first before you rest 
 them ; your limbs must be a little cramped be- 
 fore they will need stretching. Look at me. I 
 am the greatest power in the world. Unless 
 
122 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 you arc familiar with me you can never in- 
 fluence others, or communicate to those at a 
 distance the things which you have learned. 
 But with my aid you may speak to the men of 
 unborn ages.” 
 
 “ And with my aid,” said an advancing figure 
 with a broad rolling collar, a little flat velvet cap, 
 and carrying an easel, a palette, colors, brushes, 
 chalks, pencils, and papers, — “ with my aid you 
 can do still more wonderful things. I will make 
 you pictures of trees and mountains, and lakes 
 and rivers. Beautiful ladies will smile at you 
 from my canvas, and here you may study the 
 occurrences of the past, the present, and the fu- 
 ture. I will also show you what my dear sons, 
 the painters, have done — • Michael Angelo, Ra- 
 phael, Rubens, and all the rest, till your heart 
 will burn within you, and you will say with one 
 of them, ‘ I, too, am a painter.' ” 
 
 “ I know I shall like you the best of all my 
 new friends. I shall never tire of your society.” 
 
 Then there entered two girls of just the same 
 size, dressed exactly alike in white, and crowned 
 with wreaths of laurel, and carrying, one a harp, 
 the other a lyre. “I hope you will never tire 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. 1 23 
 
 of me, Music,” said one of them. “ I am every- 
 where; my voice is the voice of everything. 
 Winds, seas, rivers, trees, birds, bees, men, 
 women, children, even the angels in heaven, 
 are my retainers. I can enliven you when sad, 
 sooth you when weary, incite you to noble 
 deeds or hush you to rest upon my bosom. I 
 will swell a joyous paean in your hour of triumph 
 and chant a requiem over your bier." 
 
 “ But without your twin sister, Poetry” said 
 the other, “ yours would be but a ‘ song without 
 words.' I give expression to the emotions which 
 you create. I have won more laurels even than 
 you, but together we will win a chaplet which 
 will never wither, a diadem whose lustre shall 
 never be dimmed." 
 
 “ Show me what you can do," said Lilian. 
 
 Then the two girls, who had very good and 
 very-well trained voices, sang a duet together, 
 — Poetry taking the soprano and Music the 
 alto. During the song, a plainly-dressed figure 
 with white powdered hair advanced to the front, 
 unrolled a large chart, and said, — 
 
 “ Pause now, and listen to me. I am the voice 
 of the past. Men call me History . I have lived 
 
12 4 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 through all the dreamy ages of old. My homes 
 have been the palaces of kings, the cabi- 
 nets of statesmen, the camp, and the court. I 
 will tell you stories of all that ever happened, 
 llow Noah and his family went into the ark, 
 how the tower of Babel was built, and how the 
 cackling of geese saved Rome. I will tell you 
 about Egypt and Nineveh, Babylon and Greece ; 
 of Caesar, Alexander, Charlemagne, Alfred, Lu- 
 ther, Napoleon, and Washington. I hold in my 
 memory tales of murder that will make your 
 blood run cold, and of generous self-sacrifice 
 which will fill your eyes with happy tears. I 
 shall talk of fights and tourneys, knights and 
 ladies, discoveries and achievements, and from 
 them all, I shall draw — ” 
 
 “ No, please don’t! Tell me as many stories 
 as you please, but don’t draw any morals ; I hate 
 morals.” 
 
 “ Then I,” said another performer, with 
 wheels, screws, and other philosophical toys, 
 “ will give you facts. I am called Physics , or 
 Natural Philosophy . I know all about wheels, 
 pulleys, and machinery ; about sound and light 
 and water; about electric telegraphs, and bah 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. 1 25 
 
 loons, telephones and phonographs ; why the 
 wind blows, why the kettle boils, why the cat 
 licks her paws, and — ” 
 
 “ That ’s just splendid. But don’t tell me too 
 much at once, or I can’t remember it all. Where 
 in the world did you come from, — all covered 
 with mud and dirt ? ” 
 
 The last question was addressed to a figure 
 completely covered with a sheet, from two holes 
 in which peeped a pair of sparkling black 
 eyes. Great clots of earth and clay of various 
 colors stuck to the sheet, to the bottom of 
 which were attached fragments of stone and 
 metal. One hand, which protruded, held a 
 hammer, and the other a piece of granite. 
 
 “ I,” said the strange figure, “ come from the 
 caves and the dens of the earth. I am called 
 Geology. I can teach you how to find out how 
 old the world is ; can tell you about the drift 
 periods and the glaciers. I am intimately ac- 
 quainted with ichthyosaurians, megatheriums, 
 mastodons, and — ” 
 
 “ I don’t want to hear about such dreadful 
 things. Go back to your dens and caves, and 
 stay there till the world is a good deal older.” 
 
126 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 A white-robed girl now advanced, completely 
 wrapped in garlands and floral crowns, and carry- 
 ing some flowers in a basket which she scat- 
 tered on the floor as she came. 
 
 “ I am sure you will listen to me,” she said, 
 “for I talk about the prettiest things in the 
 world — ‘ God’s smiles,’ some people call them. 
 I know where the earliest violets hide them- 
 selves, what makes the roses blush and the 
 lilies pour forth their fragrance. I am called 
 Botany , and where I am there is a perpetual 
 spring.” 
 
 “ What ’s the use of posies ? ” said a vener- 
 able-looking individual, arrayed in dressing-gown 
 and spectacles, and holding forth a crucible and 
 a retort. “ Listen to me, Chemistry, and you 
 will understand the construction of all of the 
 wonderful compounds into which the original ele- 
 ments are combined. I can manufacture earth, 
 air, fire, and water for you at will. I light your 
 streets, warm your houses, cook your food, heal 
 your sick, and sometimes — poison your inhabi- 
 tants.” 
 
 By this time the audience was evidently 
 getting tired of this succession of learned per- 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. 12 ; 
 
 sonages with their big words, and were inclined 
 to sympathize with Lilian, when she put her 
 hand to her brow, and said with a weary sigh, — 
 “ Must my poor little head be crammed with 
 all these things ? How will there ever be time 
 for it all ? They say I am to be ‘ finished ’ at 
 eighteen/' 
 
 But at that moment three tiny little girls, of 
 not more than five, entered, each holding up 
 before her an enormous letter, cut out of crim- 
 son card-board. The letters covered their bearers 
 like shields, and their little faces looked very 
 quaint as they peeped through the openings. 
 
 Arranging themselves in a row, they piped 
 out in unison, — 
 
 “ Don't be frightened. You are only expected 
 to do one thing at a time, and at present you 
 have only to make oiir acquaintance.” 
 
 “Yours!” (a gesture of surprise and con- 
 tempt). “ Who are you ? ” 
 
 “I am A.” 
 
 “ I am B.” 
 
 “ I am C ” 
 
 “ When you are sufficiently familiar with us, 
 you shall be introduced to our other sisters.” 
 
12 8 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 And then, as the laugh which the comical 
 little figures had excited subsided, while they 
 still stood on Lilian's right, Katie, who was 
 really the oldest girl in the party, and looked 
 taller than she really was by contrast with the 
 Letters y dressed in pure white, with gauzy silver 
 wings, and a crown of white flowers surmounted 
 by a silver cross, came forward upon the left, 
 and presenting Lilian with a handsome Bible, 
 said, — 
 
 “ You must have one more teacher, dear child, 
 or all the rest will be of no avail. I will teach 
 you whose child you are ; why you were placed 
 in this world, and whither you are going when 
 you leave it. I will tell you of the wonderful 
 God who made all the wonderful things you 
 have been hearing about, and of the beautiful 
 home Jesus is preparing for you beyond the 
 stars. I will teach you to be good and happy ; 
 how to live and how to die. Sisters," she said, 
 putting one hand on Lilian’s shoulder, and with 
 the other beckoning to all the others to come 
 forward and arrange themselves in a closely- 
 packed semicircular group around her, “ Music , 
 Poetry , Literature , the Sciences , and the Arts, 
 
COMMENCING AN EDUCATION. I2Q 
 
 join with me in showing to this little one that 
 religion alone is a sure foundation on which to 
 build an education for both time and eternity.” 
 
 There was a moment’s pause, during which 
 Katie’s almost angelic appearance and perfect 
 acting were greeted with a storm of applause, 
 and then the whole group united in singing a 
 hymn, of which the opening lines are — 
 
 u ’T is religion that can give 
 
 Sweetest pleasure while we live ; 
 
 *T is religion can supply 
 
 Sweetest pleasure when we die.” 
 
 And the dialogue was concluded. 
 
 After this, the girls retired to seats provided 
 at the rear of the platform. There were one or 
 two single recitations ; then all arose and sang 
 together the popular hymn — 
 
 “ Shall we gather at the river ?” 
 
 Then came Katie Robertson’s long antici- 
 pated triumph, the recitation of the poem, com- 
 posed, as the programme informed every one in 
 the room, by herself. 
 
 The little poem was pretty, graceful, and well 
 rendered, and the young poet, still in her angel 
 
130 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 dress, felt as though she could soar away above 
 the heads of the multitude, who were clapping 
 their hands and throwing flowers at her feet. 
 Excitement and delight made her eyes brighter 
 and her cheeks redder than they had ever been 
 before. She thought she would have liked to 
 stand there forever, with that applause ringing 
 in her ears. But, alas ! poor child, in that tu- 
 mult of applause there was no echo of the still, 
 small voice which was wont to testify its appro- 
 bation when she had “ committed her way unto 
 the Lord.” Strangely enough, she had omitted 
 to do this that night. She could pray over her 
 lessons, and thank God for her success in them, 
 but an unerring instinct told her that for a suc- 
 cess whose motive was personal ambition and 
 the desire for praise, it would be sacrilege to ask 
 the help of Him who is “ meek and lowly in 
 heart.” Katie stood on a perilous height that 
 night ; but the Saviour, to whom she had en- 
 trusted herself, was watching over her still, and 
 was preparing for her such discipline as would 
 effectually counteract the exaltation and bring 
 her back into the valley of humility, where alone 
 her peace lay. 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 131 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BACKBITING. 
 
 OOR little Lilian ! She had gone 
 through her part bravely and well. 
 She had hushed the nervous tremors 
 that came over her at the sight of the great au- 
 dience before whom she was to speak. She had 
 kept her voice up loud and clear, so that she 
 was heard all over the house. She had not for- 
 gotten a word of her “ part,” and had won spe- 
 cial admiration by the bright, lively manner in 
 which she uttered the sudden questions and excla- 
 mations which it demanded. But the strain upon 
 her delicate, nervous organization was great. 
 She grew fearfully tired towards the close, a 
 brilliant color rose to her cheeks, such as had 
 scarcely ever been seen there before. Her 
 voice began to tremble so towards the last that 
 she could only control it by a very great effort, 
 and she was exceedingly glad when there was 
 
132 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 no more for her to say. During Katie’s presen# 
 tation to her of the Bible and the words which 
 followed it, she thought, as she had done a hun- 
 dred times during the rehearsals, of her unsuc- 
 cessful search for that religion which was here 
 represented as the foundation of all education, 
 and of her disappointment in seeking Katie's 
 help. Her eyes filled with tears, and had there 
 been any more for her to say she must inevita- 
 bly have broken down in a fit of sobs. She man- 
 aged, however, to control herself till it was all 
 over and the young performers had gone into 
 the dressing-room to put on their wraps, and 
 then suddenly, and to the great consternation 
 of all the girls, fainted entirely away. 
 
 Help was immediately summoned. Mrs. 
 Cleveland came from the audience, adminis- 
 tered restoratives to her little girl, and, as soon 
 as she showed signs of consciousness and was 
 able to stand, carried her off in a carriage and 
 put her to bed. 
 
 The girls were awed, and the glad chatter 
 which might be expected at the successful ter- 
 mination of the entertainment was changed 
 into low whispers of fright and anxiety about 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 133 
 
 Lilian. Katie Robertson found that in spite of 
 her proud position as poet-laureate of the occa- 
 sion, and the delicious applause which she had 
 received, she was quite forgotten now, and was 
 of no apparent importance among her compan- 
 ions. 
 
 Hardly knowing why, she was disappointed, 
 and went to bed with a strong feeling of the 
 utter unsatisfactoriness of success in earthly 
 things, — a lesson we all have to learn, often 
 painfully and again and again, until we have 
 really learned not to set our affections on things 
 which are below, but on those which are endur- 
 ing, at the right hand of God. 
 
 To do Katie justice, however, the depression 
 of her spirits was owing in part to the fatigue and 
 the reaction from so much excitement, and in 
 part to her anxiety about Lilian, of whom, as her 
 only friend, she had become very fond. 
 
 “ Do you think Lily is going to be very 
 sick?” said she to Bertie, as the room-mates un- 
 dressed that night ? ” 
 
 “ No, I guess not ; she ’s always sick or sham- 
 ming. Sophie says she does it so as to get 
 attention and consequence at home.” 
 
134 THREE YEARS AT GLENJVOOD . 
 
 “ How can Sophie be so unkind ? I think 
 Lily ’s very nice ; but she looks pale and miser- 
 able, and so unhappy/’ 
 
 “Well, may be she is nice, but you see I’ve 
 always gone with Sophie. She ’s just my age, 
 and I don’t know much about Lil ; that ’s 
 the truth.” 
 
 “Bertie, do you like Sophronia?” 
 
 “ Like her ? No, not as I like you and some 
 girls; but she’s my cousin, you know, and I ’ve 
 got to go with her.” 
 
 “Well, I don’t like her. I don’t think she is a 
 good girl, and I don’t think it ’s good for you to 
 be with her. You ’re not half so nice as you were 
 at Squantown. I don’t think Amelia Bascom 
 does you any good, either. Bertie, now that 
 you ’re a church member you ought to be more 
 careful about choosing your friends.” 
 
 “I don’t know that it’s any of your business, 
 said Bertie, in a tone of great offence. “ I should 
 think I had a right to know my own cousin ; and 
 as to Amelia, she ’s a nicer girl than you are, if 
 you are so jealous of her.” 
 
 Now Bertie did not at all intend to make 
 this unpleasant speech a moment before she 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 135 
 
 made ic. She n as very warmly attached to 
 Katie, and liked her a great deal better than any 
 other girl in the school. She was clear-sighted 
 enough to see that Sophronia was worldly, cal- 
 culating, and devoid of all real religious prin- 
 ciple and feeling, and she loathed her bondage 
 to Amelia ; but she resented Katie’s tone of 
 superiority, all the more because she felt that 
 her friend was consistently living up to the re- 
 ligion she professed, while she was being turned 
 about by every chance influence that surrounded 
 her. 
 
 Katie had discharged what she had long felt 
 to be a duty. She had watched the influence of 
 both Sophronia and Amelia upon her compan- 
 ion, and saw that they were leading her away 
 from living so as to ornament her profession. 
 It was only the part of Christian faithfulness to 
 warn her friend of the dangers into which she 
 was running, and help her back into the right 
 path. But she had chosen a wrong time, and 
 spoken in a wrong spirit. It is only when we 
 “ speak the truth in love ” that it will do any 
 good to those to whom we speak it, and we shall 
 never help others to see the wrong in them- 
 
136 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 selves while we show them how much better 
 we consider ourselves. It is only as fellow-sin- 
 ners that we can ever point others to the Lamb 
 of God who taketh away the sins of the world. 
 
 To-night Katie Robertson stood on a pinnacle 
 of self-appreciation. Her triumph had been 
 complete, and the tempter, taking advantage of 
 the sense of self-complacency which possessed 
 her, led her to speak to Bertie in the manner of 
 a superior rather than a friend. Of course the 
 latter, whose conscience made her very uncom- 
 fortable of late, resented this, and Katie's at- 
 tempt at faithfulness did her friend more harm 
 than good. 
 
 Lilian was not at school the next day, nor the 
 next, and it soon became known that the poor 
 child was very ill. A low, nervous fever the 
 doctor called it. Not necessarily dangerous as 
 yet, but requiring great care and complete free- 
 dom from excitement. He advised that, even 
 when his patient had rallied sufficiently to leave 
 her bed, she should be taken from school for 
 the present ; and in fact she did not again take 
 her place among her companions till school 
 opened again the next autumn. 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 *37 
 
 Of course Katie saw little of her now. Occa- 
 sionally, as we have said, when the pressure of 
 other duties would allow, she made a little visit 
 at the grocer’s, and once or twice she took Lil- 
 ian out for a short walk, but the conversation 
 was always general. Much as the latter thought 
 about her old desire to be a Christian, and her 
 many failures in trying to be one, she could 
 somehow never sufficiently overcome her timid- 
 ity to again open the subject ; and Katie, not 
 having the least idea what was in her compan- 
 ion’s mind, never thought of introducing it. 
 
 Thus easily may we throw away an oppor- 
 tunity of working for God, and souls which, once 
 passed by, will never come to us again. The 
 blessed Lord, who never allows a sincere desire 
 for Him and his service to go unanswered, 
 will in his own way answer Lilian’s, but the 
 joy and honor of being a co-worker with Him 
 will be given into other hands than Katie’s. 
 
 But this is looking forward. It was the 
 morning after the “ entertainment.” The girls 
 who had taken part in it were tired and, in 
 some cases, cross. They had been up later 
 than their usual bed hour. The preparation of 
 
138 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 their lessons had been somewhat neglected, and 
 more bad marks than usual were placed against 
 their names. Several absences occurred, which, 
 of course, more or less deranged the classes, and 
 a good many “ tardys ” had to be reported in 
 the chapel. 
 
 At recess Katie stood leaning listlessly against 
 the railing at the foot of the stairs. She had 
 no companion, as Lilian was not there. More 
 than one girl who would have been proud to be 
 known as the friend of the successful poet of the 
 night before were deterred from offering their 
 friendship by the general impression that Katie 
 Robertson was “ too proud ” to desire to have 
 friends. Katie was pale and languid. She was 
 feeling keenly the reaction from last night’s 
 excitement. Her lessons had seemed very tame 
 this morning. They had lost their fascination, 
 and it was with the greatest difficulty that she 
 managed to keep her place in the classes, and 
 to win her usually correct marks. The object 
 for which she had been striving all these weeks 
 had been attained, and now there seemed 
 nothing more to work for. She felt lonely, too. 
 Lilian was sick and away. She had alienated 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 139 
 
 Bertie more than ever, for this morning that in- 
 dignant young lady had declined to speak to 
 her except in the briefest monosyllables. Life 
 at school was not such a pleasant thing, after 
 all. 
 
 At this moment she heard her name spoken 
 by one of a group of girls whom she had before 
 noticed as huddled in the undignified manner 
 dear to the hearts of school-girls under the 
 stairs. She could not see who they were, and 
 from the position in which she stood, she was 
 entirely hidden from their sight. It would 
 have been more honorable of course for her to 
 have gone away, but she never thought of that, 
 so interested was she in the conversation. 
 
 “Yes, she did it splendidly," said one; 
 “there's no doubt about that. But who cares? 
 I'd rather be good-natured and jolly than smart, 
 any day." 
 
 “ I don't think Katie Robertson 's so awful 
 smart," said another voice. “ She gets good 
 marks, of course, but then she 's the pet of the 
 teachers and they can mark her as they choose. 
 I could get good marks, too, if I cared to take 
 the trouble." 
 
HO THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 There was a general laugh at this, for the 
 speaker was known as a great dunce, against 
 whom her companions had a joke that once 
 when her teacher had said to her, “ Carrie, what 
 do you know ? ” — meaning the special lesson 
 for the day — she had answered, with sweet 
 unconsciousness, “ I don’t know anything, Miss 
 Peck.” 
 
 “ May be you could write such a poem as 
 that,” said Bertie, who, though offended with 
 her friend, still felt bound to stand up for her. 
 
 “I could get somebody to help me, as no 
 doubt she does. Those saints are always as 
 sly as anything.” 
 
 “ I guess Katie ’s a good girl,” said another 
 voice ; “ she ’s a member of the church, you 
 know.” 
 
 “ I ’d rather be bad than stuck up. Who is 
 Katie Robertson, anyway ? ” 
 
 “ What is she?” chimed in a voice which 
 Katie knew to be that of a boarder who was 
 always elegantly dressed, and had as much 
 money to spend or throw away as she chose. 
 “ She gives herself great airs, and the teachers 
 make a great fuss over her, but she seems as 
 
BACKBITING . 
 
 141 
 
 poor as anything. Just see how countrified her 
 dresses are.” 
 
 “ She is sent to school by charity, and is to be 
 a teacher, I believe,” said Sophronia’s measured 
 tones. She was beginning to get anxious at 
 the direction the conversation was taking. 
 
 “ Is that all there is about it ? ” said another 
 girl. “ I imagined from the mysterious looks I 
 have seen and words I have heard that there 
 was something positively disgraceful about the 
 girl.” 
 
 “So there is,” said Amelia Bascom, fixing 
 her eyes upon Bertie and enjoying her sense 
 of power as she saw the color flash up to the 
 roots of her satellite's hair. “ Something very 
 disgraceful. The paragon is a common factory 
 girl: and here she is set up as not only our 
 equal, but our superior. It ’s a real shame ! ” 
 
 “ So it is,” said one or two voices. 
 
 “ Are you sure it ’s true ? ” said Sophronia. 
 
 “ Yes, I ’m quite sure. I heard her say so; I 
 thought it was to you. At any rate, Bertie 
 Sanderson knows all about it. They 're from the 
 same place.” 
 
 Katie listened breathlessly to hear what her 
 
142 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 companion, whom she had forgiven so much, 
 would say. It could not be that she would leave 
 her to bear what the girls so evidently considered 
 intense disgrace alone. She knew she would 
 have stood up for Bertie. She could not forget 
 how she had once risked her life for her friend, 
 and she expected to hear some generous re- 
 sponse to this appeal. 
 
 But she was disappointed. Bertie was be- 
 tween two fires, and her nature was not suffi- 
 ciently noble to enable her to choose the straight 
 path, as we know she had ceased to ask the 
 present help of her all-powerful Saviour in every 
 moment of temptation. On the one side stood 
 Sophronia and her commands and threats, on 
 the other Amelia, to whom she had admitted the 
 facts concerning Katie Robertson, while tacitly 
 denying those concerning herself, and in front 
 stood all the group of inquisitive girls, full of the 
 importance of this great secret, and anxious to 
 hear as much about it as possible. 
 
 “ Is it really so, Bertie ? ” said one of them. 
 
 “Yes!” answered she. “Katie worked in 
 the factory at Squantown of which my father 
 was overseer. They were all very poor, and 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 143 
 
 papa was very kind to them. An uncle, I be- 
 lieve, sends her to school. My mother was very 
 angry when she heard that I was put to room 
 with her. ” 
 
 “ Poor child,’’ said the silly rich girl. “ I ’m 
 really sorry for you.” 
 
 Amelia said nothing, only gave Bertie a very 
 significant look, but Sophronia breathed a sigh 
 of relief. 
 
 Poor Katie could stay to hear no more. A 
 multitude of conflicting emotions almost choked 
 her as, blinded with tears, she rushed out of the 
 Institute building, across the garden, into the 
 boarding-house, and up to her own room, where, 
 throwing herself upon the bed, she gave way to 
 the wildest torrent of passionate emotion. 
 
 This, then, was how she was regarded by her 
 school-fellows — she, the perfect scholar, the 
 obeyer of rules, the class-poet, the church- 
 member! She was “ stuck up,” proud, dishon- 
 est, in their estimation ; she was looked down 
 upon because she was poor, and despised be- 
 cause she had once helped her mother by earn- 
 ing an honorable independence. Had Katie 
 been a little less excited, or perhaps a little 
 
144 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 older, she might have seen that it made very 
 little difference what a few idle school-girls, ac- 
 tuated largely by jealousy, thought of her, since 
 she had the teachers and her own conscience on 
 her side. She would have seen, moreover, that 
 the opinion of these same little girls did not, in 
 the least, alter the real value of the work she 
 had done, or the position she had held. But 
 she was not very old after all, and this world of 
 school-girls was the world in which she lived, 
 and its opinion was as valuable to her as is the 
 opinion of the circles to the wisest and best 
 of us, by which we are surrounded. We are 
 all very apt to judge of things by the standard 
 of public opinion rather than to seek simply to 
 know how they appear in the sight of God. 
 
 But the hardest part of all was Bertie’s de- 
 fection. She had not said an untrue word, but 
 she had sided with her enemies, and had made 
 it seem as though she herself stood in a much 
 higher position at home, and was positively dis- 
 graced by her own companionship. Would 
 those girls have petted and noticed Bertie so if 
 some one had told them that she, too, was “ a 
 factory girl ? ” Of course not, and it was Bertie 
 
BACKBITING. 
 
 T 45 
 
 and not herself who was appearing under false 
 pretences, — Bertie, who had so injured her 
 once before, whom she had since done so much 
 to befriend. She would never have anything to 
 do with her false friend, never speak to her 
 again if they did room together ; and at the 
 remembrance of what Bertie had said upon 
 that subject her tears flowed afresh. Anger 
 against Bertie did not do much to calm her 
 spirits, and she had cried and sobbed herself 
 into such a state by the time the messenger 
 sent by her department teacher to look her up, 
 that it was with perfect truthfulness she re- 
 turned for answer, — 
 
 “ I have such a headache I can't see. Please 
 leave me alone, and ask Miss Roe to excuse me 
 for the afternoon." 
 
 “ Poor child," said the teacher, loud enough 
 for all the class to hear, “ she is quite tired out 
 with her exertions last night, and no wonder. 
 I 'll give her a chance to make up her marks 
 to-morrow, — next young lady," and the recita- 
 tion went on, while there were one or two more 
 whispered remarks about the “pet’s" immu- 
 nities. 
 
146 THREE FEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 If Katie could only have maintained her posi 
 tion by the stairs a few minutes longer she 
 would not have been so utterly inconsolable. 
 Helen Lome had all this time been walking up 
 and down the hall with her arm round the waist 
 of a companion — a position which many an- 
 other girl would have been glad to occupy. On 
 being left alone, in answer to a signal of invita- 
 tion from Sophronia, she joined the group under 
 the stairs just in time to hear the latter part of 
 the conversation. With a sudden flash of right- 
 eous indignation which made her supremely 
 beautiful, she said, — 
 
 “ Girls, I am ashamed of you. How do you dare 
 to discuss any one behind her back this way ! 
 Miss Robertson has been leaning against the 
 post there, no doubt hearing every word you 
 said. She’s gone now,” she added, seeing the 
 blank looks, “ but I am sure by the expression 
 of her face she has heard you.” 
 
 “ She ’s a mean sneak to listen,” said one. 
 
 “ She could n’t help herself. I heard you all 
 the time I was walking out there, only I was so 
 busy talking I did not attend to what you 
 were saying.” 
 
BACKBITING . 
 
 147 
 
 “ Well, we did not say anything but the 
 truth,” said Bertie sulkily, while Sophronia was 
 very nervous at the thought of having offended 
 Helen Lome. “ Katie did work for her living 
 in the paper mill at Squantown.” 
 
 “ And she acts as though she was a princess,” 
 said another of the girls. 
 
 “ And where ’s the harm in working for a 
 living ? ” said Helen. “ Don’t all your fathers do 
 it? Mine does. I only wish I knew how to 
 earn some money, so it would be really my own 
 to give away or do what I chose with. I think 
 it ’s noble to work and be independent.” 
 
 “ But she need n’t be so stuck up,” said an- 
 other, apologetically ; “ she need n't set herself 
 above the rest of us.” 
 
 “ I don’t believe she does. I don’t know her 
 much, though I mean to, now ; but I do know 
 that not one of us could write and recite that 
 poem as Katie Robertson did last night. My 
 mother thought it was wonderful, and I heard a 
 lady say it was perfectly angelic.” 
 
 “She always knows her lessons, too,” said 
 one of the group coming round to the winning 
 side. 
 
148 THREE TEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 “And she’s real good about helping with 
 your sums,” said another doubtfully. 
 
 “ Well, all I have to say is I ’in ashamed of 
 you,” said the indignant little beauty, walking 
 away at the signal for the close of recess. 
 “ How mad I was,” she said to herself, as her 
 flaming cheeks cooled off a little ; “ but I do 
 hate backbiters so. If I don’t like people I ’ll 
 tell them so to their faces. I mean to know 
 this Katie and be kind to her any way. She was 
 awfully cut up, I saw it in her face — her own 
 particular friend and room-mate against her, too. 
 How she must have felt it ! I never did like that 
 Sophronia Cleveland. I don’t see how I ever 
 came to let her walk with me ; I won’t again.” 
 
HELEN LORNE . 
 
 149 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HELEN LORNE. 
 
 AMMA,” said Helen Lome, “ would you 
 mind it if I was acquainted with a fac- 
 tory girl ? ” 
 
 Mrs. Lome was, as may be supposed, slightly 
 astonished at the abrupt question. She was 
 leaning back in a luxurious easy chair, in the 
 beautifully furnished sitting-room of her elegant 
 house, watching with her usual glad impatience 
 for her daughter’s daily return from school, and 
 thinking with a mother’s overwhelming anxiety 
 of that daughter’s future. 
 
 But indeed one might well dismiss all anxiety 
 concerning the future of such a girl as Helen 
 Lome. She was one of those few children, — 
 there might be more of them if parents prayed 
 more in faith, and acted in better accordance 
 with their prayers, — who seem to be Christians 
 with the earliest dawn of intelligence. 
 
150 THREE YEARS AT GLENW00D. 
 
 No one could remember the time “ when to 
 please Jesus ” did not seem the highest motive 
 of action known to the child ; when, after any 
 little exhibition of temper or naughtiness, the 
 thought of having “ grieved Jesus/’ properly pre- 
 sented, would fail to bring the little maiden to 
 tears of contrition and a determination to “ be 
 good.” 
 
 She always liked to accompany her mother to 
 church, and at a very early age, at her own re- 
 quest, gave herself publicly to Christ, and had 
 since so lived as to bring no dishonor upon her 
 profession. Yet Helen was not priggish, as 
 people are apt to consider religious children. She 
 was neither morose nor self-conceited. No girl 
 of her acquaintance could more enjoy a good 
 romping play when she was small, nor, as she 
 grew older, find such intense pleasure in all 
 beautiful things in art or nature. Her faults 
 were all those of a generous temperament. She 
 would flash into sudden anger at an act of in- 
 justice or cruelty, and repent at once of the 
 sharp words she had spoken, begging immedi- 
 ate forgiveness and so overwhelming the person 
 with caresses, to whom she had spoken them* 
 
HELEN LORNE, 
 
 IS I 
 
 that he or she was at once shamed into sorrow 
 for the act. 
 
 She had been known to pick up a stray lame 
 kitten covered with mud, and, wrapping it in her 
 silk dress, bring it in and nurse it into health. 
 The same thing happened to a half-starved 
 puppy and to a broken-winged bird, till Helen's 
 friends accused her of keeping a hospital for 
 unfortunate animals. 
 
 When she was four years old, she greatly em- 
 barrassed her mother by lugging in from the 
 rain a little beggar of about her own size, and 
 insisting that she should be put into her own 
 bed and sit at table with her, saying in answer 
 to all remonstrances, — 
 
 “ She 's dust as dood as I am. Dod made her, 
 did n't he ? " 
 
 In fact, one of the most difficult things Mrs. 
 Lome had been called upon to do was to show 
 her child the difference that exists, in spite of 
 all our theories, between those to whom genera- 
 tions of generous living and education have 
 brought refinement and culture, and those who, 
 still surrounded by vice and ignorance, are not 
 suitable companions for a delicate young lady. 
 
1 5 * THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 It was, perhaps, a remembrance of these teach- 
 ings that moulded the question with which this 
 chapter opens. 
 
 Helen Lome was a very brilliant scholar. 
 Her lessons seemed to present no difficulties to 
 her, and, though she was never known to fail in 
 a recitation, she always had plenty of time for 
 out-of-door exercise and for kindness and socia- 
 bility. When it is added to all this that the 
 young girl was extremely beautiful and that her 
 father was known to be one of the richest mer- 
 chants in the city, and that she was generous, 
 even to lavishness, in giving and sharing the 
 many nice things with which she was so amply 
 provided, it is no wonder that Helen Lome 
 was universally popular, alike with teachers, 
 pupils, and outside friends. 
 
 To her mother she was the most precious 
 thing in the whole world. She could scarcely 
 bear to part with her darling, even for an hour, 
 but being a wise, as well as an affectionate, 
 mother, she sent her to school instead of educat- 
 ing her herself, — which she was well qualified 
 to do, — that she might have the advantages of 
 association with other girls, and not become 
 
HELEN LORNE. 
 
 *53 
 
 selfish and consequential, as an only child is apt 
 to do. She watched very carefully, however, over 
 the acquaintances and intimates of her daughter, 
 which was the cause of Helen’s words when 
 she came home from school to-day. 
 
 “ I don’t quite understand you, Helen,” she 
 said. “You are old enough now, surely, to 
 choose your own associates. I don’t see how 
 you are to come in contact with factory girls, 
 and I thought you had too much good sense to 
 judge of any one by her occupation.” 
 
 “ Of course I have, and Katie ’s a perfect 
 lady, and as lovely and good as she can be. 
 She ’s a Christian, too ; but all the girls are 
 down upon her because she is or was a factory 
 girl ; and I did n’t know how you might feel 
 about it.” 
 
 “ Sit down, dear, and tell me who and what 
 * Katie ’ is, and then perhaps I can understand 
 you better. I have already said that no occupa- 
 pation makes a person unfit for companionship, 
 only the factory girls I have known are apt to 
 be vulgar and pretentious, and I would n’t like 
 my Helen to be intimate with vulgar and pre- 
 tentious people, no matter what grade of society 
 they occupied” 
 
154 THREE FEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 “Of course not ; but, mamma, Katie Robert 
 son was ‘ the angel ' at the entertainment last 
 night.” 
 
 “ Is it possible ? Why, she is the loveliest, 
 most refined little girl I almost ever saw. I am 
 sure, if one may judge from appearances, there 
 can be no evil about her.” 
 
 Then Helen told her mother what little she 
 knew about Katie, which really was very little, 
 as the two girls had never been in any of the 
 same classes, and ended by a detailed account 
 of the conversation under the stairs, ending 
 with the words, — 
 
 “ Was n't it mean, mamma ? ” 
 
 “Yes, it was very unkind, and I don't wonder 
 my generous little girl wants to befriend one 
 who is so badly treated. Can I help about it ? ” 
 “ Of course you can, you kind, thoughtful 
 mamma ! I want to invite her here to spend 
 Sunday. She is at the boarding-house, you 
 know, and all the girls say it’s so lonely there 
 on Sunday that they get away if they possibly 
 can. Katie's room-mate, too, Bertie Sanderson, 
 was one of the girls who talked against her, 
 and it must be hateful to be with her now. 
 
HELEN LORNE . 
 
 155 
 
 But that is n’t quite all ” (and Helen hesi- 
 tated as though not quite sure her mother 
 would understand what she was going to say), 
 “ I don’t mean that we are better than other 
 people, but, you know, we have more money 
 and handsomer things than some of the girls’ 
 families, and I thought, perhaps, if we took up 
 Katie, and invited her here, and showed that 
 we did n’t mind her having been a factory girl, 
 the others would n’t consider it a disgrace and 
 would be kinder to her. I don’t know if you 
 quite understand me.” 
 
 “ Yes, I think I do,” said her mother, smiling 
 at Helen’s confusion. “You mean that our 
 handsome house and our carriage and our posi- 
 tion in society are talents which we hold in 
 trust from the Lord, and that when we use 
 them to make other people either happier or 
 better, we are doing with them just what He 
 would have us do, and by so much glorifying 
 Him.” 
 
 “ Thank you, mamma ; you always understand, 
 and you can say it so much better than any one 
 else.” 
 
 “ I want you to think in that way of every- 
 
1 5 © THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 thing the Lord has given you, my child. You 
 are quite old enough to know how pretty you 
 are ; plenty of people would tell you so if your 
 mother did not. Whenever you look in the 
 glass do it with a thankful heart, and ask your 
 dear Saviour to help you so to use your beautiful 
 gift as in some way to glorify Him — so with your 
 talents, your education, your music — all that 
 you have and are. They are all God's gifts ; lay 
 them daily upon his altar, glad that you have 
 something so precious to give back to Him who 
 has given you so much.” 
 
 Helen had already dimly caught sight of this 
 idea, but now that her mother put it so plainly 
 before her she saw at once how many opportuni- 
 ties of doing good it would give her, and she 
 rejoiced in the thought. 
 
 The next day Katie Robertson, who had re- 
 covered her self-possession sufficiently to resume 
 her place in school, was surprised, at recess, 
 to find Helen Lome’s arm thrown around her 
 waist and to receive the usual school-girl invi- 
 tation, — 
 
 “Come, let ’s walk.” 
 
 So embittered were poor Katie's feelings to- 
 
HELEN LORNE. 
 
 157 
 
 wards everybody upon this special morning, 
 that had it been any one else she would have 
 declined the invitation ; but she had looked very 
 longingly from day to day at Helen Lome. She 
 admired her from a distance, and greatly desired 
 to be intimate with her, as the other girls were. 
 To her, Helen was the loveliest creature in the 
 world, and it was very soothing to her hurt 
 feelings, as Helen meant it should be, to receive 
 this invitation. 
 
 Helen talked pleasantly about one or two 
 subjects, and then said, — 
 
 “ Miss Robertson, — or I may call you Katie, 
 may I not ? — my mother told me to ask if you 
 would not like to come and spend Sunday with 
 us this week ?” 
 
 For a moment Katie, remembering her ex- 
 perience at the Clevelands, and being some- 
 what taken by surprise, did not know what to 
 answer, and Helen, seeing her hesitation, 
 said, — 
 
 “ There will be no one else. We don’t have 
 Sunday company ; but I thought it might be 
 pleasanter for you than staying at the boarding- 
 house. Mamma says if Miss Perry will give you 
 
158 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 permission she will come for you in the carriage 
 on Saturday afternoon, and send you hack in 
 time for school on Monday morning. It won’t 
 seem so much like Sunday visiting that way, 
 you know.” 
 
 Katie was delighted with this invitation. She 
 had heard Sophronia and Bertie talk about the 
 Lornes’ elegant house, which was in the out- 
 skirts of the city, and wish that in some way 
 they could manage to see its beautiful conser- 
 vatories and picture-galleries, as well as the 
 elegant furniture and other glories which were 
 supposed to be within the walls, and Helen 
 was answered with the first smile which had 
 crossed the successful poet’s face since the 
 night of her great triumph. She ran over to 
 the boarding-house to ask Miss Perry’s permis- 
 sion, — a mere form, since, as everybody knew, 
 that lady was only too glad to get rid of as 
 many of her boarders as possible on Sunday, 
 and came back to Helen just in time to accept 
 the invitation before the close of recess. 
 
 “ I ’m very glad,” said Helen ; and she was 
 more glad in doing a kindness to Katie than 
 she would have been at receiving one herself. 
 
HELEN LOENE. 
 
 iS9 
 
 “ Mamma and I will call at about three o’clock 
 to-morrow. Your lessons will be finished then ? ” 
 Katie nodded. “ And we shall have time for a 
 pleasant drive in the park before dark. You 
 haven’t seen our beautiful park yet, have you? 
 It’s looking lovely now ; the grass is just turning 
 green, and the buds on the trees are swelling. 
 Spring is beginning to make itself felt and 
 seen.” 
 
 “No, I haven’t seen it ; I shall be delighted. 
 How kind your mother is ! ” 
 
 “/think so,” said Helen, with a glad warmth 
 of affection, which it was very pretty to see. 
 “We must go ; just look at the clock. Be sure 
 you *re ready at three ; don’t forget.” 
 
 There was no danger of Katie’s forgetting. 
 The prospect opened to her was almost like that 
 into fairy-land, and she went about her after- 
 noon recitations and duties almost happy. 
 
 Not quite, however. No one can be abso- 
 lutely happy while cherishing any ill-feeling 
 against another ; and our young friend was 
 very sore towards Bertie, Sophronia, and all 
 their “set.” She had ample cause to be, she 
 argued to herself, and this was quite true ; but 
 
160 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 a Christian girl may not regulate her feelings 
 towards others by their unkindness towards her, 
 or the provocations they have given her. Our 
 Master left us a better rule of life than that. We 
 are to be kind and forgiving, to love our ene- 
 mies, to bless them that hate and persecute us, 
 to ‘‘pray for them who despitefully use us.” 
 Katie well understood this rule, and had so 
 successfully practised it in former times towards 
 Bertie as to lead her to Christ. But things 
 were a little different now. In former times 
 Katie Robertson was humble. She did not think 
 so much of herself and her own powers. Her 
 mind dwelt chiefly upon how she could help her 
 mother and benefit her companions. Now she 
 was “puffed up” with a pretty high idea of her 
 own scholarship and faithfulness to duty. She 
 was one of the “smart” girls and one of the 
 good ones, as contrasted with the “ shirks ” and 
 the “rule-breakers/ 1 The commendation she 
 had received had somewhat turned her head. 
 She had become a little self-righteous, and it is 
 no wonder if, with her eyes turned away from 
 “looking unto Jesus” and fastened upon her- 
 self, she should stumble and fall into a sin 
 
HELEN LORNE. 
 
 l6l 
 
 which was as bad for her , with her advantages 
 and the Help she had received, as the grosser 
 sins of the other girls were for them. 
 
 The room-mates had not spoken to each other 
 since the night of the entertainment, on which 
 occasion we remember Bertie was so incensed 
 at her companion's ill-timed lecture, that she re- 
 solved not to speak to her friend again — a reso- 
 lution which, strange to say, she kept all the 
 while the two were dressing the next morning. 
 Her self-imposed penance, for such it was to a 
 girl so fond of talking as Bertie, would not 
 probably have endured much longer, if Katie's 
 indignation at what she had heard under the 
 stairs, and Bertie's knowledge that she had 
 heard it, had not thrown a barrier between them 
 of anger and shame, which the one would not 
 and the other could not remove. 
 
 As a consequence, when Katie knelt to say 
 her evening prayer there was a cloud between 
 her and her Saviour, and the sweet, holy words 
 of her Bible had lost their old power to com- 
 fort her. “ If we regard iniquity in our heart 
 the Lord will not hear our prayer nor can wc 
 pray aright while we are cherishing animosity 
 
1 62 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 against any of God’s creatures. Our Saviour has 
 told us, — 
 
 “ If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and 
 there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
 against thee, leave there thy gift before the 
 altar, and go thy way ; first be reconciled to 
 thy brother, and then come and offer thy 
 gift.” 
 
 But no degree of self-condemnation can en- 
 tirely take away the pleasure of an expected 
 holiday visit from a school-girl, and it was with 
 a very bright face that Katie put on her church 
 suit and waited for Mrs. Lome’s carriage to 
 come for her on Saturday afternoon. She had, 
 of course, said nothing to Bertie about the ex- 
 pected visit, and the latter was so brimming 
 over with curiosity as she saw the night-dress 
 and comb and brush packed up that she almost 
 broke her resolution of not speaking to her 
 friend. As she would certainly have broken it 
 had she remained in the room, she retreated to 
 the hall, and there, in company with Amelia 
 Bascom and one or two other girls, saw the 
 beautiful horses draw the elegant carriage up to 
 the door, heard Katie run down stairs, and saw 
 
HELEN LORNE . 163 
 
 her open the door and enter the carriage, which 
 then drove rapidly away. 
 
 “ Whew ! ” said Amelia, “ that 's style ; — 
 who 'd have thought it ? Really, Bertie, your fac- 
 tory — I beg pardon, I mean country — girls, 
 have stylish acquaintances. Who are your 
 friend's friends?" 
 
 “ I think I saw Helen Lome in the carriage," 
 said Bertie, coloring as she always did when 
 her tormentor's eyes were fixed upon her, but 
 trying to speak carelessly. “ She ’s one of my 
 cousin's friends. They ’re together a good 
 deal;" which was near enough to the truth 
 for her purpose, if not exactly accurate. 
 
 “ Do you know the Lornes ? " burst in Minnie 
 Corwin. “ My father says Mr. Lome is the rich- 
 est man in the city. Their house is just elegant. 
 I did n't know Miss Robertson was acquainted 
 with them." Minnie's respect for both Bertie 
 and Katie had evidently very greatly increased 
 since the advent of the carriage. 
 
 “She don’t know them," said Amelia snap- 
 pishly; “it’s only one of Helen Lome's cranks, 
 you may depend upon it. She heard what we 
 said about Katie’s giving herself such airs, and 
 
1 64 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 she only a factory girl, and she \s just taken her 
 up to make us mad. My ! did n’t her eyes snap 
 yesterday ! ” 
 
 “ Still/' said Minnie, “ that Robertson girl 
 must be f somebody/ or the Lornes would n’t 
 take her up. You must be mistaken about the 
 factory story/’ 
 
 “ Ask Bertie/’ said the other, but Bertie had 
 prudently retired. 
 
 Meanwhile, Katie was greatly enjoying her 
 drive. Very seldom in her life had she been in 
 a carriage ; never in one so elegant and luxu- 
 rious as this. To sit among the soft, springy 
 cushions and be whirled along over the smooth 
 roadways of the park was an exhilarating de- 
 light of itself which those unused to carriages 
 can hardly understand. Then to her country- 
 educated taste, so long starved by a prospect of 
 staring brick walls, the free open sunshine, the 
 broad expanse of blue sky, the green slopes, 
 just turning an emerald green, and the distant 
 glimpse of the ocean beyond the open landscape 
 was a feast of delight. Also to a girl who had 
 studied as hard as our Katie had done, and who 
 was really suffering for fresh air, exercise, and 
 
HELEN LORNE. 
 
 I6 S 
 
 rest, the change of scene and occupation was an 
 exhilaration in itself, and her kind entertainer 
 was glad to see a faint tinge of color come into 
 the pale cheeks, and a new light into the heavy, 
 tired eyes. 
 
 Mrs. Lome had been studying the pale 
 cheeks and heavy eyes as Katie sat in front of 
 her by the side of, but such a contrast to, her 
 own bright and radiant Helen ; who, because of 
 her steady attendance at school, and the ease 
 with which she had always acquired everything, 
 had never been over-taxed either in body or 
 mind. She saw the traces of the over-work to 
 which her ambition had driven the girl before 
 her ; but she saw or thought she saw something 
 else. Katie evidently was not happy. This, of 
 course, might be partially accounted for by the 
 unkindness of the girls, of which her daughter 
 had told her ; but she thought she detected 
 traces of something else, and she determined to 
 find out what that something else was, if possi- 
 ble, before her guest went back to her work, 
 
 Katie's expressions of admiration for the park 
 were quite warm enough to satisfy Helen, to 
 whom it was an old story. Her home was 
 
1 66 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 about three miles from the Institute, and, 
 though she generally went to and from school 
 in a street car, it was often convenient for her 
 mother to send her or call for her in the car- 
 riage, and on such occasions they always drove 
 through the park. Nor was the kind girl any 
 less satisfied with the success of her plan when 
 she saw her new friend’s evident delight in the 
 beautiful house, and especially the pretty little 
 bedroom which she was to occupy alone ; Mrs. 
 Lome having wisely decided that, till she knew 
 more about this stranger, it would be best for 
 her not to share her carefully guarded daughter’s 
 room. 
 
 It was quite dark when they got home, and 
 after tea, which was enlivened by a boy cousin 
 of Helen’s, who always spent Saturday evenings 
 at his aunt’s, a few merry games, and prayers — 
 conducted by Helen’s father and so different to 
 the formal service at school, — the two girls re- 
 tired, Mrs. Lome saying as she bade Katie 
 good-night, — 
 
 “ I always like to have Helen go to bed early 
 on Saturday night in order to be well rested for 
 Sunday. There is so much that is delightful to 
 
HELEN LORNE . 
 
 167 
 
 do on that day that we always have breakfast 
 half an hour earlier. I hope it does not trouble 
 you to get up early.” 
 
 “Not in the least,” said Katie; adding, “You 
 know I have been used to early hours at the 
 paper-mill,” — and her simplicity in thus speak- 
 ing of her work added to Mrs. Lome’s respect. 
 
l68 THREE YEARS AT GLENWQOD. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. 
 
 UNDAY morning dawned as still and 
 bright at the Lornes as it had ever 
 done at Squantown. A garden, large 
 for the city, surrounded the house, and, though 
 as yet there was no foliage, it gave promise of 
 summer’s greenness and beauty, and at least 
 let in air and sunshine. There were no rattling 
 carts and wagons to break the Sabbath morning 
 stillness, and the street-cars were too far off to 
 be heard except as a distant rumble. Breakfast 
 was ready precisely at seven. Though everything 
 on the table was wholesome and palatable, deli- 
 cately prepared and delicately served, there was 
 nothing which required much sacred time to be 
 consumed in its preparation. After breakfast, 
 all the family, including three Protestant ser- 
 vants, assembled for morning prayers, which 
 consisted of a carefully-selected passage of 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY \ 169 
 
 Scripture, a hymn in which all joined, and an 
 earnest prayer, which included all the needs 
 and touched all the circumstances of all present, 
 and which, looking forward through the day and 
 its happy duties, sought a spiritual blessing 
 upon all. There was no press of either business 
 or school to-day, and all felt that as the day be- 
 gan so early there was plenty of time to make 
 the home prayer-service a little fuller than 
 usual. 
 
 At its close Mrs. Lome said, “ I suppose you 
 would like to accompany Helen and me to Sun- 
 day-school to-day, Katie. We never entertain 
 visitors on Sundays or change our usual plan of 
 life on their account. We shall be very glad to 
 have you go with us, but if you prefer to remain 
 at home and read, you are welcome to do so, and 
 there are plenty of books.” 
 
 “I’da great deal rather go,” said Katie ; “it 
 will seem so much more like home.” 
 
 “Well, then, Sunday-school commences at 
 nine, and perhaps you would like to look over 
 the lesson first. Helen will show you where it i%, 
 and you will find plenty of ‘helps’ on that 
 shelf,” pointing to one of the book-cases in the 
 library where they were sitting. 
 
170 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 “ Please excuse me a little while, Katie,” said 
 Helen, when she had provided her friend with 
 the necessary books, “ I always help mamma 
 with the bedrooms on Sunday.” 
 
 “ Do you do your own rooms ? ” asked Katie 
 in surprise. 
 
 “ Only on Sundays. We always help the 
 girls on Sundays so that they may all be able to 
 go to church and Sunday-school if they choose. 
 Mamma thinks if they are as free as we are to 
 attend all the services, they won’t want to be 
 running about visiting and pleasure-seeking in 
 the afternoon and evening.” 
 
 “ What do they do with themselves then ? ” 
 
 “ They generally go to church at night, and 
 in the afternoon they have a pleasant sitting- 
 room just off the kitchen, with a table and 
 plenty of Sunday books.” 
 
 “ Don’t they want to go out ? ” 
 
 “ They never go, except Celia. Her mother 
 is sick, and she generally sits with her all Sun- 
 day afternoon, so as to let her other sister go to 
 church. She is always at home, though, in time 
 for tea. I asked mamma once what made our 
 servants do so differently to other people’s ser- 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. I/I 
 
 vants who seem to consider Sunday a day for 
 visiting and worldly pleasure. She said, pointing 
 to the fourth commandment. ‘ Y our father and I 
 mean to obey that, Helen.' You see it says, ‘ thy 
 manservant and thy w^z^servant.’ The com- 
 mandment covers you also, Katie. You won't be 
 allowed to go out pleasure-seeking either, for 
 the commandment says, ‘ nor thy stranger 
 that is within thy gates.' " 
 
 The Lornes walked to church, a quiet little 
 surburban church, where one looked in vain for 
 the gorgeous decoration and beautiful music 
 which were to be seen and heard at Dr. Pea- 
 body’s. For many years both the parents were 
 members of this grand city church, but after 
 moving into their present home, it had seemed 
 to them wrong to use the carriage to drive into 
 and out of town twice on Sunday, thus depriv- 
 ing both horses and coachman of their rightful 
 Sunday rest. Besides, soon afterwards, a little 
 church was commenced in their neighborhood, 
 and Mr. Lome felt it to be his duty to give his 
 money and influence to the support of the new 
 enterprise, which grew rapidly and flourished 
 greatly under his fostering care. It was now a 
 
172 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 moderate-sized church, well filled with wor- 
 shippers, and the Sunday-school especially was 
 in a very prosperous condition. Here both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lome had classes, while Helen be- 
 longed to a Bible-class, most of whose members 
 were much older than herself. Katie noticed 
 that they were of all grades in society, to judge 
 by their dress and methods of speaking. She 
 also noticed that Helen was just as cordial in her 
 greeting to all, paying particular attention, offer- 
 ing a hymn-book, etc., to a little German woman 
 whose appearance would have certainly caused 
 Sophronia to “pass by on the other side.” 
 
 The Sunday-school and its services presented 
 nothing to distinguish it from other schools in 
 the city. Lessons, exercises, and hymns went 
 forward in almost the same order as in the great 
 model school which Katie had visited with 
 Lilian ; but somehow it all seemed more home- 
 like, and while listening to the quiet, earnest 
 words of the class-teacher, she felt almost as 
 though she was back at Squantown, with the 
 old familiar faces and forms around her. 
 
 The church service followed immediately 
 upon that of the Sunday-school. It was not so 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDA Y. 
 
 173 
 
 showily conducted as that at Dr. Peabody’s, and 
 the audience was not half so finely dressed, but 
 the sermon was even better, for, being simpler 
 and suited to the taste and capacity of the audi- 
 ence, it was better adapted to a girl of Katie’s 
 age. 
 
 The text was, “ Who, when he was reviled, 
 reviled not again,” the preacher dwelling with 
 deep earnestness and pathos upon the example 
 of the blessed Lord Jesus, the cruel injuries 
 he received, his patience and his forgiveness. 
 Then he went on to show how all who have been 
 forgiven their sins for his sake are bound to 
 follow in his steps, forgiving all the injuries 
 they receive, which can never compare with 
 what was heaped upon him, and striving to do 
 good to them, even if some little self-sacrifice 
 is encountered in doing so. 
 
 Katie quite understood the sermon, and felt 
 its application to herself ; that is, she saw how 
 very different was her present and recent state 
 of feeling and action to that of a Christian, as 
 depicted by the preacher, - — a state in which the 
 constant sense of our own weakness and worth- 
 lessness, together with a remembrance of how 
 
174 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOB. 
 
 much we have ourselves been forgiven, will 
 keep us humble at the feet of our Saviour, and 
 ready to forgive all offences against ourselves. 
 But seeing this is very different from feeling just 
 as we ought to feel, and Katie was honest 
 enough to know, when she thought of Bertie 
 and the rest, that her sentiments towards them 
 were not at all of the nature of forgiveness. 
 
 On their return from church, Helen showed 
 Katie the beautiful conservatory, which was now 
 full of flowers, and then took her into the pic- 
 ture-gallery, where Mr. Lome soon joined them 
 and explained some of the pictures, most of 
 which were of a religious character, in a way to 
 convey valuable impressions as well as to incul- 
 cate useful lessons. 
 
 “ I will not apologize for giving you cold 
 chicken for dinner,” said Mrs. Lome to Katie. 
 “ I like to have my cook go to church with the 
 other girls, and by a little management she can 
 do it. She cooks the meat and makes the 
 dessert the day before, and, preparing the vege- 
 tables in the morning, has just time to cook 
 them after church. We none of us miss a hot 
 joint of meat when we feel that we are doing 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. 
 
 1 75 
 
 our best to remember the Sabbath-day to keep 
 it holy.” 
 
 Katie thought of the Sunday feasting at the 
 grocer’s, and felt how much better was this 
 plain, simple dinner, which was prepared and 
 eaten “ to the glory of God,” than the sensual 
 indulgence which steals from him the sacred 
 day and uses it selfishly for our own pleasure. 
 It is needless to add that Katie Robertson saw 
 no wine, either at this or at any other time, 
 upon the Lornes’ table. 
 
 The dinner-table conversation was very pleas- 
 ant, turning upon topics suggested by the 
 Sunday-school lesson or the sermon. Mr. 
 Lome told some facts about his crowded city 
 mission district. His wife repeated some new 
 items of missionary information. Helen talked 
 of some moral question which had come up in 
 the school classes during the week. Katie was 
 skilfully included in the conversation, and by 
 little, indefinable courtesies, made to feel that 
 she was considered as an equal by every one of 
 the family. About half an hour after the close 
 of the meal Mr. Lome left the room, and then 
 Mrs. Lome said, — • 
 
1/6 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 “I have always thought that every human 
 being needs to be at times alone with God, and 
 this, it seems to me, was one of His purposes 
 in establishing his sacred day. We are all more 
 or less hurried with our cares and duties of the 
 week, and it is hard to secure time for self- 
 examination and prayer. Even if we take it, our 
 thoughts are apt to be full of the next duties 
 which are pressing upon us, and we lack quiet- 
 ness of spirit. But on Sunday afternoon there 
 is plenty of time, and there are no distractions; 
 so I have always been in the habit of retiring 
 to my own room on Sunday, immediately after 
 dinner, and spending a few hours alone, so far 
 as human companionship is concerned ; and I 
 believe Helen is finding much profit in following 
 my example. You will excuse us if we leave 
 you to your own devices. You will, of course, 
 find plenty of occupation. At five o’clock 
 Helen generally comes into my room to have 
 her weekly talk about various matters that in- 
 terest her. If you would like to join her I shall 
 be very happy to see you.” 
 
 “I should be delighted to come. Thank you 
 for asking me/’ said Katie, as she, too, went up 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. 
 
 * 77 
 
 stairs and sought her own room, where, finding 
 a nice Bible had been provided for her, she sat 
 down to her usual Sunday afternoon reading. 
 
 Our young Christian had a good deal to think 
 of this afternoon. The past week had been a 
 very eventful one to her, and its occurrences had 
 disturbed the even tenor of her Christian life. 
 Feelings and passions to which she had usually 
 been a stranger had come into her heart and 
 found lodgment there, and it was not so easy 
 to pray or read her Bible as it used to be. She 
 could not command her thoughts or her atten- 
 tion. Echoes of the music and the recitations, 
 and memories of the words she had spoken and 
 the applause she had received, called her atten- 
 tion away from the words she was reading or 
 trying to say; and her resentful feeling towards 
 Bertie, Sophronia, and their set, seemed to 
 draw a cloud between her and the Saviour 
 whom she had loved so long. It was with a 
 saddened heart and a feeling of great dis- 
 couragement that at five o'clock she joined 
 Helen at the door of Mrs. Lome’s room. 
 
 It had been Helen's custom as long as she 
 could remember to save up all the questions 
 
178 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 which had interested or puzzled her during the 
 week to talk over with her mother at this sweet, 
 sacred Sabbath hour. 
 
 Her mother enjoyed her daughter’s entire 
 confidence, and perhaps Helen’s uniform right 
 thinking and right feeling arose largely from 
 this habit of looking at everything in the light 
 of her mother’s superior wisdom and experience. 
 She told this dear friend all about her friends, 
 her lessons, her pleasures, everything which in- 
 terested her and everything which perplexed 
 her, and if she did not get a solution to all her 
 difficulties, she did get entire sympathy and the 
 application of high Christian principle to all the 
 little and apparently unimportant details of her 
 life. 
 
 To-day the mother and daughter talked a 
 little while of some matters in which they alone 
 were interested, but in a simple, familiar man- 
 ner, calculated to put the visitor completely at 
 her ease, and then Helen said, — 
 
 “ Mamma, do you think distinctions in rank 
 are right, — Christian, I mean ? ” 
 
 “They are inevitable, and everything that is 
 inevitable must of necessity be right. A culti- 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDA K 
 
 179 
 
 vatcd man and a savage cannot find any pleasure 
 in each other’s society; nor, one would think, 
 could the bad and good enjoy associating to- 
 gether.” 
 
 “I don’t mean that exactly; but does it make 
 any difference how much money we have, how 
 we dress, or what our occupation is ? ” 
 
 “ As to dress, decidedly no ; as to money, 
 there is this to say, — Those who have had it 
 and used it wisely for several generations are 
 apt to be better educated and more refined than 
 those whose daily struggle for an existence 
 takes all their time and strength, and prevents 
 their reading and studying. But I don’t see 
 how the nature of a person’s occupation can 
 make the person either better or worse in itself. 
 I have known poor seamstresses and even ser- 
 vants as thoroughly refined Christian ladies as 
 any that I have met in society.” 
 
 “ Do you think it lowers or degrades a girl to 
 work for money in a factory, for example?” 
 said Katie, blushing. “ Bertie Sanderson does, 
 and is always talking about being made into a 
 lady.” 
 
 “That I don’t agree with Bertie Sanderson 
 
ISO THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 you may see by my permitting Helen to as- 
 sociate with you, dear. If a girl is a lady, 
 nothing honorable that she can do will unmake 
 her, since, of course, she will only seek her 
 companionship among the virtuous and refined, 
 and will make the most of such advantages as 
 she has to improve herself. But even here, as 
 everywhere else, the motive makes all the dif- 
 ference. To work in any capacity for our own 
 support, or to help those dear to us or dependent 
 upon us, is always noble and can injure no one. 
 But suppose a girl wants more finery than her 
 parents are able to give her, and goes into a 
 mill in order to get it, leaving the duties in her 
 own home, which God has given her to do. 
 Would you call that noble ? ” 
 
 “ That ’s just what Bertie Sanderson used to 
 work for,” said Katie. “ She spent all her first 
 earnings upon a silk dress which everybody said 
 looked ridiculous.” 
 
 Mrs. Lome felt that she was beginning to 
 touch the secret of Katie’s unhappiness, and, in 
 order to reach the bottom, she said quietly, — 
 
 “ Do you love Bertie Sanderson ?” 
 
 “ Love her ! O Mrs. Lome, you don’t know 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. I$i 
 
 all I have done for her! I took care of her 
 when she had the ship fever and every one was 
 afraid to come near her ; and I forgave her 
 a very great wrong she had done me, and ever 
 since I have done everything for her I could, 
 though she is n't at all the kind of girl I should 
 have chosen for a friend." 
 
 “ And no doubt you have felt yourself to be a 
 very good girl in doing all this ; but, Katie, the 
 Bible says : * Though I give my body to be 
 burned, and have not charity (love) it shall 
 profit me nothing.' Do you understand that? 
 Do you love Bertie ? " 
 
 “ I used to, but she 's so ungrateful. She 
 don't seem to care for me any more. She don't 
 try to do as I tell her. She chooses girls who 
 are rude to me for her friends ; and — and only 
 this week she was so unkind. You don't know 
 what I heard ! " 
 
 “ Yes, I do. Helen overheard all that conver- 
 sation, and it was because of the unkindness of 
 those girls that she asked me to invite you 
 here," Katie looked surprised, and gave her 
 new friend a grateful glance. “ Nevertheless, 
 f know that you otight to love Bertie and the 
 
1 82 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 others in spite of all. Think how ungrateful we 
 have all been to the Saviour who has done and 
 suffered so much for us, and how unfit we are to 
 be his friends, and yet he loves us still, and 
 says in his holy Word that he ‘takes pleasure in 
 us.’ ” 
 
 Katie dropped her eyes and looked a little 
 abashed, but said, — 
 
 “ How can we make ourselves love and forgive 
 others ? ” 
 
 “ By earnest prayer to him who has prorm 
 ised to help us in every time of need.” 
 
 “Mrs. Lome,” said Katie, her eyes full of 
 tears and her voice trembling with emotion, 
 “ it sounds dreadfully, but it ’s true, — I can't 
 pray any more as I used to. I don’t feel as 
 though there was any one to listen. I can’t 
 think of the words I say. I feel like a hypo- 
 crite. I sometimes think I never was a Chris- 
 tian, or, at any rate, that I am not one now, 
 and I don’t know what to do. Can you help 
 me ? ” 
 
 “ If you will let me speak very plainly, just 
 as I would to Helen, I think I can. How long 
 has this sad state of things lasted ? ” 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY, 183 
 
 “Oh, a long time — ever since I began to be so 
 busy with my lessons, and in such a hurry, and 
 so tired, but it's been a great deal worse this 
 last week. ,, 
 
 “ Why have you been so hurried and tired ? 
 Helen is not.” 
 
 “ Helen is stronger than I am, and it comes 
 easier to her to study.” 
 
 “That is true. But have you any right to 
 over-tax the body which God has given you to 
 take care of for him ? ” 
 
 “ I never thought of that,” said Katie, with a 
 look of surprise. “ I wanted to get on just as 
 fast as I could.” 
 
 “ Why?” 
 
 But no answer came, and Mrs. Lome repeated 
 the question, adding, — 
 
 “Your motive ought to have been in this, as 
 in everything else, to please God. Is he pleased 
 when we over-work ourselves ? ” 
 
 Katie could not answer. It seemed as though 
 scales had fallen from her eyes ; and, as she 
 looked back over these months of school life, 
 she saw that her ambition for study had not 
 contained a thought of God’s pleasure at all. 
 
1 84 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 At best she had sought her own approbation 
 or that of her teachers, but a very large part of 
 her motives of late had been made up of a de- 
 sire for being thought studious and talented, 
 and the pleasure of gaining applause and appro- 
 bation. What else had prompted her to write 
 and deliver her poem and to perform her part in 
 the entertainment ? What else had made her 
 for a few moments so deliriously happy at her 
 success ? She had not even once thanked God 
 for it, nor had she asked his blessing once in 
 studying her part or writing her poem. 
 
 “ I think you begin to see the state of the 
 case,” said Mrs Lome kindly. (Helen, at a 
 signal from her mother, had long since left the 
 room.) “ When we let anything else except 
 God occupy the altar of our hearts we cannot 
 really pray to him. Self is the idol which 
 most surely shuts him out of his temple. Self 
 has a great many servants, called by the Bible 
 ‘little foxes which spoil the tender grapes.’ 
 This little fox is ambition. Shall we seek out 
 and take another ? ” 
 
 “If you please,” said Katie humbly, u art 
 there many more ? ” 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. 
 
 I8 5 
 
 * I don’t know ; but something must have 
 gnawed at your love for your companions. 
 From what you said a little while ago, I should 
 judge that you have considered yourself a very 
 much better girl than most of them — more 
 faithful, more honest, more forgiving, a better 
 scholar, a better Christian. Is n't it so ? ” 
 Katie nodded, and the lady went on. “And 
 was not a large part of your anger against them 
 due to the fact that, in spite of that superiority 
 and the praise you had received for it, the girls 
 said hard things against you ? I will not say 
 that they were not very unkind ; but was not a 
 part of what they said true ? You were a little 
 ‘ stuck up 9 and conceited about your poem and 
 the entertainment and some other things, and 
 the want of the same praise from them that you 
 had received from other people made you indig- 
 nant with them." 
 
 “ I wish I had never heard of the entertain- 
 ment," sobbed Katie. 
 
 “Well, I have my doubts about the propriety 
 of this sort of thing, so common in our large 
 schools. The teachers say it gives confidence to 
 the pupils and develops their powers, but it 
 
1 86 THREE FEARS AT GLENJVOOD. 
 
 seems to me to be leading them directly into 
 temptation. I would not be willing to have my 
 Helen appear in one of these performances, I 
 should be afraid of its weakening the uncon- 
 scious simplicity with which I want her to do 
 everything to the glory of God. But I will not 
 blame the teachers. It may be of advantage to 
 girls who are to become teachers in their turn. 
 We can resist temptation anywhere, Katie, if 
 we are humbly trusting in our Saviour to keep us. 
 But you see you were not humble. ,, 
 
 “ Yes,” said Katie, with a sigh. “ Mrs. Lome 
 I am very sorry. What ought I to do ? ” 
 
 “Tell your dear Saviour so, remembering that 
 his blood cleanseth from all sin/ that he is 
 always more ready to receive us when we have 
 wandered away from him than we are to come 
 back. And comparing your advantages with 
 those of your companions, in having a mother to 
 teach you of holy things, and in being early 
 called into the service of Christ, you will see 
 that your slightest wanderings are more sinful 
 for you than their sins towards you are for 
 them ; and being humble now you will find no 
 difficulty in forgiving them. Then I think if 
 
A CHRISTIAN SUNDAY. . 1 8/ 
 
 you go to work to do kind things for them, you 
 will soon find yourself loving them, and not 
 thinking of whether or not they are grateful to 
 you and love you in return. If you should, you 
 have only just to remember how our Saviour goes 
 on loving the unthankful and the evil, and you 
 will forget yourself in studying him. I think 
 now we have caught all the foxes, and if my lit- 
 tle Katie will only once more seek simply to 
 please God in all she says and does, she will not 
 get into such a dark place again.” 
 
 She had spoken very seriously but very kindly, 
 and now she bent down and kissed the sobbing 
 girl, saying, “Tea will be ready in a few moments, 
 but if you want to go to your room for a little 
 while we will wait for you.” Katie understood, 
 and going to her room and throwing herself on 
 her knees before her Saviour, told him all the 
 sad story, finding no difficulty in commanding her 
 attention now, and realizing for herself what our 
 Saviour meant when he said, — 
 
 “ Come unto me all ye that are weary and 
 heavy laden and I will give you rest.” 
 
 When the tea-bell summoned her to come 
 down stairs she was so full of peace, joy, and 
 
i 88 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 love to every human being that she could have 
 embraced Bertie Sanderson and her whole set ; 
 and her kind entertainer, seeing the brightness 
 of her face, silently thanked God for this oppor- 
 tunity of service for him. 
 
BREAKING RULES , . 
 
 189 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 BREAKING RULES. 
 
 ATIE ROBERTSON went back to her 
 school duties on Monday morning in a 
 very different frame of mind from that 
 in which she had left them on Friday afternoon. 
 They had taken on a new aspect when seen 
 from a different plane of vision. Lessons which 
 were interesting in themselves became doubly 
 so when studied with a distinct purpose of pleas- 
 ing her Saviour, and work did not seem to be 
 half so fatiguing which was performed for 
 this object ; while her heart was so alive to 
 the desire of serving him by serving others 
 that she was ever on the watch for doing little 
 kindnesses, and had Lilian come to her for help 
 now, she would have found — 
 
 “ A heart at leisure from itself 
 To soothe and sympathize.” 
 
 When Bertie came to her room that night, 
 
190 THREE FEARS AT GLENW 00 D. 
 
 Katie said immediately, “I am sorry I was angry 
 with you, Bertie. Let ’s kiss and be friends 
 again.” 
 
 Bertie stared. She was under the impression 
 that she was the offending party. She had 
 thought that she had ought to apologize to 
 Katie for her share in the conversation which 
 she knew had been heard by its subject, although 
 she had not been so much to blame as some of 
 the other girls. But she had felt awkwardly 
 about it ; and though she had really once or 
 twice made the attempt, Katie, as we know, 
 gave her no encouragement, refusing to answer 
 when she spoke to her. 
 
 “ I have been going wrong for some time,” 
 she continued, “and I am afraid you have found 
 me cross and disagreeable ; but I mean to try 
 and be better now. Can’t I help you a little 
 with your lessons ? ” 
 
 Again Bertie looked astonished. She was 
 touched by her companion’s humility, but she 
 did not know how to express her feelings, and 
 so, being rather confused, she said nothing. 
 
 Poor Bertie was full of her own troubles by 
 this time. She was completely involved in the 
 
BREAKING RULES . 
 
 191 
 
 toils of Amelia Bascom, who had somehow man- 
 aged to make of her a perfect slave. She knew 
 she ought not to assist another girl to break 
 rules and carry on a clandestine correspondence 
 with boys, — a thing she would not have done 
 on her own account for any consideration ; but 
 Amelia ruled her completely, and between 
 threats of exposure for what she had already 
 done, and promises of all sorts of pleasant times 
 and good things in the future, she led her to 
 commit herself more and more, and effectually 
 sealed her mouth and prevented her seeking 
 help and advice of any one, or even telling Ka- 
 tie, as she was often inclined to do. 
 
 She came very near doing so upon the pres- 
 ent occasion, but the remembrance of her acted 
 lie prevented her ; for not only had she virtu- 
 ally denied to Amelia having worked in the paper- 
 mill herself, but before all that crowd of girls she 
 had allowed it to appear that she had not done 
 so, although Katie had, thus adding meanness to 
 untruth. The latter offence was bad enough, 
 but she sincerely hoped that her room-mate 
 would never find out the former. Then, too, 
 she was sure that Amelia knew the exact state 
 
192 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 of the case, and on any attempt to disobey or 
 expose her would explain it, to the amusement 
 of the girls and the indignation of Sophronia,( 
 who had sworn never to forgive her if through 
 her means the terrible secret came to light. 
 
 And so the poor girl went on, carrying a bur- 
 den which was becoming heavier day by day, 
 and which she could not cast upon him who is 
 able and willing to bear all our burdens, because 
 at the bottom of it lay a lie, and he “ desireth 
 truth in the inward parts.” 
 
 Amelia was carrying on her “fun” to the 
 utmost possible extent. Scarcely a day passed 
 but she sent Bertie with some message or note 
 to the young gentleman, who considered his 
 flirtation with “the Glenwood girl ” an exceed- 
 ingly manly thing, which added greatly to his 
 importance among his companions. She had 
 managed to send him a photograph of herself in 
 return for one of his, which Bertie had brought 
 her. The possession of this was alternately a 
 triumph when she showed it to the other girls 
 of her set, and a cause of torment lest it should 
 be discovered by some of the teachers. Her 
 photograph he would occasionally hold up in a 
 
BREAKING RULES . 
 
 193 
 
 tantalizing manner, laying his hand on his heart 
 and making all manner of ridiculous gestures, 
 when, as was usually the case, the boarders en- 
 countered him upon their daily processional walk. 
 
 These walks began to make Bertie exceedingly 
 nervous. Amelia always insisted upon walk- 
 ing with her, and, depending upon her secrecy, 
 played the handkerchief game, made signs and 
 gestures most unsuitable for the public streets, 
 even kissing her hand to the young exquisite, 
 who, in return, made the most extravagant signs 
 of devotion. Only two very little girls walked 
 behind Amelia and her companion, and they did 
 not at all understand what was going on, but 
 Bertie was constantly afraid that some of those 
 in front would turn round ; or, worse still, 
 that the teacher, who walked in front with 
 Katie or some one of the “ good girls,” would 
 find out what was going on. 
 
 But this state of things could not go on for- 
 ever. It was strange that Amelia, upon whom 
 suspicion already rested, could have carried out 
 her plans so long without being detected. It 
 was only Bertie’s connivance that enabled her 
 to do so. 
 
194 THREE YEARS AT G LEA WOOD. 
 
 One morning the young gentleman held up 
 to view a larger photograph than usual, and 
 both girls saw, to their horror, that the artist' 
 had combined Amelia's picture with his own in 
 a way possible to modern photography ! Even 
 Amelia turned pale with horror, and in answer 
 to her frantic gestures he slid the picture into 
 his pocket. In the afternoon Bertie was de- 
 spatched to one of the usual places of rendez- 
 vous, — there were several, to avoid detection, — 
 with an urgent note, insisting upon the giving 
 up or the destruction of the picture, which, 
 should it be discovered, would so compromise 
 the writer. 
 
 “Tell your friend," said the young man, very 
 coolly, putting the note into his pocket, “ that I 
 have been at very great trouble and expense in 
 having that photograph made, and I certainly 
 will not have it destroyed. I might, perhaps, 
 give it into her own hands, but I will not give 
 it to any messenger." (“ I have two more 
 copies," he added to himself.) 
 
 “ But Amelia is not allowed to go out " said 
 Bertie, “ except with one of the teachers." 
 
 “ Nonsense ! She can get out if she likes ; she 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 195 
 
 has done so several mornings, as you know. 
 Teachers have no right to imprison young 
 ladies, and if they make unjust rules, they must 
 expect not to have them obeyed. At any rate 
 I do not give my favors for nothing. Tell Miss 
 Amelia that if she will meet me just round the 
 corner at half-past seven to-night, I will give 
 her the picture, but not else. I am sure she 
 can manage it. You can help her, as you al- 
 ways do. ,, 
 
 It is a proof that Bertie Sanderson was only a 
 silly, easily-influenced girl, and neither a vain 
 nor a bad one, that it never entered into her 
 head to resent being treated merely as a messen- 
 ger. It never occurred to her to expect the 
 same kind of attentions that were bestowed 
 upon Amelia, and her own innate dignity would 
 have resented them had they been offered. In 
 her heart she despised Amelia, even while com- 
 promising herself to carry out her companion’s 
 plans. As to the young exquisite, when one of 
 his friends asked him why he did n’t flirt with 
 the girl who came to him instead of the one 
 who did not, he shrugged his shoulders and 
 said, “ I prefer pretty girls to frights ; besides 
 
196 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 she isn’t one of the kind.” Bertie, having de- 
 livered her message just before tea-time, maide 
 great efforts to prevail upon her companion not 
 to accede to the young man’s request. It 
 would be an exceedingly dangerous thing to do ; 
 involving as it did a direct disobedience to the 
 general rule which forbade any one’s going out 
 after tea, and the particular one which prevented 
 Amelia’s doing so alone at any time. She re- 
 presented how extremely difficult it would be 
 either to get out or in, without detection, at 
 a time when all the boarders were over at the 
 Institute studying to-morrow’s lessons, and 
 only teachers and servants round. 
 
 “ That ’ll make it all the easier,” said Amelia. 
 “ Miss Pauline (the French teacher) will be in her 
 own room as usual. Miss Manton (the drawing 
 teacher), you know, has several private pupils in 
 hers, — girls who can’t find time for their lessons 
 in the day-time. Miss Perry never thinks about 
 us when meal-times are over. Miss Thornton 
 will be at the Institute with the girls, and the 
 servants will be down taking their tea. I can 
 manage it just as well as not if you ’ll only 
 help me a little bit. If you don’t choose to I 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 19 7 
 
 know who will. I have plenty of friends. But 
 I know what I know, and I don’t care to go on 
 keeping secrets for a girl who won’t take just a 
 little trouble for me.” 
 
 “ Why, you know, Amelia” — began Bertie de- 
 precatingly, — 
 
 “ Yes, I know, you ’ve carried a scrap of pa- 
 per once in a while for me when you were going 
 out anyway, and you ’ve done a little shopping 
 for me because I ’m so unjustly shut up ; but 
 you ’ve been paid for it with candy and lots of 
 things, to say nothing of your share of the 
 fun. This is a real lark now, and I should 
 think you ’d like to go in for it.” 
 
 “ Well, I would n’t,” said Bertie shortly, though 
 knowing she should have to yield. “ I ’m afraid.” 
 
 “ Afraid of what ? of getting your own pre- 
 cious self into trouble? Never fear, Bertie; 
 nobody ’ll suspect the boys of admiring your 
 ugly face. But I really did n’t think you were 
 so selfish. Just think of me! If that horrid 
 picture gets into anybody’s hands and they 
 make a fuss and get hold of my notes, what do 
 you suppose will become of me ? If you cared 
 anything about me, you ’d give me a chance to 
 
198 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 get it back. I promise you I ’ll never have any- 
 thing more to do with the fellow when I do. 
 I 'm half tired of him already/' 
 
 “ What do you want me to do ? ” said Bertie, 
 relenting. 
 
 “ Nothing in the world except to open and shut 
 the door when no one is looking. That won't 
 compromise you half as much as what you have 
 done already." The two girls then, having rap- 
 idly planned operations, separated, Bertie going 
 over as usual to the Institute to study, purposely, 
 however, forgetting to take her geography. 
 
 Amelia went to Miss Thornton and said, 
 with a very sweet face, “ I don't feel very well 
 this evening, my head aches a little. Will you 
 please excuse me from the study hours, and let 
 me go to my room ? I learned some of my lessons 
 in school to-day, and I think I can make up 
 the others to-morrow." 
 
 The teacher looked at her searchingly, but 
 could see nothing wrong, for girls do have head- 
 aches, and Amelia was as liable to have one as 
 any one else, even if she was under suspicion. 
 She gave the required permission, adding 
 kindly, — 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 199 
 
 “ Don’t try to read or study, dear. Go right 
 to bed and you will feel better in the morning.” 
 “ Yes, ma’am/' said Amelia sweetly, and went 
 up-stairs. 
 
 In about half an hour, that is a few moments 
 before half-past seven, Bertie suddenly said, — 
 
 “ I 've forgotten my geography, Miss Thorn- 
 ton. May I run over to the house and get it ? '' 
 “Take mine,” said Katie. 
 
 “ Yours is the ‘ Higher/ mine 's only the ‘ In- 
 termediate.' May I go, Miss Thornton ? ” 
 
 The teacher nodded, saying, — 
 
 “ Don't be so careless another time,” adding, 
 as she left the room, — “ While you 're over, go 
 and ask how Miss Bascom’s headache is.” 
 
 “Yes, ma'am,” said Bertie, and went. 
 
 It was still quite light this long spring day, 
 and as she ran lightly through the garden she 
 saw the well-known boyish form just outside of 
 the bars. He motioned something with his 
 mouth which she thought meant “ Is she com- 
 ing?” and she signalled back “Yes.” 
 
 Entering the hall she found Amelia ready to 
 go out, but having on her own hat and wrap. 
 
 “ You will forgive me for borrowing, I am 
 
200 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 sure/’ she said. “ I thought it would be a little 
 less awkward if anybody was to see me. Quick, 
 now ! bolt the door and watch. I 'll give a low 
 whistle outside, and if there 's nobody within 
 sight or hearing, open the door quickly. If 
 there is any one you whistle back again and I 'll 
 wait. If there's danger of any one's coming 
 out and finding me, whistle twice, and I 'll 
 hide." 
 
 So saying she cautiously slid back the bolt of 
 the hall-door and turned the key ; then quietly 
 slipping out, ran down the steps, while her ac- 
 complice succeeded in closing and fastening the 
 lock without having been perceived. She won- 
 dered, as she went up-stairs for her geography, 
 the ostensible object of her trip to “the house," 
 why it would be less “ awkward " for Amelia to 
 be caught in her hat and wrap rather than in 
 her own, since all the girls were alike forbidden 
 to go out of the house after tea. Events proved 
 Amelia's reasoning good. 
 
 Bertie got her geography, noticing at the 
 same time that Amelia had considerably de- 
 ranged her closet and drawers in borrowing 
 berthings. She was not particularly tidy, — a 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 20 ! 
 
 fact which often gave considerable trouble to 
 Katie — and did not stop to put things in order, 
 being, in truth, afraid to miss Amelia’s whistle. 
 
 It had been arranged that the latter would be 
 only a few moments absent, as she had only to 
 go to the corner and recover the picture, and 
 her accomplice waited anxiously for the signal, 
 looking round carefully all the while to see that 
 the coast was clear. 
 
 She waited five, ten, fifteen minutes, every 
 nerve strained to its utmost. Then she heard a 
 step on the stairs, and shrank back into the 
 darkest corner of the hall while Mademoiselle 
 Pauline passed down and went into Miss Perry’s 
 room, closing the door after her. 
 
 Bertie became anxious. At any moment the 
 French teacher might come out again, and she 
 be caught in the very act of opening the door. 
 She listened again and again. No whistle came. 
 She opened the door cautiously and looked out 
 into the gathering night. No one was in sight. 
 She closed it and waited again in an agony of 
 impatience. At length the great clock in the 
 hall struck eight, and not daring to remain 
 from the study-room any longer, she ran across 
 
202 THREE YEARS A T GLEN WOOD. 
 
 the garden, and took her place with a very red 
 face. 
 
 Several girls looked up curiously, and Miss 
 Thornton said, — 
 
 “It took you a long time to find your geogra- 
 phy, Miss Sanderson. Oh, I remember! you 
 went to look after Miss Bascom, and, I suppose, 
 forgot yourself talking to her. How is her 
 head?” 
 
 “Better,” muttered Bertie, with an intense 
 sensation of relief at having got off so easily. 
 
 Amelia Bascom went down the steps with 
 mingled feelings. The mystery of the thing 
 was delightful in itself; the sense of a grown- 
 up adventure of this sort still more so. Even 
 the pleasure of going out alone for the first 
 time in so many months was great ; and it was 
 greatly added to by the consciousness of suc- 
 cessfully baffling the “ dragons of teachers.” 
 She almost wished the excursion was to be 
 a longer one, but of course she only intended 
 to secure the photograph and at once return. 
 If her conscience, which was not yet quite dead, 
 gave her any uneasy suggestions, she took care 
 to stifle them,, and walked rapidly down the 
 street 
 
BREAKING RULES . 
 
 203 
 
 She did not find the object of her search as 
 near the corner as she expected. Indeed, he 
 wanted to see, — and boast to his foolish com- 
 panions, when he told the whole as a good joke 
 on “a boarding-school girl,” — how far she would 
 follow him. When she did reach him about half 
 way down the block, she exclaimed, almost 
 breathlessly, — 
 
 “ Give me the photograph, quickly. I must 
 get back before I am missed.” 
 
 “ It is here,” said he, taking out a handful of 
 cards from his pocket. “ Stay, I can’t tell which it 
 is in the dark. Come down there to that light- 
 ed window.” 
 
 She followed him, saying as she did so, — 
 
 “ I am seriously displeased with you for hav- 
 ing it taken so.” 
 
 “ Are you, now ? That ’s cruel. And yet I 
 should n’t have thought so ; you put mine close 
 to your heart,” which had been one of Amelia’s 
 silly performances on one of the morning prom- 
 enades. 
 
 “ Oh, this is different. If it was to be found 
 out, people would think I ’d been with you to 
 have it taken.” 
 
204 THREE YEARS AT GLENW00D . 
 
 “ I wish you had;” said he, “that would be 
 such fun. I hope you will some time.” 
 
 Amelia simpered and looked foolish, but she 
 was really anxious to get back, and she said, — 
 “ Please make haste and give me the picture.” 
 “ I wonder if I can have left it at home,” he 
 said, fumbling in his pocket. “ Come in to this 
 store,” — leading her into the open door near 
 which she stood, — “ it ’s lighter, I can see 
 better. By the by, who helped you to get out, 
 and who ’s going to help you get in again ? — your 
 usual messenger ? ” Amelia nodded. “ She 
 can be trusted, can’t she? She’ll wait.” 
 
 “ I suppose so.” 
 
 “ Oh, then it ’s all right. I ’ll find it in a 
 moment. Just sit down,” — and he pushed her 
 to a seat by one of the marble tables, saying 
 grandly to a passing waiter, — 
 
 “Two ice-creams, please, vanilla and straw- 
 berry, — you like ice-cream, of course ? ” 
 
 “Yes, very much,” said Amelia, “but — ” 
 
 “ Never mind the buts ; that girl friend of 
 yours is to be depended upon ; you told me she 
 was in one of your notes. She ’ll take care that 
 nothing happens.” 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 20 $ 
 
 “Oh, those notes,” said the girl, suddenly. 
 “ I hope you have torn them all up.” 
 
 “ Do you think I could destroy anything so 
 precious ? No, they are all here, close to my 
 heart.” 
 
 “ Do, please, give them back to me, with the 
 picture.” 
 
 By this time the ice-cream had come, and he 
 pushed one saucer towards her, commencing 
 vigorously upon the other himself. 
 
 “I must go,” said she, making one more 
 effort, but he said, — 
 
 “Nonsense; it’s ordered and it’s got to be 
 eaten. It won’t take a minute, anyway.” 
 
 And so many minutes slipped away. Amelia 
 was fond of ice-cream ; what school-girl is not ? 
 But she enjoyed infinitely more the consequence 
 of being taken to an ice-cream saloon by a 
 young man, and sitting there alone with him 
 quite as if she were grown up. It would be 
 something to tell the girls when she got home, 
 about her doings at boarding-school. It proved 
 that she was not a baby, in spite of her impris- 
 onment by “the dragons.” 
 
 Something of this she managed to impart to 
 
20 6 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 her companion, even while attempting to appear 
 quite grown up, and as if going to restaurants 
 with young men in the evening was a common 
 occurrence in her life, and he laughed merrily, 
 and then produced the letters and the photo- 
 graph, asking her how much she would give for 
 them, showing her how cunningly the photog- 
 rapher had put the two pictures into one focus, 
 and made it appear as though both had sat for 
 them together. 
 
 Suddenly the City Hall clock struck eight, 
 and Amelia, saying, “ I cannot stop another mo- 
 ment, M started up, and, quite forgetting letters 
 and photographs, ran home as quickly as she 
 could. Almost too much out of breath to do it, 
 she gave the whistle agreed upon, but there was 
 no response. Again she tried it, with the same 
 result, and then began to wonder what she should 
 do. Bertie had evidently not dared to wait any 
 longer, and had left her to her fate. She was 
 locked out, and any attempt at being admitted 
 in the ordinary way would reveal her secret. 
 For a few moments she was very much fright- 
 ened, and would have given a great deal to be 
 once more safely in her own room. 
 
BREAKING RULES . 
 
 207 
 
 But by this time her late companion was by 
 her side. He had only waited to pay for the 
 ice-cream, and had then followed at a discreet 
 distance to see the end of the fun. Coming up 
 the steps now, he whispered, — 
 
 “ Don't stand here making a noise. The 
 girls will be going in from their study hour at 
 nine, — I know all their ways. Then I will help 
 you over the garden railing, and you can go in 
 with them and no one will know. In the mean- 
 while, let ’s go and take a walk.” 
 
 It was a delightful plan, which promised to 
 put an end to all embarrassments ; for, of course, 
 Bertie would not for her own sake tell any one 
 that she was out, and she had no fear of being 
 missed from her room, as she was supposed to 
 have gone to bed, and had no room-mate. So 
 she made the most of her opportunity, and 
 greatly enjoyed her promenade along the lighted 
 streets, looking into the brilliant windows and 
 listening to and talking the nonsense which only 
 sixteen and seventeen are competent to invent. 
 Both agreed that they were having a delightful 
 time, and that they would often repeat the plea- 
 sure. Amelia, in her enjoyment of this added 
 
208 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 pleasure, quite got over her anger against Ber- 
 tie for not having waited for her. And neither 
 gave one other thought to the photograph or 
 the letters. 
 
 At a few moments before nine, Amelia was 
 carefully helped over the low iron railing of the 
 Institute garden, and, standing in the shadow of 
 the side door, joined the boarders when they 
 passed out, handing Bertie her hat and sacque 
 as she did so. 
 
 Bertie started and gave a look of surprise, but 
 Amelia whispered, — 
 
 “ I ’ll tell you all about it to-morrow. Had a 
 splendid time,” and slipped unobserved to her 
 room. 
 
 Miss Thornton stopped at the door a few 
 moments afterwards, but seeing everything dark 
 and hearing no sound, concluded that the “ poor 
 girl ” was sleeping off her headache, and would 
 not disturb her by going in. 
 
 “ What made you wear your hat over to the 
 Institute to-night ? ” said Katie, as Bertie threw 
 her wraps upon the bed ; “it was n’t cold.” 
 
 Bertie muttered something about “night air,” 
 and hurried her preparations for bed. 
 
BREAKING RULES. 
 
 209 
 
 u What a muss you do keep your things in,” 
 said the orderly room-mate ; then fearing she 
 had seemed unkind or domineering, which she 
 had determined not to be now, she added, — 
 “ Never mind; I suppose you turned them up in 
 hunting for your geography and were in too 
 much of a hurry to put them back, Here, I ’ll 
 help you,” — which she did, and Bertie said 
 never a word. 
 
 Katie went to bed at once that night. Since 
 her talk with Mrs. Lome she had not sat up 
 late to study. She was trying to do all things 
 “ to the glory of God,” and, as a part of the 
 “all things,” to take good care of the body 
 which He had given her. So, although she 
 would have dearly loved to go once more over 
 the subject on which she was to pass an exami- 
 nation for promotion to-morrow, she resolutely 
 closed her book, resolving to get up early in the 
 morning instead ; which, we may remark in 
 passing, she did, and, finding she could accom- 
 plish twice as much in half an hour of morning 
 freshness as in an hour of jaded weariness at 
 night, made a practice of the same, and continued 
 it till the examinations were over and the vacation 
 had come. 
 
210 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 Of course just before retiring she knelt for 
 her evening prayer. She had more to say to 
 her heavenly Father now than a few weeks 
 ago and more pleasure in saying it, and before 
 she had finished, Bertie was asleep. As she 
 rose from her knees she was surprised to see 
 her door open, and Miss Pauline put in her 
 head. The teachers, of course, had a right to 
 come into the rooms of their pupils at any hour 
 of the day or night, and the possibility that 
 they might do so proved in some cases a salu- 
 tary restraint, but they rarely exercised the 
 privilege, and Katie was somewhat surprised to 
 see Miss Pauline. 
 
 “ I came to see if your light was out,” she 
 said. “ Where is Miss Sanderson ? Oh ! I see ; 
 all right,” and she closed the door. Katie won- 
 dered why she asked for “ Miss Sanderson,” but 
 soon lost her wonder in a dreamless sleep. 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINE'S THEORY. 21 j 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 MADEMOISELLE PAULINE’S THEORY. 
 
 ADEMOISELLE PAULINE was not 
 a favorite with the girls. A few of 
 them liked her, and she made pets of a 
 few, of which, strange to say, Amelia Bascom 
 was one. She was thoroughly French in her 
 nature and disposition, liking what was pretty 
 and gay, and detesting what was ugly and un- 
 graceful. She liked also a little bit of romance 
 and intrigue, and had quite sympathized with 
 Amelia, who, by the by, was her best French 
 scholar, in the disgrace into which she had 
 fallen at the close of the last year, and the con- 
 sequent restrictions under which she was now 
 placed. She did not like either Bertie or Katie, 
 the former, because she was ugly and ungraceful, 
 the latter, because her spiritual nature was above 
 the plane of the lively French woman. More- 
 over Mademoiselle Pauline was of a very curious. 
 
212 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 investigating nature, and the girls instinctively 
 felt that if they had any secrets which they desired 
 to have kept, they had better not let the French 
 conversation-teacher get any clue to them. 
 
 On the evening, the events of which we have 
 narrated so minutely, Mademoiselle Pauline sat at 
 the window of her room, which happened to be 
 in the front of the house, and saw to her surprise, 
 some one, not a teacher, go down the front 
 steps, walk rapidly along the street, and disap- 
 pear around the corner. She could not see the 
 face which was turned in the opposite direction, 
 and in the gathering twilight she failed to 
 notice the long, light curls, which unmistak- 
 ably marked Amelia Bascom. But she did 
 distinctly see the hat and wrap, and her French 
 eye for dress at once told her that they were 
 those with which she was familiar, as morning 
 after morning they appeared upon the person 
 of Bertie Sanderson. What could this ugly 
 girl be wanting to break rules for ? Surely no 
 one would flirt with her. There must be some 
 mystery. She could only be the emissary of some 
 one else. She waited patiently some little time 
 for the figure to return, and when it did not, 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINES THEORY. 2\% 
 
 went quietly down stairs and tried the front 
 door. To her surprise, it was locked and bolted. 
 “Aha!” thought she ; “that door could not fasten 
 itself ; nor could it have been fastened from the 
 outside. There must be two of them — who is the 
 other? No doubt the pious Miss Robertson* 
 So much for cant ! I always doubt those girls 
 who set themselves up to be so much better 
 than their companions. This must be looked 
 into ; we shall see.” And so saying, she knocked 
 at Miss Perry’s door and went in, as we have 
 seen, while Bertie stood hidden in the dark 
 shadows. 
 
 Miss Perry, while she did not seem to con- 
 cern herself with her boarders beyond supplying 
 their temporal wants, was nevertheless a wide- 
 awake woman, and greatly concerned for the 
 reputation of her house as well as for her own 
 reputation as a careful guardian. She listened 
 attentively to Miss Pauline’s story, and saw that 
 something must be done at once ; but she ad- 
 vised great caution, and that pains should be 
 taken to come into full possession of the facts 
 before any steps were taken. Even then great 
 care must be exercised not to make the matter 
 
214 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 so public as to compromise the boarding-house 
 in the eyes of parents and the world. Miss Perry 
 added that, after all, there might be some mis- 
 take. Bertie Sanderson, indeed, was one of 
 those weak characters ready to be led by any 
 one who will take the trouble to lead them, but 
 Katie Robertson was a totally different kind of 
 girl. She could hardly think of her in connec- 
 tion with anything but accurate scholarship and 
 correct deportment. They must be very cautious 
 how they acted. 
 
 Miss Pauline did not quite agree with her 
 elder as to a girl’s general character preventing 
 her committing occasional acts of indiscretion, 
 and the two conversed so long that it was 
 quarter past eight before they were ready for 
 action. By this time, as the reader knows, 
 Bertie Sanderson had gone back to her studies, 
 and Amelia, having whistled and waited for the 
 door to open in vain, had gone off on her moon- 
 light walk. Had the conversation been finished 
 a few moments earlier, the door would have 
 been opened, and the delinquent would have 
 fallen into the arms of Miss Perry and Miss 
 Pauline. A few moments later, a most unusual 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINES THEORY. 215 
 
 thing happened. The French governess from 
 “ the house ” dropped into the study-room at 
 the Institute, and sat down to have a little chat 
 with Miss Thornton. The latter, whose only 
 duties during the study hours were those of 
 general supervision, was on the whole rather 
 glad of the diversion, and talked pleasantly in 
 a low tone, her visitor showing her a little 
 French poem, which she said she greatly ad- 
 mired. 
 
 “ I do not like it,” said the elder teacher, 
 who was a perfect French scholar; “ that line 
 is not true, nor that sentiment.” 
 
 “Oh!” said the French girl, shrugging her 
 shoulders, “I did not say it was. No ! it is not 
 true, but is it not pretty ? ” 
 
 “I do not see beauty where there is no truth,” 
 said Miss Thornton. “ I prefer truth to beauty, 
 and even to mental brilliancy ; but we have one 
 pupil here who seems to me in a remarkable 
 degree to combine all three. I think Katie 
 Robertson will yet make her mark.” 
 
 Miss Pauline looked across the room and ac- 
 knowledged to herself that it was hard to con- 
 nect any wrong-doing with the fair, graceful, 
 
21 6 THREE YEARS AT GLEMVOOD. 
 
 open-faced girl now studying so diligently. At 
 the same moment she saw Bertie, who, to her 
 surprise, was in her place and studying as assid- 
 uously as Katie herself, though her usual color 
 was somewhat heightened. 
 
 “ Do the girls never leave the room during 
 study hours,” said she. “ I thought I heard 
 some one rushing up-stairs a little while ago.” 
 
 “ Miss Sanderson went over for her geogra- 
 phy, which she had carelessly forgotten.” 
 
 “ She was gone a long time, was she not ? ” 
 asked the visitor, in a meaning tone. 
 
 “Yes, I believe she was ; but as I had asked 
 her to do an errand for me I did n’t think much 
 of it.” 
 
 “ Was your errand out of doors ? ” 
 
 “No, certainly not. The girls are never al- 
 lowed to go in the street after tea, and I should 
 not have thought of sending her. What do you 
 mean ? ” 
 
 “ I am not at liberty to explain ; you will hear 
 all about it some time. Good-night,” and the 
 visitor took her leave. 
 
 “ She was not gone long, then,” thought Miss 
 Pauline. “ As I supposed she was only a messen- 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINE'S THEORY. 21 7 
 
 ger ; but how did she get in ? Katie Robertson 
 has evidently not left her place. I must see the 
 end of this mystery.’' 
 
 As a farther step to the solution she watched 
 the girls as they came up-stairs, and was con- 
 firmed in her suspicions by seeing Bertie’s hat 
 and wrap, as since the warm spring weather had 
 come it was not thought necessary to put on 
 outside garments when crossing the narrow gar- 
 den path to the Institute. In order still farther 
 to satisfy herself, she looked in at the girls on 
 her way to her own room, and was a little scan- 
 dalized to find the culprit of her imagination 
 on her knees. Her opinion, however, was not 
 changed, and she considered this only a greater 
 proof of duplicity. 
 
 At the close of breakfast the next morning, 
 Miss Perry said, in her usual dignified man- 
 ner, — 
 
 “ Miss Robertson and Miss Sanderson need 
 not join in the promenade to-day ; I wish to 
 speak to them in my room.” 
 
 There was nothing very unusual in this. The 
 girls were frequently called into Miss Perry’s 
 room to consult about their wardrobes, their 
 
218 three years at glenwood. 
 
 rooms, or some matter treated of in home let- 
 ters. Scoldings were not common, at least 
 from her, and no one could be frightened at 
 such a summons ; and yet, at this moment, al- 
 most every one felt that something unusual 
 was about to happen. Bertie, who was a good 
 deal of a coward, turned absolutely pale, while, 
 had any one been observing Amelia, they would 
 have seen that she was blushing to the roots of 
 her hair, and making every effort to hide her 
 confusion. 
 
 Katie looked up with a perfectly unembar- 
 rassed air, and said, “ Certainly, Miss Perry ; 
 shall we come now, or will I have time to in- 
 dorse and fold my composition.” 
 
 “ Come at once,” and she led the way into 
 her own room, where the two girls follow- 
 ing her found Mademoiselle Pauline already 
 seated. 
 
 “Young ladies,” said Miss Perry, when the 
 door was closed, “ I do not want to make any 
 scandal about this sad affair, or to disgrace you 
 among your companions, so I have thought it 
 best to call you privately and inform you that 
 the whole of last night’s proceedings are known 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINE'S THEORY. 219 
 
 to us, and that it will be of no sort of use for 
 you to deny them. ,, 
 
 “ What proceedings ? ” asked Katie in great 
 astonishment. 
 
 “The encouragement you have given to a 
 young gentleman who has been known to follow 
 the young ladies in their morning walks for 
 some time, and your culpable conduct in making 
 an accomplice of your room-mate, even to send- 
 ing her with some message to him last evening, 
 and causing her to disobey the rule about going 
 out after tea,” said Miss Pauline. 
 
 She spoke in an assured manner. Having 
 pieced together her evidence and formed her 
 theory, which she was sure was the true one, 
 she wished to startle her hearer into some 
 sudden admission which would prove it to be 
 so. But Katie looked up in genuine astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 “ I don’t understand,” she said. “I don’t 
 know any young gentleman here. I never sent 
 Bertie anywhere, and I don’t believe she went 
 out last night at all.” 
 
 “ I did not” said Bertie emphatically. 
 
 “Young ladies,” said Miss Perry, “denials 
 
220 THREE YEARS AT GLEMVOOD. 
 
 will not serve your purpose. Miss Pauline saw 
 Miss Sanderson leave this house at half-past 
 seven o’clock last night. She did not see her 
 come back, but she ascertained from Miss 
 Thornton that she had been absent from the 
 study room a much longer time than was neces- 
 sary to find her geography, and received further 
 confirmation by seeing her carry up her hat and 
 sacque, which were totally unnecessary to be 
 worn in crossing the garden path this warm 
 night. 0 
 
 Katie started as she remembered the hat and 
 the disarranged drawers, but she said, — 
 
 “ I know nothing about it.” 
 
 The start of course told against her, and Miss 
 Perry said coldly, — 
 
 “I am sorry, Miss Robertson, to be compelled 
 to doubt your word.” 
 
 “ She is speaking the truth,” said Bertie, 
 eagerly. “ She does not know anything about 
 it.” 
 
 “But you do,” said Miss Pauline quickly. 
 “Do you deny that I saw you leave the house?” 
 
 “ Yes,” said Bertie. 
 
 “How can you persist in such a falsehood? 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINE'S THEORY, 22 t 
 
 I should know your hat anywhere. I tell you I 
 saw you go down the steps and as far as the 
 corner of the street/’ 
 
 “ How could she get out and in again without 
 being seen ? ” said Katie, after thinking a while. 
 “ Did you find the door open ? ” 
 
 “ No, and that makes us sure that there were 
 two in the case. How she got out and how she 
 got in, you probably know. Bertie is not likely 
 to get into a flirtation upon her own account. 
 She must be some one’s accomplice. That 
 some one can only be you.” 
 
 Miss Pauline was jumping at conclusions in 
 the most unwarrantable manner. Miss Perry saw 
 it, but would not reprove a teacher before her 
 scholars, and she thought perhaps the real facts 
 might be elicited, but they were not. Bertie 
 persisted in denying that she had been out, but 
 would say no more upon the subject. At the first 
 accusation of Katie, her indignation and native 
 generosity had prompted her to clear her friend at 
 the expense of her tormentor, but a moment’s 
 thought showed her how completely she was in 
 the latter’s power. She could not clear herself 
 by denouncing Amelia, for she had again and 
 
222 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 again assisted the latter to break not only the 
 rules of the school, but those of common eti- 
 quette, by letting herself be the medium of 
 a clandestine correspondence, and on the very 
 evening in question had given her assistance in 
 a flagrant breach of rules by means of a carefully 
 planned conspiracy. Should she expose Amelia 
 all this would come out, and Amelia would tell 
 the terrible secrets so long kept about her. It 
 would be known that she was a factory girl, and 
 had lied in saying she was not, and Sophronia 
 would fulfil her threats, and Katie and all the rest 
 would despise her. A brave girl might have faced 
 all this for the sake of doing justice to one whom 
 she really loved and respected as much as she 
 did Katie. But Bertie was not brave, and her 
 Christian principle, never very strong, was not 
 nowadays strengthened by constant applications 
 to the Source of all strength. She could not 
 sacrifice herself, and, though she was sorry for 
 Katie, she refused to say another word. 
 
 After waiting as long as she could, consistently 
 with the rapidly approaching school hour, Miss 
 Perry said gravely, — 
 
 “ Well, young ladies, I had hoped that my 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINES THEORY. 22$ 
 
 gentle and considerate way of dealing with you 
 would have led to greater openness on your part, 
 but it seems I was mistaken. I shall not punish 
 a first offence of this kind very severely. 
 Should a repetition occur you will be sent to 
 your parents in disgrace. For the present, I 
 shall simply treat you as I am accustomed to 
 treat those who have forfeited their right to be 
 trusted. You must not either of you again 
 leave the school enclosure except in company 
 with a teacher. Your companions will, of 
 course, understand that there is some reason 
 back of this prohibition, but you may do as you 
 like about telling them what it is. I shall not 
 say anything about the matter, and I request 
 you, Mademoiselle, not to do so. I do not think 
 it a good plan in a boarding-school to give 
 matters of this sort more publicity than can be 
 helped.” 
 
 The two girls then went into school, and 
 during prayer time found it hard to bring them- 
 selves to attend to what was going on. Katie 
 was astonished, sorrowful, indignant, especially 
 at having her word doubted. No one likes to 
 be suspected of evil, or to be treated as guilty. 
 
224 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 But she was conscious of complete innocence, 
 and the charge brought against her was so 
 foreign to her whole nature that she felt sure it 
 would sooner or later be refuted. So she made 
 the public prayer season an occasion for a little 
 prayer of her own, in which she once more 
 “ committed her way unto the Lord,” and rested 
 in faith upon His power to “ bring it to pass,” 
 and to bring forth her righteousness as the light, 
 and her judgment as noonday. “ Perhaps,” she 
 thought, “ I have been so proud and thought so 
 much of myself God has let this thing come 
 upon me to make and keep me humble. I will 
 try and bear it the best way that I can.” 
 
 The deprivation, beyond its showing a want 
 of trust, bore very lightly upon Katie. She had 
 never cared to go out much, and now that the 
 closing examinations were crowding so closely, 
 she was glad of every extra moment she could 
 secure for study. One or two things were hard. 
 She could not see and comfort poor little Lilian, 
 as she would have liked to do, and she was 
 obliged to decline Mrs. Lome’s invitation to 
 spend another happy Sunday with her, on Miss 
 Perry's authority. Helen looked surprised when 
 
MADEMOISELLE PAULINE'S THEORY. 225 
 
 the answer was given her, but was too well- 
 bred to ask any more questions, and in the 
 meantime saw as much of her new friend as she 
 could in recess, and at the opening and close of 
 school. She was becoming very fond of Katie, 
 and wanted to make the most of her time before 
 the vacation, now so close at hand. Among all 
 the girls with whom she had been thrown during 
 her school life, this was the first who could un- 
 derstand her own love to Christ and simple 
 desire to please Him ; and the talk of the two 
 young girls was sometimes very sweet as they 
 walked up and down the halls together. This 
 friendship greatly improved Katie’s position 
 among the other girls, even those of Sophronia’s 
 “ set.” They were not magnanimous enough to 
 ask her pardon for what they must have known 
 she overheard, but a friend of Helen Lome’s 
 could not be treated as too low in the social 
 scale to be associated with. They began to see 
 that she was very smart and pretty, and “ nice,” 
 even if she had been a “ factory girl,” and one 
 after another asked her to “ walk,” offered her 
 delicacies at lunch-time, and included her in 
 their conversation. Even Sophronia saw that 
 
226 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 she would please Helen better by noticing 
 Katie, and she often joined the two in their 
 promenade, and i listened patiently to talk 
 about church, Sunday-school and Christian work. 
 Katie was very forgiving. She accepted all over- 
 tures gracefully, feeling that the former state 
 of affairs was partly her own fault. She resolute- 
 ly put aside even her work when it interfered 
 with social kindnesses, and, becoming better 
 known and having more to love, the last weeks of 
 her school year were very much happier than 
 the earlier months had been. 
 
BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 227 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 ERTIE SANDERSON’S feelings as 
 she too went into the chapel for pray- 
 ers were of a very complicated nature. 
 She was ashamed of her part in last night’s 
 frolic, and sorry that she had ever let herself 
 get so entangled. She was afraid that her long 
 course of duplicity would be brought to light, 
 and at the same time indignant at being ac- 
 cused of a violation of rules, of which she had 
 not really been guilty, — a charge of which she 
 could not clear herself except by the confession 
 of still greater guilt. Then, too, she really loved 
 Katie, and all the better part of her nature re- 
 volted from allowing her to be suspected of a 
 fault of which she knew her to be entirely inno- 
 cent, when a word from her would instantly 
 clear her. She seemed doomed to be always 
 an injury to her friend, even now when she had 
 
228 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 not the least intention of anything but kindness. 
 By the time prayers were over, these better feel- 
 ings prevailed, and she resolved to speak that 
 word, at no matter what cost to herself, if she 
 could only get Amelia's permission to do so. In 
 order to obtain that permission she waited with 
 great impatience for “ recess," when she at 
 once sought the latter and drew her into a 
 quiet place behind some cases of birds. 
 
 Amelia had been carefully considering her 
 own best course of action. Had she been sure 
 that she had been seen and taken for Bertie 
 Sanderson, she would have denied, even to the 
 latter, all knowledge of the escapade , and, know- 
 ing that there was no evidence against her except 
 the word of a school-girl of no more value than 
 her own, have left her to her fate. But she could 
 not be sure how much had been discovered or how 
 much had been confessed during that mysterious 
 interview in Miss Perry’s room. It was necessa- 
 ry to find this out, and in order to do so* she must 
 for a little longer keep terms with Bertie. She 
 was even sweeter and more demonstrative than 
 usual as she commenced the conversation by 
 saying, — 
 
/ 
 
 BUSY WEEKS. 229 
 
 “ You don’t know what a splendid time I had 
 last night ; and it was not found out, after all. I 
 was terribly scared, though, when I whistled and 
 you didn’t open the door. Why didn’t you 
 wait?” 
 
 “ I could n’t, it was so late. Miss Thornton 
 asked me what kept me so long, as it was.” 
 
 “ Well, it did n’t matter. I had a great deal 
 better time as it was ; ” and she told Bertie 
 about the ice-cream and the walk, — a great 
 condescension, by the by, that she would not 
 have made if she had had any one else to whom 
 she could have boasted of her grown-up doings. 
 “ I got in a great deal nicer way, too,” she con- 
 cluded, “and was never even suspected.” 
 
 “ Well, I was,” said Bertie, “ and what is 
 worse, Katie Robertson was, and she has not 
 an idea of it, as you know.” 
 
 “Oh, how rich,” said Amelia, with a merry 
 laugh — “the sainted paragon suspected of a 
 flirtation. How the girls will laugh at such a 
 story about the transmuted factory girl.” 
 
 “ But you can’t tell them the story without 
 exposing yourself, and me, too.” 
 
 Amelia saw this, and, although she would not 
 
230 THREE YEARS AT GLENW 00 D. 
 
 have minded the latter clause, she did not 
 choose to risk herself. 
 
 “ How fortunate it was,” she said, “ that I 
 wore your hat and wrap. Miss Pauline’s eyes 
 are not so good as she thought they were. 
 To think of your being taken for me ! How 
 ridiculous.” There was a scornful inflection in 
 these last words, under which even obtuse Ber- 
 tie winced.” 
 
 “ I don’t think it ’s kind in you,” she said, “ to 
 be glad that I am suspected and punished in- 
 stead of you.” 
 
 “ Pshaw! what does the punishment amount 
 to ? It ’s different for you than it would be for 
 me, because it’s your first time. It’ll only last 
 till the vacation, and when you come back it will 
 all be forgotten. I should be expelled. And as 
 to the suspicion, nobody accuses you of flirta- 
 tion. You are only suspected of being a mes- 
 senger for some one else.” 
 
 “ And that some one else is the best girl I 
 know, and the kindest friend I have.” 
 
 “ Present company not excepted — thank you, 
 Bertie ! ” said Amelia, with an air of great of- 
 fence. 
 
BUSY WEEKS . 
 
 231 
 
 “You don’t knowhow good Katie is,” said 
 Bertie eagerly, “ nor how much she has for- 
 given me.” 
 
 “ I am not fond of saints. By the by I forgot 
 you were one. I may be pardoned, though, all 
 things considered, for not thinking of you as a 
 church member.” 
 
 Bertie turned scarlet, and beginning to feel 
 the pressure of her chains, wavered a little in 
 her resolution to clear Katie at all hazards. She 
 said, however, rather faintly, — 
 
 “ Amelia, you must let me tell Miss Perry and 
 Mademoiselle Pauline that it is you, not Katie 
 Robertson, that young man has been following. 
 You see they know all about it.” 
 
 “ I shall not let you tell any such thing. Do 
 you think I am going to get myself expelled ? 
 A little suspicion won’t hurt your saint. That is 
 the advantage of saintship. Miss Perry, as you 
 see, means to keep it quiet. No one will know 
 anything about it unless the French woman 
 blabs, and then every one believes so fully in 
 Katie Robertson that they won’t believe her. 
 Besides you dare not tell. It can be proved that 
 before last night you went out constantly to 
 
2 32 THREE YEARS A T GLENWOOD. 
 
 meet that young man, handed him papers, made 
 new appointments to meet him, made him signs 
 when we were walking, etc.” 
 
 “ But you did that.” 
 
 “ Who ’s to prove it ? It ’s only your word 
 against mine.” 
 
 Bertie opened her eyes, and her companion 
 continued, — 
 
 " Last night's doings will seem to every one 
 the natural ending of all that ’s gone before, and 
 as Mademoiselle will continue to swear that she 
 saw you go out, and saw you carry your hat and 
 wrap in, and I shall know nothing about it, you 
 will stand in a much worse position than you do 
 now. I have a few words, too, to say, about a 
 certain factory girl who tells lies, church-mem- 
 ber though she is.” 
 
 Bertie was completely overpowered. She 
 turned all colors, and finally burst into tears. 
 Then her companion, who saw that the victory 
 was won, passed her arm caressingly around the 
 poor girl’s waist and said, — 
 
 “ There, dearie, there’s nothing to cry about. 
 All you ’ve got to do is just to hold your tongue 
 and bear your terrible punishment (!) for three 
 
BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 233 
 
 weeks longer, till the term ’s over. When 
 school opens again everybody will have forgotten 
 all about the matter. Such things are always 
 happening in boarding-schools, and I shall al- 
 ways remember what a faithful friend Bertie 
 Sanderson was to me.” 
 
 Recess was over by that time, and Amelia, 
 giving her victim an enthusiastic kiss, ran away 
 to her class-room as gaily as if she had been 
 the most innocent, light-hearted young girl in 
 the world. 
 
 “ Katie,” said Bertie, a few days after this, 
 “ do you think people ought to tell things which 
 they have promised to keep secret ? ” 
 
 “ Of course not.” 
 
 “ But suppose it would help some one else ? ” 
 
 “ I cannot tell you that. You must decide for 
 yourself, and God will help you if you ask him,” 
 she said in lower tones. 
 
 “ I cannot pray any more,” said Bertie, burst- 
 ing into tears. “ I ’m too wicked. God won’t 
 hear me any more. I don’t know what will be- 
 come of me.” 
 
 “ God is always ready to forgive us for the 
 sake of Jesus.” 
 
234 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 “ Yes, if we repent and confess our sins ; but 
 I can't confess and I don’t know that I ought 
 to. I must break my word or be mean, and 
 injure other people either way. I don’t know 
 what to do, and I don’t know how to find out.” 
 “Bertie,” said Katie earnestly but kindly, 
 “did you or did you not go out that evening 
 when you came over for your geography ? ” 
 
 “I did not,” said her companion solemnly. 
 “Did you think I did ? I said No every time.” 
 It is always hard for us to think that others 
 doubt our word when we know we are telling 
 the truth, even when their unbelief is based 
 upon our former untruthfulness and is its 
 natural punishment. 
 
 “Then I think I know just how it is. You 
 need not answer if it would be telling. I ’ll tell 
 you what I think, — not to be unkind, but to 
 help you if I can. If you were not the girl who 
 went out, it must have been some one else who 
 wore your things, and you must have helped her. 
 It could have been nobody but Amelia Bascom, 
 who was not at the Institute during study hours. 
 You must have opened the door to let her out, 
 and fastened it when you came over for your 
 
BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 235 
 
 geography. Miss Pauline saw her, and of 
 course supposed it was you. It must be Amelia, 
 too, that this boy has been following all this 
 time. I don't think you are that kind of girl, 
 Bertie, but I am afraid you have helped her 
 carry on her flirtation." 
 
 “It wouldn't be so bad," sobbed Bertie, “if 
 they didn't suspect you. I don’t know but that 
 I ought to tell to save you." 
 
 “No," said her friend slowly, and not without 
 a little struggle. “ I don’t want Amelia exposed 
 and punished on my account. God will take 
 care of me. I was suspected once before, you 
 know, and it did not really hurt me." She did 
 not mean to be unkind, but Bertie felt this allu- 
 sion as an additional source of unhappiness. 
 “ I think Amelia ought to tell, and I don't 
 believe you ever can be happy till your share is 
 known, but I cannot decide how you are to 
 manage about confessing for yourself and shield- 
 ing her." 
 
 “I don't care about shielding her. I hate 
 her." 
 
 Katie looked surprised 
 
 “ I thought you had got yourself into all this 
 trouble just to please her," she said. 
 
236 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 “ It ’s all through Sophronia and those girls. 
 Sophronia did n’t want them to know we were 
 factory girls, and Amelia found it out, and I al- 
 lowed that you were, but tried to make her 
 think I was n’t.” 
 
 Katie wanted to say “ How mean ! ” but she 
 restrained herself. She only wanted to do her 
 friend good now, not to resent her own wrongs. 
 
 Bertie went on, — 
 
 “ I knew she did n’t believe me, either, and I 
 was always afraid it would come out, and so I 
 kept on telling lies about it, and doing everything 
 she wanted me to.” 
 
 “ Poor Bertie ! ” said her room-mate with real 
 sympathy. 
 
 “ So you see if I tell about her she will tell 
 all about me. And the worst of all is I’m a 
 church-member. I wish I had never joined. 
 I ’d better not have made any promises, for you 
 see I could n’t keep them.” 
 
 “ Then you ’ve been going wrong ever since 
 you came to school,” said Katie. “ Don’t think I 
 want to preach, Bertie, but I am afraid it was 
 because you gave up praying and reading the 
 Bible. Jesus could have helped you to keep 
 your promises, but you did n’t ask him.” 
 
BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 237 
 
 “I know you’re right.” said Bertie, who was 
 so far repentant as to acknowledge her sin, but 
 not sufficiently so as to do the one thing she 
 ought to do. “ I don’t know what is going to 
 become of me. You see, I can’t pray with all 
 this on my conscience, and I can’t get away 
 from it. Must I give up being a Christian and 
 be lost ? ” 
 
 Katie was not a very wise or a very experienced 
 counsellor. She did not really see how to help 
 her unhappy friend out of her difficulty without 
 exposing Amelia, which her school-girl sense of 
 honor made her feel it would be “ mean ” for 
 her to do. She thought a moment, and then 
 said what seemed very wide of the mark, but 
 was really the best thing she could have said 
 under the circumstances, — 
 
 "I don’t think the dear Lord Jesus wants you 
 to be lost, Bertie, when he did and suffered so 
 much to save you.” 
 
 Bertie said nothing, but the simple words 
 were as seed sown. They took root in her 
 heart, and, beginning to germinate and grow 
 there, brought forth plentiful fruit in days to 
 come. And indeed there can be no greater 
 
238 THREE TEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 encouragement to our continuing to walk pa- 
 tiently along the way to everlasting life, amid 
 all the discouragements of our own repeated 
 falls and failures than the thought that the Lord 
 Jesus does not want us to fail of the salvation 
 which he did and suffered so much to secure. 
 
 The remaining weeks of the term passed rap- 
 idly away, — every one was busy preparing for 
 the various examinations with which the year 
 closed, and which determined the standing of the 
 pupils for that which was to come. As in all 
 the higher classes, these were written instead of 
 oral. They occupied a great deal of the school- 
 time, and all the studying had to be done 
 after the sessions. Katie Robertson now expe- 
 rienced the benefit of having studied everything 
 so thoroughly as she went along. There was no 
 necessity for her to sit up half the night to re- 
 view a book with whose contents she was per- 
 fectly familiar, and thus she not only escaped 
 the temptation to let her ambition again injure 
 her health, but she had a little extra time to be- 
 stow upon her less fortunate, because less faith- 
 ful, school-mates. Several of these laggards, 
 one or two belonging to the “ set ” who had 
 
BUSY WEEKS . 
 
 239 
 
 spoken so unkindly of her under the stairs, owed 
 the surprising fact of “ passing ” as high as seven- 
 ty-five per cent (the lowest percentage at which 
 promotion was possible) to the “ stuck-up factory 
 girl's ” kind assistance in the busy dr.ys pre- 
 ceding the examinations, which were always 
 especially severe at the close of the year, when 
 the greatest number of promotions were made. 
 To Bertie she devoted a great deal of time and 
 attention, inducing her sleepy companion to 
 rise an hour earlier in the morning, and endeav- 
 or to make up for some of her lost time. But 
 Bertie was in too wretched a state of mind to do 
 even her own not very brilliant self justice. She 
 felt a little easier, since her confession to Katie 
 had relieved her of a sense of treachery to 
 her, but she was haunted by a constant expec- 
 tation of public exposure and punishment ; and, 
 worse still, by the upbraidings of an aroused 
 conscience, which she was not yet ready to obey. 
 There is this difference between those who, hav- 
 ing once known their Saviour, fall under the 
 power of temptation, and those who have never 
 known him at all. The latter may for a long 
 while go on in their light, easy, careless way, 
 
240 THREE YEARS AT GLENW 00 D. 
 
 enjoying in a sense everything that comes 
 along, and untroubled as yet by any conscious- 
 ness of guilt ; but to the former, God never 
 leaves himself without a witness in the con- 
 stant sense of self-condemnation which they 
 experience, and the loss of sweet, happy com- 
 munion with him. This was the difference now 
 between gay, laughing Amelia, and sad, heavy 
 Bertie. Thank God that he thus “ keeps that 
 which we have committed to him,” even when 
 we wilfully struggle to take it away. So long 
 as we are thus unhappy under the pressure of 
 our sin, we may be sure God's Spirit has not 
 forsaken us. He will not spare us, but will 
 make us more and more unhappy till we return 
 unto him for forgiveness and healing. But 
 how much happier and better for us did we al- 
 ways keep close to him in the sweet paths of 
 obedience and holiness. Bertie Sanderson had 
 not yet returned to him, for she was afraid 
 to make open confession of her sin, and did not 
 dare to pray until she had done so. 
 
 Neither did she dare to break off entirely 
 from those companions who had led her so far 
 astray, as in heart she felt she ought to do. She 
 
BUSY WEEKS. 
 
 24 i 
 
 was still in bondage to Amelia and afraid of her 
 revelations to her cousin, who might in her turn 
 betray her to her father, and she knew his stern 
 Scotch rectitude would greatly resent having 
 his child found out in a lie. Nor was Amelia 
 quite willing to lose her hold upon her pliant 
 tool till the term was closed, at any rate. She 
 did not know what effect Katie’s influence 
 might have upon her in inducing her to con- 
 fess her own share in the affair, — a thing which 
 could not be done without involving her also. 
 Katie must be anxious to exonerate herself, and 
 would probably do all that she could to influ- 
 ence her room-mate. 
 
 So there were some more of those whispered 
 conversations in the hall, which Bertie began to 
 loathe, made up of alternate flattery and threats, 
 of mysterious promises of future good times, and 
 of gifts of sweet things and finery, which one of 
 the boarders was now commissioned to procure. 
 And so Bertie lost more of those precious mo- 
 ments, so doubly precious at this especial junc- 
 ture, and so, while “ passing ” in a few studies, 
 she failed in her examination as a whole, and 
 was condemned to commence the next year 
 
242 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD* 
 
 almost as low down in the school as she had en- 
 tered it. Amelia failed also, but the consequen- 
 ces gave her no concern. All she cared for was to 
 “have a good time,” and that, according to her 
 definition, was as attainable in one part of the 
 school as in another. 
 
 Katie Robertson passed her examinations at 
 ninety-nine per cent, thus proving to herself that 
 she had lost nothing during the last term by 
 “ seeking first the kingdom of God,” in obeying 
 the physical rules of his government. She had, 
 thus, — a thing almost unparalleled in the school, 
 — passed through the four academic departments 
 in one year, and was ready to commence the 
 next year as a “junior,” Helen Lome being 
 only one class ahead of her. 
 
 Katie and Helen had seen little of each other 
 during those closing weeks. The time of both 
 was well filled up. The examinations often con- 
 tinued all through recess, and, as we know, Katie 
 was not allowed to go out to visit her friend. 
 Helen never asked the reason for this prohibi- 
 tion, and Katie did not volunteer it. She could 
 not have cleared herself except by telling the 
 story as she understood it ; and to do that was 
 
BUSY WEEKS . 
 
 243 
 
 to expose others. Helen passed her examina* 
 tions as brilliantly as ever, and with apparent- 
 ly as little strain upon either her mental or 
 bodily powers. She was grateful for her own 
 success, and rejoiced more over Katie's promo- 
 tion than her own. Sophronia was not promot- 
 ed, and thus she and the “ factory girl” were 
 placed on the same level. 
 
 All of our young friends were saved from the 
 temptations of public display by having no part 
 in the “ closing exercises ” of the school. These 
 were all given up to the “ collegiates,” — the ju- 
 nior and middle classes having one day devoted 
 to them, the “ seniors ” delivering their essays 
 and valedictory on Commencement night, on 
 which occasion they also received their diplo- 
 mas and were “ graduated.” The boarders, of 
 course, were present on all these occasions, as 
 well as all the members of the older classes. 
 The chapel would not accommodate the whole 
 school ; and many a girl carried away her first 
 incentive to real earnest study, arising from her 
 desire to stand one day among those “ girl gradu- 
 ates,” and win the highest honor within the gift 
 of their Alma Mater. 
 
244 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 CLEARED. 
 
 LL this time no further development 
 had taken place concerning the myste- 
 rious girl who had gone down the steps 
 that spring evening, and had returned, no one 
 knew how, and Katie almost began to feel that 
 she must go away with this cloud upon her 
 reputation, which, although it was known to 
 only three of her teachers, — Miss Thornton, as 
 living in the house, and having the chief care of 
 the boarders out of school, of course, was obliged 
 to be informed, — was still a cloud, and while it 
 rested there she could not bear to think of 
 returning to the boarding-house. 
 
 Miss Perry had her own suspicions, but as 
 she had no means of verifying them, like a wise 
 woman she kept them to herself. Miss Thorn- 
 ton positively refused to believe any evil about 
 Katie, but Mademoiselle Pauline urged that a 
 
CLEARED . 
 
 245 
 
 public example ought to be made oi the two 
 girls, to prevent future repetitions of similar 
 offences. In fact she did not think that her 
 carefully ferreted out mystery and ingeniously 
 constructed theory had received the attention 
 its importance demanded, nor had her sagacity 
 and watchfulness gained the amount of praise it 
 deserved. 
 
 In vain she waited and watched for farther 
 developments. Amelia, now that Bertie could 
 no longer be her messenger, had managed to 
 warn her companion of the moonlight walk that 
 it was not safe for him to follow or communi- 
 cate with her, and he, having had out his “fun 
 with the school-girl ” gave up the pursuit and 
 was seen no more upon the morning line of 
 march or around the Institute. 
 
 “ She was a smart one,” thought he, “ to get 
 those letters and that photograph away from 
 me. I might have teased her royally if I had 
 kept them. ,, 
 
 He was not at first so sure about Amelia’s 
 having secured the letters or the picture. He 
 fancied he remembered seeing her lay them all 
 down on the marble table when the ice-cream 
 
M 6 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 was brought, and that neither had thought of 
 them again in the hurry of leaving when the 
 clock struck. But when he went back, after 
 helping his fair companion over the fence, and 
 looked carefully for them, they were nowhere 
 to be seen. A passing waiter whom he ques- 
 tioned knew nothing about them, and he came 
 to the conclusion that she had secured them 
 after all. 
 
 As to Amelia she supposed he still had the 
 letters and the picture, and was at first a little 
 worried as to the use he might make of them, 
 but as he no longer haunted the morning walk 
 of the girls, she finally concluded that there was 
 nothing to fear in that quarter. 
 
 It was the morning after “ Commencement/' 
 All was bustle and hurry at the boarding-house. 
 Some of the trunks had been packed the day 
 before, and their owners had left for home in 
 the earliest morning trains. Some were now 
 engaged in clearing out drawers and dismantling 
 rooms which had been homes for the past ten 
 months. Parents and friends were constantly 
 arriving and carrying away the young ladies. 
 Farewells were being spoken and some tears 
 
CLEANED. 
 
 24 7 
 
 were shed. There were some who went forth 
 from these rooms school-girls no longer. Life, 
 with its solemn cares and responsibilities, lay 
 before them, and they would be missed when 
 their companions gathered again for study and 
 for recreation. The “ breaking-up ” day of a 
 girls* boarding-school is always a day of mingled 
 smiles and tears. 
 
 Katie Robertson and Bertie Sanderson were 
 to set out for home in the afternoon train. Mr. 
 Sanderson, who had come to the city to procure 
 some supplies for the Squantown Paper Mill, was 
 to be their escort, and was to come for them in 
 time for the train. Bertie was a little afraid to 
 meet him, for she knew he would greatly feel 
 her failure to be promoted. Both girls were 
 busily engaged in packing their trunks, when a 
 message came, requesting them to step for a 
 moment to Miss Perry’s room. 
 
 On entering, that lady, who held in her hand 
 a curious looking photograph and a little bundle 
 of letters, said, — 
 
 “ Miss Robertson, allow me to asK your par- 
 don for my suspicions and also for the slight 
 deprivation I was compelled to make in consid- 
 
248 THREE YEARS A T GLEN WOOD, 
 
 eration of certain unexplained circumstances. 
 These letters, signed by the writer, which I 
 have read, and this silly photograph, have suffi- 
 ciently proved that you had no part whatever in 
 the matter. And,” she continued with great 
 cordiality, “ I never really supposed you had. I 
 had a shrewd suspicion from the first as to who 
 was the real culprit. But, Miss Sanderson,” 
 she said looking more sternly at Bertie, “will 
 you please to explain your connection with this 
 affair.” 
 
 She waited a moment, and then, as the girl 
 hesitated, said, — 
 
 “ Speak the truth. Miss Amelia Bascom, 
 who has been sent away in disgrace, never to 
 be again admitted in this institution, has told 
 the whole story, and you may be sure she has 
 not spared you.” 
 
 To Bertie it was a positive relief to make a 
 full confession, which she did, not omitting a 
 single point of her various acts of untruthful- 
 ness since she entered the school. Her account 
 was fuller than Amelia's had been, and, while 
 not in the least sparing herself, she made it so 
 clearly appear that she was only the weak tool 
 
CLEARED. 
 
 249 
 
 of her more designing companion, that at its 
 close Miss Perry said, — 
 
 “ I believe you are telling me the truth now, 
 and as this is the first offence I shall not make 
 your punishment as heavy as it might have 
 been.” 
 
 “ You won’t expel me ?” 
 
 “ No ! but I must tell your father and leave it 
 to him to decide if he will again expose his 
 daughter to the temptations of a boarding- 
 school/ ’ 
 
 “ Did you know anything of the true state of 
 the case, Miss Robertson,” said Miss Perry, 
 looking a little curiously at Katie. 
 
 “ Not when it happened, but I guessed it 
 soon after.” 
 
 “ And never said a word to any of us ? Why, 
 it would have saved you from both suspicion 
 and punishment.” 
 
 “ Yes, but it would have exposed both Amelia 
 and Bertie, and I didn’t want to do that. I 
 knew the Lord would take care of me, and he 
 has.” 
 
 Miss Perry looked at her curiously. She 
 called herself a Christian, but she knew nothing 
 
250 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 of this practical living upon Christian thoughts 
 and Christian hopes. 
 
 “ Will you please tell Miss Thornton and 
 Mademoiselle Pauline ? ” said Katie. “ I would 
 like them to know.” 
 
 “We have all known it for a week. Miss 
 Thornton from the first would believe nothing 
 against you ; Miss Pauline has left, not to re- 
 turn. Her place will be supplied by an older, 
 more experienced person.” 
 
 If the reader is curious to know how the let- 
 ters and photograph reached Miss Perry, it is 
 enough to say that another restaurant waiter 
 picked them up and carried them to the desk, 
 and that the proprietor, thinking something 
 must be wrong, waited till he assured himself by 
 watching the daily morning procession, that the 
 face on the photograph was that of one of the 
 young ladies, and then, calling upon Miss Perry, 
 surrendered the whole package into her hands. 
 
 Why she kept Katie's vindication and Ame- 
 lia’s punishment a secret for a whole week, 
 indeed until most of the other boarders were 
 gone, is her own concern, and of a piece with 
 the rest of her management, which was to give 
 
CLEARED. 
 
 251 
 
 as little publicity as possible to everything con- 
 cerning the government of the boarders. 
 
 To describe Katie Robertson's happiness at 
 being thus completely cleared from suspicion, 
 and Bertie's relief at no longer having to carry 
 round a guilty secret, would be to tell the whole 
 story of the long day's travel which carried the 
 girls to their country home. 
 
 Every time that we trust our cause fully in 
 the Lord's hands and find in return that he is 
 well worthy of our trust, not only strengthens our 
 faith, but also greatly endears him to our hearts, 
 and Katie's heart was full of love to her Saviour 
 that day, — so full that there seemed to be an 
 added brightness to the sunshine, a richer 
 green to the foliage, and a deeper blue to the 
 water and sky, as the cars whirled her along. 
 She had many causes for both joy and thank- 
 fulness. The school year, with its heavy strain 
 of work, was over. She had succeeded to the 
 utmost of her ambition. She had made valuable 
 acquisitions of knowledge, which is both enjoy- 
 ment and power. The record left behind her was 
 without a flaw. Her kind uncle would be fully 
 satisfied with the result of his generosity. Her 
 
252 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 mother would be delighted not only with her suc- 
 cess, but also to have her little girl once more 
 with her. She was going home to rest among 
 familiar scenes, familiar faces and loving hearts. 
 Her holiday was all the more welcome because 
 hardly earned, and the lassitude and fatigue of 
 the past weeks of strain and excitement made 
 the coming period of rest the more delightful 
 by way of contrast. It is only those who have 
 worked long and faithfully who can really enjoy 
 a holiday. On this bright summer day Katie 
 Robertson ought to have been, and was, a very 
 happy girl. 
 
 There was one sad spot in her heart, however, 
 and that was her sorrow for Bertie. Poor 
 Bertie ! it was not a happy home-going for her. 
 Mr. Sanderson, who, though a good, upright man, 
 and really very fond of his children, was still a 
 very stern one, and his mortification, both at his 
 daughter's failure to pass the examinations and 
 secure her promotion, and also at the disgrace 
 in which she left the boarding-house, was very 
 great. 
 
 He was disappointed as well as mortified. It 
 had been a hard strain for him, with his moder- 
 
CLEARED . 
 
 253 
 
 ate income and growing family expenses, in 
 compliance with his sister-in-law’s suggestions 
 and her own earnest solicitations, to send his 
 daughter to a fashionable school. He had 
 hoped, however, that the advantages would equal 
 the sacrifice, and that she would, by attaining 
 a higher education, be enabled to secure for the 
 future better and more lucrative employment 
 than she was now fit for. This he now saw 
 was not likely to be the case unless she could 
 be induced to study more diligently than re- 
 sults showed her to have done. 
 
 But even more than this, he felt the disgrace 
 of the affair into which Bertie’s weakness and 
 idleness had led her. He had been informed 
 by Miss Perry of the exact facts of the case, and 
 that good-natured lady had not failed to point 
 out the difference between being an accomplice 
 and the principal in a boarding-school flirtation. 
 But in his true and honest eyes, the deceit of 
 which she had been guilty was dishonor enough, 
 and he was so thoroughly incensed with his 
 daughter that he refused to speak to her at all 
 during the journey. 
 
 But even this punishment, hard as it was to 
 
254 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 bear, was light compared with the reproaches 
 of the girl's own conscience. She was free 
 from the sense of continued wrong-doing and 
 of concealment, and that in itself was a great 
 relief ; but she, too, was disappointed. She 
 had really meant to be a good girl when she 
 went to school, and to make the most of her 
 advantages ; but somehow she had entirely 
 failed in doing so, and there was no chance 
 of “ making up.” The wasted hours could never 
 come back again. Worse still, she had meant 
 to be a Christian and to honor her profession 
 on that bright September Sunday, when she 
 came forward with the rest of her class to give 
 herself publicly to the Lord ; and as she thought 
 of the bright hopes of that day and how she had 
 failed in them, she was almost too much discour- 
 aged ever to try again. But as she sat in melan- 
 choly silence looking out of the window, or 
 listening without interest to Katie’s happy talk, 
 there came the memory of those words of the 
 latter, — 
 
 “ I don't think the dear Lord wants you to be 
 lost, when he did and suffered so much to save 
 you.” 
 
CLEARED . 
 
 2S5 
 
 He did not want her to be lost, then certainly 
 he did not want her to be wicked if she was 
 weak. He would keep her from evil, and help 
 her to resist temptation, and fulfil her promises 
 if she would only keep close to him. There had 
 been her first failure. She saw it now, and knew 
 that her only hope lay in getting back to Him, 
 and yet it somehow seemed as though she could 
 not do it ; she had wandered too far to return. 
 Thus it is, when the tempter sees us willing 
 to come to Christ, that he always tries to per- 
 suade us that we are too bad to come. 
 
 “ Katie,” said Bertie suddenly, towards the 
 close of that long day, “ do you think the Lord 
 Jesus would receive me if I was to come to him 
 again? I’m afraid I’m too wicked. But I do 
 love him, and I see that I cannot keep myself 
 straight unless he keeps me. I want to let him.” 
 
 “Iam sure he will receive you; doesn’t he 
 say, ‘ Come unto me all ye that are weary and 
 heavy laden,’ no matter what the cause is ? 
 Did n’t he come to ‘ save sinners ? ’ See here, 
 Bertie,” and she took out the Bible which was 
 in her travelling-bag, and turned to the words, 
 ‘ Return unto me and I will return unto you/ 
 
2$6 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 Come back to him, dear, and never again stray 
 away.” 
 
 “ I will never again neglect my prayers, if 
 that is what you mean. That was the beginning 
 of all the trouble.” 
 
 “Yes,” said Katie, with less tone of superior- 
 ity than she would have used two months ago. 
 “ We can’t do without prayer, and even then we 
 sometimes go astray. You will come to Jesus, 
 now, won’t you, Bertie, as you did at first, you 
 know ? ” 
 
 “Just as soon as I get home,” said Bertie. 
 
 “ No, now. He is here, you know, and you 
 might n’t live to get home.” 
 
 Her companion understood, and, leaning her 
 head on the top of the car-seat in front of her, 
 closed her eyes. She did not notice the scenery 
 or the gathering darkness much after that. To 
 her the dingy railroad car was sweet with the 
 sense of renewed consecration, forgiveness, and 
 presence of God. 
 
VAC A TIO A A AD RE-OFEAIAG. 2$? 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 
 
 gSFglT is not the purpose of this story to 
 describe Katie’s vacation. Those who 
 - gg H have read “ Katie Robertson,” know 
 all about Squantown, its paper-mill, its Sunday- 
 school, and its church. They are acquainted 
 with Mrs. Robertson and her boarders ; with 
 Miss Eunice and her sisters, and “ Mr. James.” 
 They may be sure that, while the mothers 
 heart beat the most warmly at receiving back 
 her only daughter and most dearly-loved child, 
 Gretchen was very glad in her stolid German 
 fashion, and Tessa became quite Italian again in 
 her manifestations of delight. 
 
 All thought Katie looked both paler and thin- 
 ner than when she went away, but all saw also 
 the indescribable improvement in refinement 
 and culture, and but for her exceeding sweet- 
 ness and humility, the girls of Squantown, like 
 
258 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 those of Glenwood, might have found the r# 
 turned boarding-school girl “ stuck-up/’ 
 
 Katie, however, remembered her lesson, and 
 feeling always that it was God who made her to 
 differ, where she did differ from her companions 
 in anything concerning appearance, capacity, or 
 opportunity, she was very thankful to him, and 
 shared her good things, so far as was possible, 
 with others. 
 
 Her mother was very anxious about her 
 daughter’s health, and insisted upon her being 
 in the open air as much as possible, declining 
 her assistance in household matters where Katie 
 would have been glad to render it, and utterly 
 forbidding any study or work. Thus she was 
 free to do as she pleased with her time — a 
 luxury she had not enjoyed for several years — 
 and she improved her liberty by frequent visits 
 to the mill, where she was as sociable with the 
 girls as though she was still among the number, 
 joining them on their homeward walks, lending 
 them books, telling them about school, and 
 sometimes bringing them nice little lunches of 
 her own or her mother’s preparation. 
 
 She threw herself enthusiastically into the in- 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 259 
 
 terests of the “ Do-Good Society/' which had 
 somewhat languished during her absence, and 
 greatly interested the children in accounts of 
 things seen, done, and heard of in the city. But 
 the greatest happiness of all was to take her 
 old place in the Sunday-school class, and to 
 join both Miss Etta’s and Miss Eunice’s classes, 
 which still met once a week for charitable work 
 and social religious conversation. She had 
 missed this latter means of grace very much in 
 her busy school life. Only once during those 
 long ten months — that blessed Sunday afternoon 
 at Mrs. Lome’s — had she enjoyed the advantage 
 of the counsel of any older Christian. And 
 now she came to the great house by Miss 
 Eunice’s special invitation a good many morn- 
 ings, and, explaining her school difficulties, and 
 asking questions concerning many things which 
 had perplexed her, she got many things straight- 
 ened out in her mind. Her religious feelings re- 
 ceived the fresh impulse which loving conversa- 
 tion upon spiritual things always gives, and she 
 buckled on her armor anew to fight with temp- 
 tation and against the wiles of the devil. And, 
 in her turn, the watchful teacher was glad and 
 
260 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 thankful to see how carefully her heavenly 
 Shepherd had watched this lamb, sent out into 
 the great world's temptations, and how, in the 
 absence of other teachers, he had caused her 
 to grow in grace herself. 
 
 Alfred's school term did not close till about 
 three weeks after Katie's, and when he came 
 home Uncle Alfred came with him for a short 
 summer visit. 
 
 He was very much gratified at Katie's ad- 
 vancement, and promised to send her to school 
 for two years longer, at the end of which time 
 she would graduate and be fitted for any good 
 situation that should offer, and able to secure an 
 honorable independence. 
 
 He offered to take her a little trip in the 
 mountains as a holiday pleasure, but she begged 
 so hard that her mother might go instead, while 
 she attended to the housekeeping, that he con- 
 sented, and poor, tired Mrs. Robertson came 
 back at the end of a week looking ten years 
 younger than she did when she went away, 
 while Katie said a week of housekeeping was a 
 great relief after so many months of nothing 
 but study. 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING, 26 1 
 
 After that there was again the bustle and 
 hurry of getting ready, and, all too soon, the 
 vacation hours were over, and our school-girl 
 found herself back at Glenwood. 
 
 Bertha Sanderson did not accompany her. 
 The point had been undecided for some time, even 
 after Mr. Sanderson had, at her repeated and 
 humble request, forgiven his daughter. She 
 had for some weeks proved her sincerity, and he 
 believed her and took her into favor. Never- 
 theless, the sensible Scotchman thought long 
 and shrewdly about the propriety of continuing 
 an investment which produced such small re- 
 turns. It was clear that Bertie would never be 
 a “ lady ” in her mother's and aunt’s sense of the 
 word. Nor did she appear likely to become 
 enough of a scholar to support herself as a 
 teacher, and, besides, in spite of her repentance 
 and present earnest purpose to do right she 
 had proved herself so weak in the presence of 
 temptation, that there was no knowing to what 
 lengths she might go in any new combination 
 into which she might be thrown. 
 
 On the other hand, he did not quite like to 
 put her back into the mill. It might seem to 
 
262 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 her own and her mother's foolish way of looking 
 at things somewhat of a degradation, and she 
 had never shown herself a sufficiently good 
 work-woman to warrant the expectation of much 
 advancement. 
 
 He determined to leave it to herself, and if 
 he found her mind much set upon returning to 
 school, to try the experiment for one year more, 
 and see what would come of it. 
 
 But his difficulties were solved by Bertie her- 
 self when, a few weeks before the close of the 
 vacation, he spoke to her upon the matter. She 
 quite agreed with him. 
 
 “ Father," she said, “it ’s of no use for me to 
 go to school any more. I cant study as Katie 
 Robertson does ; it is n’t in me. Besides, I ’m 
 not good enough to be trusted away from home. 
 I don’t trust myself. I ’d rather stay at home 
 and learn to be good here.’’ 
 
 “ But what will you do with yourself, my 
 dear ? 99 said her father, quite touched with her 
 humility. 
 
 “ Have n’t you noticed how pale and tired 
 mother usually looks ? I don’t think she is at 
 
 all well. Let me stay and help her with the 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 263 
 
 house and the children. Nina can go to school 
 here in Squantown till she learns enough to go to 
 boarding-school. Maybe she 'll be a better girl 
 and a brighter scholar than I have been. And, 
 father, I wish you ’d make mother go and make 
 Aunt Cleveland a long visit. I am sure it will 
 do her good. I can manage the house nicely, you 
 see if I don't. It won’t cost a bit more than 
 my journey to school would, and I shan’t want 
 any new things for ever so long. Please, father, 
 do as I say.” 
 
 And her father consented, and Mrs. Sander- 
 son went to the city and made a long visit, tak- 
 ing Nina, who thus had a chance of becoming 
 acquainted with her cousins, especially Lilian, 
 who was about two years older than herself, and 
 to whom she became so warmly attached that it 
 was finally arranged to leave her with her aunt 
 and let her attend Glenwood Institute as a day- 
 scholar. There was more room at the grocer’s 
 for an extra girl now, as, during the vacation, 
 Augusta was married and went directly to a 
 home of her own. Sophronia, now the young 
 lady of the house, at once took possession of 
 her sister’s vacated room, and little Nina slept 
 with Lilian. 
 
264 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 Mrs. Sanderson came back to Squantown, if 
 not a wiser woman, at least a more rested one, 
 and she and her eldest daughter settled down to 
 do the cooking and washing, and making and 
 mending for Mr. Sanderson and the little ones, 
 Bertie giving her spare time to reviewing some 
 of her studies, to the Sunday-school, the “ Do- 
 Good Society/’ and the community in general. 
 She quite lost her old air of attempted gentility, 
 and, though always a very plain girl, became 
 a nice, respectable-looking one, much more lady- 
 like in the eyes of people of sense than either 
 her cousins Augusta or Sophronia. 
 
 “ Katie,” she said, as she bade her old room- 
 mate good-by, “ pray for me sometimes. I 
 have n’t forgotten to pray for myself once since 
 I came home, morning or night, and I don’t 
 mean to. I am getting so fond of it now that 
 I don’t see how I ever could forget.” 
 
 And so it happened that Katie Robertson 
 went back to school alone, and that for the first 
 few weeks she was without a room-mate, — a 
 privilege which, for a time, she valued very 
 much ; for as she now had plenty of friends 
 among both day-scholars and boarders, she was 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING . 265 
 
 glad of the quiet time in her room for study, or 
 reading, or prayer. She had resolved not to 
 squander her strength so recklessly as she had 
 done at the commencement of the preceding 
 year, and she was glad of every moment which 
 could be legitimately used for study. 
 
 There were some changes at Glenwood, both 
 among the boarders and in the Institute. Ma- 
 demoiselle Pauline had disappeared from the 
 former, and in her place was a quiet, sweet- 
 looking French widow lady, — one who had 
 brought up daughters of her own, and both un- 
 derstood and sympathized with girls. Madame 
 Brunot was also a sincere, earnest, Protestant 
 Christian, of which there are a great many in 
 France, notwithstanding the prevalence of those 
 of the Mademoiselle Pauline type. There are 
 those who care more for true things than for 
 pretty ones, and who are anxious to glorify God 
 and build up his kingdom wherever they may be. 
 Of course such a woman could not be placed in a 
 house with fifty girls without deeply feeling her 
 responsibility towards them. She commenced 
 by winning their confidence, and was soon much 
 more popular with all of them, except a certain 
 
266 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOQD. 
 
 set, than Mademoiselle Pauline ever had been. 
 As a further step, she offered to relieve Miss 
 Perry of her Sunday afternoon Bible-class, 
 which that lady very gladly resigned into her 
 hands, and from that time the dreaded formal 
 service became one of the most popular institu- 
 tions of Glenwood, no one ever feigning a head- 
 ache as an excuse for staying away from it. Even 
 the worldly girls who had no interest in religious 
 things, as such, enjoyed Madame’s bright and 
 sparkling way of explaining and illustrating, 
 and found the hour a pleasant break in the 
 monotony of their dull, home-sick Sundays. 
 
 Thus Katie’s new year opened with pleasanter 
 prospects and under more promising auspices 
 than that which had preceded it, and even bet- 
 ter things were in store, which will all be re- 
 corded in their proper place. 
 
 Lilian Cleveland came back to school at 
 the opening of the new year. She had not, of 
 course, been promoted, as her illness had pre- 
 vented her studying for the examinations, and 
 she was therefore farther than ever from Katie, 
 who was now a dignified Junior. Whether it 
 was this, or whether it is that things never re- 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING . 267 
 
 produce themselves, and circumstances are never 
 twice exactly the same, she did not again seek 
 to attach herself exclusively to Katie or seek to 
 learn from her that important secret which had 
 once trembled on her lips. She devoted herself 
 to Nina, walking with her at recess and helping 
 her with her lessons, which were not, after all, 
 very difficult ; for the little girl, who had never 
 applied herself to study at all, and whose accom- 
 plishments were covered by reading, writing, and 
 doing examples as far as “ short division/' was 
 placed, on entering, almost at the bottom of the 
 school. 
 
 Lilian had recovered from her illness, though 
 she was still far from strong. She was a 
 strange-looking girl, with large dark eyes and 
 fair hair, and would have been quite pretty but 
 for the sad, heavy, fretful expression, which 
 since her illness had changed into a look of 
 hungry unhappiness. Sophronia did not no- 
 tice Katie at all till some weeks after school 
 commenced. She was very important in her 
 position of eldest daughter at home, and not a 
 little jealous of the factory girl's promotion in 
 one year into the collegiate department. But 
 
268 THREE FEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 early in October, when Helen Lome came back 
 from the country, and showed symptoms of be- 
 ing as intimate with Katie as ever, Sophronia 
 also became gracious, and as she could not have 
 the company of one girl without the other, she 
 very condescendingly attached herself to both, 
 even so far as to invite both to dinner with her 
 some Sunday — an invitation which was at once 
 and promptly declined. 
 
 But Katie did not decline an invitation 
 brought her by Helen to spend another Sunday 
 with her before the bright leaves had paled, or 
 October’s glory faded into November’s gloom. 
 
 “ Mamma especially wants you to come to- 
 morrow,” Helen said, in giving her mother’s in- 
 vitation, “because, — well, that is a secret which 
 I can’t tell you just yet, but you shall know in 
 due time, and I ’m sure you will be surprised.” 
 
 If the park had looked lovely when Katie 
 Robertson first saw it that day in early spring, 
 it was absolutely gorgeous in its fall garments 
 of crimson, russet, and gold. The visitor could 
 not restrain her exclamations of delight as the 
 carriage drove by the pond with its drooping 
 fringe of scarlet woodbine, and her eye caught 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING . 269 
 
 the variegated masses of color contrasting with 
 the rich turf, still of an emerald green. The 
 frost, always lovingly considerate of city gar- 
 dens, had not yet blackened the bright gerani- 
 ums and many-colored coleus of the flower-beds 
 in front of Helen’s beautiful home, and the vines 
 which draped the veranda seemed to blaze in 
 the afternoon sunlight. 
 
 Although not actually frosty, the evening was 
 cool, and a bright little wood fire, which burned 
 in the brass library grate, seemed to Katie to 
 give the prettiest imaginable welcome ; and as 
 she and her entertainers sat in front of it, she 
 enjoyed the pleasantest little chat concerning 
 the summer rambles of her friends, interspersed 
 with stories of Squantown and her own home 
 doings. 
 
 Then came the sweet, quiet Sunday, with its 
 hallowed employments and enjoyments, and at 
 its close Katie found herself again sitting with 
 Helen Lome in her mother’s room. Here, as 
 before, the talk was familiar though earnest, 
 and the visitor told her kind friends why she 
 had not accepted their second invitation in the 
 spring. She told the circumstances fully and 
 
270 THREE YEARS AT GLENW 00 D . 
 
 truthfully, throwing as little blame as she could 
 upon Amelia Bascom, and excusing Bertie as 
 far as possible, upon the ground of her being so 
 easily led astray. 
 
 Mrs. Lome saw that her lessons of a previous 
 day had been heeded, and that no evil feeling 
 towards Bertie remained in her friend’s mind. 
 She saw, too, that Katie had behaved remarka- 
 bly well in the trying circumstances in which she 
 had been placed ; and while careful not again to 
 throw a temptation to vanity and self-sufficiency 
 in the way of the girl in whom she was so much 
 interested, she testified her approbation, and 
 congratulated her upon having been so helped 
 by the Lord. Then the conversation turned 
 upon other points, and Katie, remembering her 
 puzzle at the grocers last year, asked Mrs. 
 Lome what she thought about Sunday music 
 and Sunday amusements. 
 
 “ Suppose we ask Mr. Lome about that after 
 service this evening, dear. He has thought a 
 great deal about the question, and can answer 
 you better and more fully than I can.” 
 
 The evening service in the suburban church 
 was a very pleasant one, or would have been 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 27 1 
 
 but for the sense of loneliness caused by so 
 many empty seats. Strangely enough, it has 
 become the fashion in cities for the majority of 
 the congregation to stay away from the second 
 church-service, to the great discouragement of 
 the pastor and the faithful few who make it a 
 point to be always present when he is. Mr. 
 Lome was one of these, and it was rarely the 
 case that his own seat or those of any one of 
 his family were vacant on Sunday night. There 
 was also a goodly proportion of the “ common 
 people,” who of old, it is said, “heard him (Jesus) 
 gladly.” Many of these being occupied during 
 the earlier part of the day, found it more con- 
 venient to get to church on Sunday nights. 
 The sermon was very simple and earnest, and it 
 seemed strange that so many should not take 
 the trouble to come and hear it. 
 
 “ Katie wants to know our opinion about 
 Sunday amusements,” said Mrs. Lome to her 
 husband when they were again seated round 
 the fire, “ and I referred her to you to express 
 them.” 
 
 “ It is a large subject,” said he, “ but I tup* 
 pose it can be looked at in parts. In the first 
 
272 THREE TEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 place, I don’t think Sunday was ever intended 
 for a pleasure day at all. It was meant for rest, 
 refreshment, and the service of God. The 
 pleasure-seekers do not secure either of these. 
 They undergo great additional fatigue. They 
 are jaded instead of refreshed ; and they do not 
 worship God or even attend the services where 
 he is worshipped.” 
 
 “But Sunday is for happiness, papa,” said 
 Helen. 
 
 “ Happiness, little daughter, is a very different 
 thing from pleasure, as you would know if you 
 could compare your own peaceful gladness at 
 the close of one of our quiet Sabbaths with the 
 wretchedness of the crowds who dragged their 
 weary limbs home from the park this afternoon 
 at the close of the music.” 
 
 “ It was the music that I meant,” said Katie. 
 “ I was told that poor people and work-people 
 needed some rest and recreation ; that Sunday 
 was the only day on which they could have it ; 
 and that music was the most innocent amuse- 
 ment they could have. It sounded reasonable, 
 and yet somehow I don’t feel as though it was 
 right.” 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING . 2?$ 
 
 “ It is not right, as no reasoning, no matter 
 how plausible it may seem, can be which is 
 founded upon disobedience to the Word of 
 God. In the first place, working-people do have 
 other times when they can listen to music, if 
 they choose to do so. All summer they have 
 long, light evenings which multitudes spend in 
 beer-gardens and saloons, when, if the park 
 commissioners chose so to arrange it, they 
 might be listening to some of the same music 
 which is now all condensed on Sunday after- 
 noons. And then most of them have several 
 hours on Saturday, as almost all the large busi- 
 ness houses, stores, etc., close earlier on that 
 day. More and more employers are coming 
 into the early-closing idea, and, no doubt, when 
 the community is guided by a truly Christian 
 spirit, the custom will be universal.” 
 
 “ Some people maintain that as music is ele- 
 vating in its nature it is a suitable Sunday 
 occupation,” said Mrs. Lome. 
 
 “ That depends upon the kind of music as 
 well as the circumstances and the surroundings 
 under which it is listened to. Music in church 
 is, of course, very elevating in its character, and. 
 
274 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 when associated with sacred words and holy 
 ideas, is a valuable means of grace. But music 
 at the low theatres and concert saloons is simply 
 debasing in its tendency, and often is a direct 
 inciter of evil.” 
 
 “ Do you think,” said Helen, “ that the people 
 who go to the park on Sunday afternoon care 
 much about the music ? ” 
 
 “ Not as a rule. Some of the Germans may, 
 but our American population is not a musical 
 one, and the Irish are still less so.” 
 
 “ Why do they go there, then ? ” 
 
 “To have a good time, — to fill up the idle 
 hours of the sacred day, which they do not 
 know how to occupy in any better way. They 
 like to see the people and the dress, to catch 
 the general spirit of gaiety, and, in multitudes of 
 cases, to drink the villainous compounds which 
 are offered for sale on every side.” 
 
 “ My friends said that the command concern- 
 ing Sunday was about work, not amusement,” 
 said Katie. 
 
 “ And how completely this Sunday pleasuring 
 violates that command. What multitudes of 
 people must work harder on this day than on 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 275 
 
 any other to supply this amusement. Car- 
 drivers, gate-keepers, policemen, restaurant-keep- 
 ers, waiters, bar-tenders, and musicians, to say 
 nothing of the over-driven horses, and the over- 
 worked mothers, who must dress up their chil- 
 dren and convey them to and from the place 
 of amusement.” 
 
 “Yet a great many good Christian people 
 advocate Sunday recreation,” said Mrs. Lome, 
 “on the ground that the people need fresh air, 
 and cannot be expected to sit in close churches, 
 taking part in dull religious services.” 
 
 “ I know they do, and I have often wondered 
 how they can so admit that religious services 
 are dull to them. If it be so, we Christians 
 ought to bestir ourselves and see to it that our 
 service of God is made the most attractive 
 thing in the world. As to the fresh-air plea, — 
 there is some ground of truth in that. I have 
 often wished, — seeing the popularity of camp- 
 meetings, — that all our summer services might 
 be conducted under tent-roofs in the open 
 air.” 
 
 “ I think,” said Helen, “ that the noise and 
 shouting which we always hear from the park 
 
276 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 when we are at home on Sunday afternoons do 
 not seem much like keeping the day holy.” 
 
 “No, the tendency is just the other way. 
 There is noise and confusion in the over- 
 crowded public conveyances and at the ends of 
 the routes. There is noise, riot, and all sorts 
 of unseemly behavior round the drinking- 
 stands, which are sure to accompany all Sunday 
 pleasuring. Money is worse than wasted that 
 is needed for the support of the people and for 
 God’s service ; and the deluded pleasure-seekers, 
 instead of being refreshed and invigorated, re- 
 turn to their homes, jaded, soured, cross, and 
 quarrelsome.” 
 
 “ So the Sunday music does good to no 
 one?” 
 
 “Yes, the liquor-dealers reap a rich harvest. 
 I am afraid the park commissioners care more 
 for their opinion than for the approbation of 
 their God.” 
 
 “ Don’t let us be uncharitable, my dear,” said 
 Mrs. Lome. 
 
 “ I don’t want to be, but it fairly makes my 
 blood boil when I see the beneficent provision 
 which our wise heavenly Father has made for 
 
VACATION AND RE-OPENING. 277 
 
 the rest, refreshment, and spiritual growth of 
 his children, desecrated and degraded into a 
 heathen festival, positively injurious to them, by 
 the cupidity and self-conceit of ignorant and 
 designing men" 
 
2?8 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A FAITHFUL TEACHER’S WORK. 
 
 ( ^^^®MONG the changes which the opening 
 of a new school year brought to Glen- 
 wood was a new teacher of the depart- 
 ment to which Lilian Cleveland returned. Miss 
 Agnes Maillard was a young lady governed, as 
 few even among professing Christians are, by 
 the single desire to do all things to the glory of 
 God, and of course she could not enter upon her 
 position as teacher in a large educational insti- 
 tution without being deeply conscious of her 
 responsibility regarding the multitudes of im- 
 mortal souls by whom she was surrounded. 
 
 That they were young souls did not alter the 
 fact that they were not only capable of sinning, 
 but, unless the grace of God intervened, inclined 
 to sin, and the other and better fact that, by the 
 aid of that grace, each might become a shining 
 Hght to show forth his glory, and to lead others 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACH Eli S WORK . 279 
 
 to bask in its radiance. She felt, moreover, 
 that this was the most plastic time of these 
 girls’ lives, and that in all probability their 
 eternal destiny would hang on the choices they 
 might now make, the decisions they might form, 
 and the habits they might cultivate, and she 
 never entered her school-room door without an 
 earnest repetition of the prayer which she had 
 offered before leaving her chamber, that God 
 would so help her to meet this grave responsi- 
 bility that a great harvest of souls might be 
 gathered into his kingdom. 
 
 It took some little time to feel her way and 
 to commence judiciously, in view of the many 
 conflicting opinions and varied denominational 
 preferences of the families represented by her 
 pupils. She knew that there is a zeal not accord- 
 ing to knowledge, and that unless very careful 
 she might, in the end, do more harm than good. 
 The first step was to request the girls of her 
 class, when answering to their names at morn- 
 ing roll-call, to recite a Scripture verse of their 
 own selection, with which request, as the mat- 
 ter was quite optional, nearly every one com- 
 plied. Occasionally a few words were added by 
 
280 three years at glenwood. 
 
 the teacher to impress the meaning of some 
 one of these selected verses upon her charge. 
 Next, in her government of her department, 
 Miss Maillard habituated her scholars to feel 
 that the authority of God was recognized in the 
 smallest matters, and tried to make the desire of 
 pleasing him the leading motive of action, and 
 somehow, without inducing the feeling of oppo- 
 sition and antagonism, which direct religious 
 exhortations and personal appeals would have 
 done, there was a general tone of the constant 
 recognition of God's presence and claims which 
 expressed itself in both order and scholarship, 
 and made the government of the department a 
 vastly easier thing than such work usually is ; 
 so much so, indeed, as to attract the notice of 
 other teachers, one of whom once said, — 
 
 “ Miss Maillard, how do you manage to keep 
 such order in your department ? ” 
 
 “ I let God govern it,” said the young lady 
 reverently, and her questioner was greatly puz- 
 zled by this application of principles which, to 
 her, had always seemed to belong to the church 
 and Sunday-school. 
 
 But this degree of success did not satisfy the 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACHER’S WORK. 28 1 
 
 missionary teacher, who remembered where it 
 is written, “ Except a man be born again, he 
 cannot see the kingdom of God,” and she 
 longed and prayed earnestly for the manifested 
 presence of the Blessed Spirit, by whose agency 
 alone this mighty miracle in the hearts of indi- 
 viduals can be accomplished. Her faith and 
 patience underwent a long trial. The bright fall 
 months passed away ; winter set in, the Christ- 
 mas holidays came, with their distractions of 
 entertainments and gifts and holidays, and then, 
 when studies were resumed, and January was 
 well under way, came the first drop of the 
 longed-for gracious shower. 
 
 “Miss Maillard,” said a pale, quiet-looking 
 girl named Amy Lee, one day, when some 
 school duty brought her near her teacher’s 
 desk, “ may I stay and talk with you a few mo- 
 ments after school to-day ? I want to ask you 
 about something very important, but I don’t 
 want the girls to hear.” 
 
 The teacher paused a minute. Dinner was 
 always waiting for her at her boarding-house as 
 soon as school was over, and dinner is quite as 
 important an event to an exhausted teacher as 
 
282 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 to her pupils ; but this might be a call from 
 the Lord in answer to her reiterated prayers, 
 and what was any earthly interest in compari- 
 son with his call. “Yes,” she said quietly, 
 “ keep your seat when the others go.” 
 
 And so it came to pass that in the quiet of 
 that deserted school-room, made pleasant by the 
 slanting rays of the afternoon sun, Amy told her 
 sympathizing teacher of her longing desire to 
 commence a Christian life, of her blindness and 
 ignorance regarding the way, the sinfulness of 
 her heart and life ; how, when she tried to be 
 good, she only did wrong more and more, and 
 how she did n’t believe it possible that she ever 
 should be a Christian. 
 
 And then the glad teacher, glad of the evi- 
 dent work of the Holy Spirit, and glad that she 
 had it to tell, told the anxious young girl the 
 story of heavenly love that grows ever sweeter 
 in the telling — the story of the Cross and of the 
 risen Saviour, who is waiting just now to receive 
 and help all who feel their need of him. And 
 the sad, anxious expression went out of Amy’s 
 eyes as she listened, and as she said, — 
 
 “ Please, Miss Maillard, ask Him to take me.” 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACH El? S WORK . 283 
 
 The young teacher had never prayed aloud 
 before any one. She belonged to a denomination 
 where such things are not common, but, how- 
 ever embarrassed she might feel, she could 
 not hesitate now. Kneeling at once by the side 
 of her pupil, she poured out a prayer that in its - 
 earnestness and simplicity proved itself to have 
 been dictated by the Holy Spirit, and was fol- 
 lowed by a few simple words, in which Amy 
 gave herself away entirely into her Saviour's 
 keeping, and took him and all that he offered 
 to be hers forevermore. 
 
 It was almost dark when the consecrated 
 teacher reached her home that afternoon, but 
 the glad joy of being thus made an instrument 
 of God in the highest and holiest work for souls 
 was ample repayment for the little sacrifice she 
 had been called upon to make. And this was 
 only the beginning. Amy Lee could not keep 
 her good tidings to herself. Her radiant face 
 alone told its happy story, and she very soon 
 brought a companion to inquire the way of life 
 of her teacher friend. Others soon followed. 
 There was considerable religious interest stirring 
 in the churches and in the community. The 
 
284 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 hearts of many of the girls were touched by 
 what they heard in church and Sunday-school, 
 and they brought the personal questions thus 
 awakened to their teacher for solution. Spare 
 moments between recitations and at recess were 
 seized for this purpose, and Miss Maillard spent 
 many more afternoons in that quiet school-room, 
 pointing awakened young souls to the “ Lamb of 
 God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” 
 But the young teacher felt the need of great 
 wisdom here. It was not to be expected that 
 all parents would sympathize with a movement 
 of this nature. They sent their children to 
 school to acquire a secular education, and they 
 would have a right to complain should school- 
 time be diverted from its legitimate objects, so, 
 after considerable thought and some earnest 
 prayer, she devised a plan which proved to be 
 highly successful. Towards the close of school, 
 one day, she said with cheerful seriousness, 
 “ Girls, you must all be aware that there is among 
 you an uncommon interest in your own salvation 
 and your personal relations to Christ. One and 
 another have come to me, asking me to show 
 them the way, and some, I humbly believe, have 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACH EH S WORK. 285 
 
 found it, and are happier than they ever were in 
 their lives before. Is it not so ? ” Three or four 
 bright faces answered her. “Now,” she contin- 
 ued, “I don't want this to interfere with our 
 school-work. It would be a poor way to com- 
 mence serving God by neglecting the duties he 
 has given us to do, but I will be glad to give 
 you all the out-of-school time I can, and if any 
 of you would like to remain a few moments to- 
 day and talk with me concerning personal 
 religion, I shall be glad to have you do so.” 
 
 About a dozen, including Amy Lee and her 
 companions and Lilian Cleveland, did so. And 
 this was the commencement of the half-hour 
 prayer-meetings which during the winter months 
 of three school years, that is, during Miss Mail- 
 lard’s connection with Glenwood, were held 
 every Wednesday afternoon at the close of the 
 session. As these little meetings were a real 
 thing, and as their influence will be felt through 
 all eternity, the reader will pardon a somewhat 
 minute description of them. 
 
 They began informally, as we have already 
 seen, in a personal talk with two or three young 
 girls, but as the numbers increased, * — the giris 
 
286 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD . 
 
 asking permission to bring their companions 
 from other departments, — a somewhat regular 
 programme was observed. There were hymns 
 (Miss Maillard procured about two dozen small 
 hymn-books), and opening and closing prayer ; a 
 few verses of Scripture were read and explained, 
 and an illustrative story or incident told by the 
 teacher, with a direct personal application and 
 impressive admonition to decide for Christ now. 
 The girls were encouraged to ask questions on 
 points that interested or puzzled them, but not 
 to talk of their own personal experience before 
 their companions, though occasionally the aid 
 of testimony was secured by the request to those 
 who had found Jesus as their own Saviour to 
 raise their hands. There was never any hesitation 
 in obeying this call, and as time went on, there 
 was a goodly array of witnesses. Sometimes, 
 too, the girls who would like to enter into 
 this blessed way of life were asked to raise 
 their hands, and, if any did so, Miss Maillard in- 
 vited them to remain after the meeting was 
 over, or after school on other days of the week, 
 to talk personally with her, and in this way, as 
 time went on, many more entered into the 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACHER'S WORK . 287 
 
 kingdom of heaven. The interest was gen- 
 erally greatest in February and March, about 
 which time special meetings were being held in 
 the churches ; and both pastors and Sunday- 
 school teachers came to look upon the earnest 
 school-teacher, doing her unostentatious work, 
 as one of their most valuable auxiliaries. At 
 first Miss Maillard had feared that in inaugu- 
 rating such a movement as this she might be 
 considered by the trustees and other officers as 
 taking a liberty, and that the other teachers 
 would not approve, but, to her surprise, the 
 principal, on being consulted, gave his full per- 
 mission, “ provided she proceeded with discre- 
 tion,” and though the other teachers never 
 offered assistance or sympathy, neither did they 
 discourage any of their own pupils from attend- 
 ing if they chose. A good many girls from the 
 other departments did attend, and Miss Maillard 
 found substantial assistance from a few of the 
 elder girls, who^ with the enthusiasm of earnest 
 young Christian workers, came to her aid. 
 Among the most efficient of these were Katie 
 Robertson and Helen Lome. The former had 
 been urged to come by Lilian, and the latter 
 
288 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD . 
 
 now went everywhere with her room-mate. 
 For Helen’s great news which she imparted to 
 her friend at the close of the last recorded visit 
 was, that Mrs. Lome, who had been for some 
 time out of health, was going to accompany her 
 husband to Europe, and, not liking to take her 
 daughter away from her studies, had placed her 
 at the Glenwood boarding-house, where, as all 
 the rooms except Katie’s were full, the latter 
 was delighted to receive her dearly loved friend 
 as her room-mate. And the two girls proved of 
 great advantage to each other in both intel- 
 lectual and spiritual progress. 
 
 Helen was still one class ahead of Katie in 
 the school, and, being of even greater intellec- 
 tual capacity, kept her distance without any par- 
 ticular effort, which had the effect of keeping 
 the latter humble while at the same time excit- 
 ing her ambition and spurring her onward. 
 
 The two girls were as one in all those matters 
 which were nearest to their hearts. Together 
 they studied the Bible, and together they knelt 
 morning and evening, offering together the 
 prayers which enabled them to walk success- 
 fully and safely through the day’s duties and 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACHER'S WORK. 289 
 
 pleasures, and learning thus to pray aloud in 
 each other’s presence, they were fitted to be of 
 great use in assisting Miss Maillard with her 
 little meetings. 
 
 Helen Lome was as much of a favorite at the 
 boarding-house as she had been at the Institute, 
 and had Katie been of a jealous disposition, she 
 might have felt troubled at giving up so much 
 of her friend’s recreation time to the other girls 
 who claimed her. But Helen was always true 
 to her room-mate, and now that both had com- 
 menced this delightful work for Christ and the 
 souls of their school-mates, a new bond of union 
 seemed to bind them closer than ever before. 
 It was the first real work of this kind in which 
 Helen had ever engaged, and she threw hersell 
 into it with all the enthusiasm of her nature. 
 
 Her studies and the other pleasant things 
 of her school life dwindled into insignificance 
 by the side of this newer and more delightful 
 occupation. Indeed, for the first time in her 
 life, “Miss Lome ” received a gentle reprimand 
 for inattention from her class teacher, and 
 an imperfect recitation was chronicled against 
 her name. When her teacher came to inquire 
 
290 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD , 
 
 how this unwonted thing had happened, it 
 appeared that last night’s study hour had been 
 devoted to writing notes to some of the girls 
 who attended the meetings, and the young lady 
 was told that it is more religious to attend to 
 our duties than to do anything else whatever. 
 
 Helen was a little puzzled about this presen- 
 tation of the case, and wished very much that it 
 were in her power to consult her mother about 
 it. But as this could not be, she wrote a little 
 note for the “ question-box ” next Wednesday, 
 with the words, — 
 
 “ Is it possible to be too much engaged in 
 the service of Christ,” and waited patiently for 
 Miss Maillard’s answer. 
 
 This question-box was a suggestion of Katie’s, 
 who had seen it used with such good effect in 
 the “ Do-Good Society ” at Squantown. Our 
 readers will remember that it was merely a little 
 pasteboard box with a slit in the cover. At the 
 opening of every meeting it was passed round, 
 and any girl who chose dropped into it a folded 
 paper on which was written some question, 
 but with no signature. The leader took these 
 out, opened, read, and answered them as she 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACHER'S WORK. 29 1 
 
 thought best, sometimes calling upon the girls 
 for the answers. Often the same question was 
 duplicated, and occasionally it was too foolish 
 or irrelevant to be worth answering at all ; but 
 usually the questions were such as expressed the 
 real perplexities of the writers, and, besides 
 suggesting important and interesting topics to 
 talk about, served as an index to the real needs 
 of the girls. Often they were exceedingly sim- 
 ple, the attendants of the meetings being 
 mostly younger girls, and sometimes they were 
 worded in such a way as to greatly embarrass 
 Miss Maillard in giving the proper answer. 
 Two examples will illustrate. On one occasion 
 the question read was, — 
 
 “ Is it wrong to eat candy ? ” 
 
 The answer given was, — 
 
 “Not in proper quantities, at proper times, 
 and with the consent of your parents. But 
 everything is wrong that produces selfishness, 
 greediness, or forgetfulness of God, who has 
 given us all things richly to enjoy.” 
 
 “ Is it wicked to dance and go to the theatre ? 
 My mother always does, and sometimes she 
 takes me/' 
 
2g2 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 Such questions must be delicately handled. 
 Miss Maillard avoided the difficulty by say- 
 ing, — 
 
 “ I cannot say a word concerning what your 
 parents do; I want you to come to Jesus and 
 become Christians. Then ask the Lord what 
 he wants you to do under the circumstances, 
 and I am sure he will lead you to decide so as 
 to please him.” 
 
 In answer to Helen’s query, she said, — 
 
 “ No, it is impossible to be too much devoted 
 to the service of our Saviour, or to give up too 
 much for him who gave up his life for us. But- 
 we must be careful to see that it is his will and 
 not our own inclinations that we are following. 
 It is sometimes much pleasanter to go to a 
 prayer meeting and talk about religious things 
 than to attend to some well-known though 
 perhaps disagreeable duty. We are all apt to 
 be absorbed by some one thing to the exclusion 
 of others. But no service can really be for 
 Christ which causes us to neglect any one thing 
 which he has given us to do.” 
 
 “ But,” said Helen, in her eagerness betray- 
 ing her authorship of the question, “ everything 
 
A FAITHFUL TEACHERS WORK. 293 
 
 else seems of so little consequence. Studies 
 and accomplishments, and all that, are only for 
 a little time, but human souls are immortal, 
 and what you do for them lasts forever.” 
 
 “ We are not called to judge of the compara- 
 tive importance of any duty, but only to decide 
 whether God has given it to us to do. The sim- 
 ple desire to please him at any cost to ourselves 
 is what he requires in us, and it may be more 
 religious for us to entirely stay away from 
 prayer-meetings and abstain from religious work 
 than to engage in any active service whatever. 
 Lessons are the appointed duties of school- 
 girls. God has given them both their talents 
 and the opportunities to cultivate them. Their 
 parents, also, have a right to expect them to 
 make the most of their time and of the money 
 expended upon their education.” 
 
 "Then,” said Helen, greatly disappointed, 
 “ we are not to ‘ seek first the kingdom of God 
 and his righteousness/ ” 
 
 “ Yes, we are, first in time and first in impor- 
 tance. No one has a right to do anything else 
 until she has come to Christ and accepted his 
 salvation ; but this ought to be at our first con* 
 
294 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 scious moment, and it does not take any time to 
 believe in Christ. When we are Christians it is 
 of course our first or chief thought to seek to 
 please our Master in all our actions, and it is by 
 yielding to his authority — that is, by obeying 
 him — that we help to establish his kingdom.” 
 “ But, Miss Maillard, you tell other people 
 about Jesus and try to lead them to him/’ 
 "Yes, dear; because he has commissioned 
 all his children to 1 preach the gospel to every 
 creature,’ and he hath said, ‘ Let him thathear- 
 eth say, Come.’ That command is spoken to you 
 as well as to me. You can always be ‘ preach- 
 ing’ by example, and saying ‘ come,’ by loving, 
 earnest words to your companions, only don’t 
 neglect your other duties while doing it, thus 
 bringing reproach upon your religion. God will 
 give you plenty of time and opportunity for all 
 that he gives you to do, if you ask him and 
 are sincerely anxious to please him.” 
 
 Helen thought a good deal about this conver- 
 sation, and no one ever again found fault with 
 her recitations. Somehow she always found time 
 enough to attend the meetings, write notes, and 
 talk with the girls who needed her assistance, 
 without, in doing so, neglecting anything else. 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 295 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 MONG the earliest and most regular 
 attendants at Miss Maillard’s meetings 
 was Lilian Cleveland, who, as a matter 
 of course, brought her cousin Nina with her y 
 since Nina did not like to walk through the 
 streets of the great city alone, and as Sophronia, 
 who, by the way, held carefully aloof from the 
 whole movement, “ did not like to be bothered 
 with babies,” she was obliged to wait for her 
 younger cousin. 
 
 Lilian had been for a long time thinking very 
 deeply upon religious things. Her general weak- 
 ness had disinclined her for the merry games 
 and sports of other children, and her frequent 
 illnesses had given her a great deal of time to 
 think. Not that she was for this reason any bet- 
 ter girl than many others who did not think so 
 much. She was discontented and fretful, and 
 
2g 6 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 often rebellious because she could not enjoy as 
 much as other girls around her, and as she grew 
 older her very thoughtfulness increased her irri- 
 tability. She felt this and made desperate efforts 
 at times to “be good,” as shecalled it at first — to 
 “ be a Christian,” as she expressed herself after 
 she had known Katie. These good fits, built 
 upon no better foundation than her own efforts, 
 of course passed away after a time; but it was 
 proof that God's spirit was whispering to her, 
 that they returned again and again, each time 
 accompanied by greater earnestness of longing, 
 and a deeper disgust at herself. 
 
 She was very near the Kingdom last winter 
 when she came to Katie for advice and was so 
 ignorantly repulsed. Then the hurry and ex- 
 citement of the entertainment filled her mind 
 with other things, and for a while the illness 
 which followed prevented all thought of any- 
 thing except her own sufferings, and she was 
 more impatient under them and more irritable 
 than ever before. But as she began to get 
 about again and go out, her religious impressions 
 began to deepen and a settled melancholy took 
 possession of her, which only one thing could 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 297 
 
 ever remove. She began to see herself not so 
 much to be pitied as to be blamed. The faults 
 against which she had at times striven so hard 
 showed themselves to her as sins, and yet at 
 the same time she felt utterly powerless to 
 conquer them. The more she thought about 
 God the more she felt her sinful ingratitude in 
 being discontented with her own lot and her 
 unlikeness to the character of the meek and 
 lowly Jesus. She knew she ought to love him, 
 and she tried to make herself do so, but she 
 soon learned the lesson, which we all of us have 
 to learn, that no one can make himself feel . 
 She knew she ought to forgive Sophronia’s 
 many little unkindnesses, and be kind and loving 
 to her in return, but this she could not do. 
 Even if she forced herself to do pleasant things 
 she could not feel pleasantly about them, and 
 sometimes it seemed to her almost as if she 
 hated her sister. 
 
 As the weeks and months of the vacation 
 dragged by, no one had time to think of the 
 weary little frame that, just recovering from its 
 long illness, should have had rest, recreation, and 
 the invigoration of pure country air. All were 
 
298 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 intent upon the preparations for Augusta’s wed- 
 ding, — that young lady’s wardrobe, which was 
 an extremely fashionable one, being all made at 
 home, as were also the wedding-cake and other 
 refreshments for the reception. Lilian tried to 
 be helpful and kind in the emergency, to run 
 everybody’s errands and share everybody’s work. 
 But somehow her irritable temper would get 
 the better of her. Cross, sharp words would 
 slip out, as it seemed, against her will, and 
 often passionate floods of tears would end her 
 attempts at “ making herself a Christian.” 
 
 “ Lilian is n’t real well yet,” her mother would 
 say at such times, and good-natured Augusta 
 would add, “ Poor little pussy ! ” but no one 
 thought of the unhappiness lying underneath 
 this fretful irritability. 
 
 Many a time the little girl would gladly have 
 thrown her arms around the neck of that good- 
 natured sister, whom she knew to be at least a 
 church-member, and besought her to tell her 
 how to become a Christian, but there never 
 seemed to be an opportune moment. Either 
 there was a dress to be tried on or a direction to 
 give about trimming, or else Mr. Peake had come 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 2 99 
 
 and must discuss matters with the bride-elect, or 
 take her out. Besides Lilian’s mind had got 
 into a morbid state. She was afraid she should 
 be sick again and die, and if she died she knew 
 she could not go to that heaven to which only 
 Christians can go, and somehow this thought 
 seemed too awful and painful to tell to anyone. 
 
 So the wedding and its excitements passed 
 away, and school opened and lessons began. 
 From the first, Lilian felt drawn to her new 
 teacher. There was something about Miss 
 Maillard that instinctively won confidence, and 
 seeing her earnest Christian character, which 
 openly recognized the claims of God in every- 
 thing, Lilian, could she have overcome her 
 shyness, would at once have confided her trouble 
 and sought advice. The commencement of the 
 meetings at once afforded the opportunity she 
 sought, and, as we have seen, she was a constant 
 attendant. 
 
 “ Lilian, do you love Jesus ? ” said Miss Mail- 
 lard abruptly, as she chanced to stand near the 
 young girl when the meeting was over and most 
 of the other girls had gone home. It was a way 
 she had of breaking the ice. The words were 
 
300 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 spoken kindly and in a way not to cause embar- 
 rassment, but in so decided a manner as to com- 
 pel an arrest of thought. 
 
 Lilian blushed, hesitated, and then said, — 
 
 “ Oh, no, Miss Maillard, I don't. I can't." 
 
 “ Can’t love any one so well worthy of being 
 loved ! How can that be ? ’’ 
 
 “ Because I am so wicked, I suppose. You 
 don’t know how wicked I am. I don’t believe 
 there was ever any one half so bad.’’ 
 
 Now Miss Maillard had reason to consider 
 Lilian Cleveland as one of the best girls in her 
 department, for, ever since the vacation, her 
 efforts at being good had taken the shape of 
 great faithfulness in attention to school duties. 
 Strangely, as it seemed to her, her success in 
 these efforts did not make her any happier 
 or bring her nearer to God, but they did save 
 her teacher from the trouble which idle and 
 refractory pupils always give, and she was 
 slightly surprised at this confession of deep sin- 
 fulness. But she was wise, or, rather, the Holy 
 Spirit in whom she trusted put words of wis- 
 dom into her mouth, and she said, — 
 
 “ Don’t think about yourself, Lilian, but about 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 301 
 
 all the reason there is for loving our blessed 
 Lord Jesus. Do you know what he has done 
 for you ? ” 
 
 “ Oh, yes ! I ’ve been to Sunday-school and 
 church all my life. I know it all, but it don’t 
 seem to help me.” 
 
 “ Let me tell it to you again. Perhaps you 
 may see it as you never did before.” And 
 she told once more the old, sweet story of love 
 and sacrifice which loyal and true hearts never 
 tire of telling. Lilian’s eyes filled with tears as 
 she said, — 
 
 “ O Miss Maillard, I must be more wicked 
 than I ever thought myself not to be a Christian 
 after all that. I should think God would hate 
 me.” 
 
 “ God is love ; he cannot hate any one. Why 
 can’t you love him ? ” 
 
 “ I am not a Christian ; I ’ve got to be made 
 into one. You know people must be converted 
 or they can’t enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 
 
 “ Yes, I know, but God has provided all that 
 is necessary for that. You have only to give 
 up sin and trust him ; he will do the rest. 
 Won’t you do your part ? ” 
 
302 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 “ Yes ! ” said Lilian ; but she did not look any 
 happier, and went home if possible more de- 
 sponding than ever. 
 
 This state of things continued for more 
 than three weeks, during which the watchful 
 and anxious teacher realized her own inability 
 to do God’s work, while wondering why the 
 poor girl did not find the peace and joy in be- 
 lieving which came to so many of her compan- 
 ions day after day. Again and again she talked 
 with her, explaining the way of salvation by 
 faith, in the simplest, clearest words possible. 
 She prayed with her alone and in the meetings ; 
 she prayed for her much in private, and Lilian 
 prayed for herself night and morning and a 
 dozen times a day; but it did not seem to her 
 that God heard or would answer her. She did 
 not feel any differently ; she was the same Lilian 
 still, seeming to herself to grow worse and 
 worse. She was still trying to be or do or feel 
 something in her own heart and life — in a word 
 she was studying her own sinful, weak self, in- 
 stead of “ looking unto Jesus.” But her teacher 
 could not make her see this, and so the days 
 passed by, and the gloom on Lilian’s face be- 
 came heavier and heavier. 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 303 
 
 School was over one afternoon, most of the 
 girls had gone home, but Lilian and her teacher 
 were putting on their “wraps'* in the ward- 
 robe. It was some time since the former had 
 spoken to the latter directly and personally. 
 What she said appeared to do no good, and she 
 actually feared to do harm by repeated exhorta- 
 tions which must in the end lose their power. 
 But she looked at her downcast face with yearn- 
 ing sorrow, and a silent prayer went up from 
 her heart for wisdom to say one last and effect- 
 ive word. At this moment an older girl, a mem- 
 ber of another department, who had occasionally 
 been present at the meetings, and had recently 
 attended special services held in her own church, 
 came up to Miss Maillard with a beaming face, 
 threw her arms around the young lady’s neck, 
 and said, — 
 
 “ I found Jesus last night, and I ’m so happy 
 I don’t know what to do with myself. Are n’t 
 you glad ? ” 
 
 “ Indeed I am, dear, and very thankful,” said 
 the teacher, returning her caress, and then seiz- 
 ing upon the somewhat unwonted expression, 
 “found Jesus,” and its childish use in this con- 
 
304 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 nection, she turned to Lilian, who stood looking 
 wistfully on, saying, — 
 
 “ Have you found Jesus yet, Lilian ?” 
 
 “ No, I can’t ; I never shall.” 
 
 “ Listen to me, Lilian. It must be either 
 your fault or God’s. Which is it?” 
 
 “ O Miss Maillard ! ” said Lilian, opening her 
 eyes very wide, “ it can t be God’s.” 
 
 “Then it is yours. Let us see if we can find 
 where the fault lies. You know repentance 
 and faith are the two conditions of salvation. 
 Either you do not repent, — that is, you are not 
 really sorry for your sins and determined to for- 
 sake them ; you are not in earnest about being a 
 Christian, — or you do not believe God’s word.” 
 “ I am in earnest, — you know I am, Miss 
 Maillard, — and how can I help believing what 
 God says ? ” 
 
 “ Then you think you have really 1 come to 
 
 J *\ > >> 
 
 esus r 
 
 “ I am sure I have ; I have come a great many 
 times all these many weeks.” She spoke with 
 earnest conviction, and her teacher knew that 
 she spoke the truth. 
 
 “ Lilian,” she said, “you know the verse, 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 305 
 
 1 Him that cometh unto me,’ — what is the rest 
 of it?” 
 
 “ * I will in no wise cast out/ ” said Lilian 
 slowly. 
 
 “ If he does not ‘ cast out/ what does he do ? ” 
 
 “ Receives, I suppose/’ 
 
 “ Receives who ? ” 
 
 “ Receives you, — anybody.” 
 
 “ Change your pronoun ; ” said Miss Maillard, 
 almost breathlessly, “ you know what I mean. 
 We are studying about pronouns in the class 
 now.” 
 
 “ Receives me" said Lilian, a sudden light 
 flashing into her eyes. 
 
 “ That is it ; now not another word to me, but 
 go home repeating to yourself, ‘ Jesus receives 
 me] and repeat it till you believe it,” and, giv- 
 ing her pupil an earnest kiss, she fairly ran 
 away, lest another ill-judged word should 
 weaken the impression produced. 
 
 We shall not follow Lilian in her homeward 
 walk, where she was so abstracted from every- 
 thing around her as not even to hear the many 
 questions addressed to her by little Nina; nor 
 to her own room, where, in the presence of the 
 
300 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 Father who seeth in secret, she again and again 
 repeated the simple formula of trust, and where 
 the Holy Spirit whispered in return thofce pre- 
 cious things which cannot be translated into 
 human language. 
 
 The next morning Miss Maillard, who had 
 come to school early on purpose, passing her 
 arm round Lilian’s waist, said, — though she 
 hardly needed to ask the question, for never had 
 Lilian’s countenance been so radiant before, — 
 “ How is it to-day, little one ? ” 
 
 “ I am sure the sun never was so bright 
 before, and there never was so beautiful a 
 morning. And I am so happy I can’t tell you.” 
 “ What makes you so happy ? ” 
 
 “ Because I am a Christian.” 
 
 “ How do you know you are a Christian ? ” 
 
 “ Because Jesus says so. He says if anybody 
 comes to him he won’t cast him out. So, of 
 course, he receives me.” 
 
 “ But, Lily, you have known this all along. 
 I have been trying to make you see it for the 
 last month.” 
 
 “ Yes, I know. It was true, but it wasn’t 
 true for me. I did n't believe iti' 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 307 
 
 Lilian Cleveland was one of those delicately 
 sensitive girls who cannot help showing what is 
 passing within them. Her depression of spirit 
 had been so marked that every one noticed it. 
 Her mother even feared that she would settle 
 into a permanent state of melancholy which 
 would perhaps in time affect her brain. Her 
 companions found her dull society. Her sisters 
 stigmatized her as “ cross,” and most of her 
 teachers as “ sullen.” But the change now was 
 so marked that every one would have been com- 
 pelled to “ take knowledge of her that she had 
 been with Jesus,” even if, in the exuberance of 
 her joyous enthusiasm, she had not taken every 
 opportunity of telling them so. Her secret was 
 such a glad one that she could not keep it to 
 herself, and greatly astonished all her home 
 friends by talking in a language which some of 
 them had never learned, and some had almost 
 forgotten. She even told her Sunday-school 
 teacher ; and that careless young lady awoke 
 from her lethargy to find that while she slept 
 some one else had taken her crown. 
 
 Of course Katie Robertson was soon told the 
 good news, and in telling it Lilian said, — 
 
308 three years at glen wood, 
 
 “ Why did n’t you tell me what an easy thing 
 it is to believe in Christ. All last winter I was 
 trying to find the way, and I thought you would 
 tell me, but you did n’t.” 
 
 “ Lilian,” said Katie, as a sudden remem- 
 brance smote her, “ was this what you wanted 
 to ask me about that day when I told you I 
 had n’t time? ” 
 
 “Yes,” said Lilian, but seeing her friend’s 
 look of distress, she added, — 
 
 “ Never mind. It ’s all right now. I don’t 
 want anything to be different, I ’m so happy.” 
 “ I know that. But how can I ever forgive 
 myself for being so much taken up with my 
 own vanity as not to take time to attend to 
 you ? If I did not know that God had forgiven 
 all the sins and wanderings of that time, I 
 shouldn’t think he ever could. But I am re- 
 solved about one thing. At any rate, I will 
 never again be so absorbed in anything as 
 not to be ready for any work God may call 
 me to do for him. This must be what it 
 means to 4 seek first the kingdom of God and 
 his righteousness.’ ” 
 
 Lilian’s new-born joy, while it did not at all 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 309 
 
 interfere with the faithful performance of all her 
 school duties, giving her, on the other hand, a 
 quickness of perception which she never had 
 possessed before, showed itself largely in her 
 zeal to lead others to the dear Saviour whom 
 she had found. She watched her opportunities, 
 and by a kindly, urgent word spoken here, ora 
 sweet little note written there, she induced one 
 girl after another to come to the meetings, and, 
 having once come, she never lost sight of or let 
 them go till they were personally interested in 
 the most important of all questions, “ What 
 shall I do to be saved/’ and came to Miss Mail- 
 lard seeking its answer. 
 
 Among the first of those thus influenced was 
 Nina Sanderson, who, although not yet twelve, 
 was quite old enough to understand her cousin’s 
 talk about the cross and the love the dear Lord 
 Jesus had shown in dying on it for her, and to 
 feel herself a great sinner, since the greatest of 
 all sins was the ingratitude of not having in all 
 these twelve years given her heart to him. 
 
 There were no barriers in Nina’s way. As a 
 little child she received the call to “ come to 
 Jesus,” and, coming, found that peace, joy, and 
 
310 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 power to obey him , which makes for us here on 
 earth “ the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 It was while talking with Miss Maillard, to 
 whom Lilian had brought her cousin, that Nina 
 said, — 
 
 “ Oh dear, suppose I forget all about it when 
 I go away from here and go home.” 
 
 “ The Lord will not let you forget if you trust 
 him and pray constantly to him.” 
 
 “ Still,” said Katie, who had come into the 
 room, “ it would be a great help to the girls if 
 they could join the church at once, so as to 
 commit themselves and feel that they are really 
 on the Lord’s side, and that everybody knows 
 it. I felt a great deal stronger after I had 
 joined the church.” 
 
 “ A good many parents,” said Miss Maillard, 
 “ object to having their children become church- 
 members when they are very young, and some 
 church officers will not receive them. There is 
 an impression that very young people do not 
 know their own minds upon such subjects, and 
 may change them.” 
 
 “ Sophronia did n’t,” said Lilian. 
 
 “ Yet I think,” resumed the teacher, “ that the 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE . 
 
 311 
 
 church ought to take care of its lambs, even 
 more tenderly than its sheep, and it is a great 
 help to feel one’s self committed.” 
 
 The result of this conversation was, that Miss 
 Maillard, having thought and prayed over the 
 matter, at the next prayer-meeting produced a 
 little, long book, bound in blue morocco, and 
 said, — 
 
 “ Girls, I have thought that as these pleasant 
 meetings and happy days must before very long 
 come to an end, it would be pleasant to me to 
 have a record of the names of all of you who 
 have chosen the Lord Jesus for your friend and 
 Saviour, and pleasant for you to know that I 
 have this list of names, and am praying for you 
 when we are separated from each other. I 
 would like to have as many of you as choose to 
 do so write your names in this little book. No 
 one need do so unless she wants to, and I hope 
 no one will be so untruthful as to want to 
 unless she feels she can honestly sign this cove- 
 nant which I have written at the top of the 
 page.” 
 
 The covenant was as follows : “ We, the un. 
 dersigned, believe that we have found Jesus 
 
3 1 2 THREE YEARS A T GLEN WO OD. 
 
 to be our dear friend and precious Saviour, and 
 promise, in his strength, to be his faithful ser- 
 vants and loving children forever.” 
 
 The book was then laid on the table, and at 
 the close of the meeting quite a number of girls 
 came forward, eager to sign it. This the teacher 
 would not allow until she had, by conversation 
 with each, convinced herself that she was in 
 earnest, and at least believed that what she said 
 was true. In some instances she would not 
 allow them to sign until they had consulted 
 their parents, — who, by the by, usually gave 
 their consent, — but by degrees page after page 
 filled up, and at the close of Miss Maillard’s 
 connection with Glenwood her “ covenant- 
 book” contained two hundred and forty names , 
 representing as many immortal souls, whom she 
 could not but hope had, as the result of her 
 efforts and the blessing of God, “ passed from 
 death unto life.” 
 
 She has still that little blue book safely cared 
 for among her choicest treasures ; and, as from 
 time to time she looks at it, tracing the lives of 
 those who wrote those names, she wonders if 
 she shall one day meet them all, “ without fault 
 
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. 
 
 313 
 
 before the throne of God.” Some of the girls 
 have passed out of her knowledge ; some have 
 already “ crossed the flood,” but, so far as she 
 knows , not one has broken that solemn promise 
 or turned back from following their precious 
 Saviour. Occasionally some young lady or ma- 
 tron meets her and reminds her of the blessed 
 time “ when I found Christ in your meetings ; ” 
 or some glad parent tells of a dear daughter 
 gathered into the visible fold, whose name was 
 written for her beneath the covenant when she 
 was too small to write it for herself. One name 
 was put there when its writer was but eight 
 years old, and Miss Maillard is sure it was that 
 day written also “ in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” 
 Amy Lee’s name is there, and Lilian’s, and 
 Nina’s ; and on another page, among those who 
 in watering others were themselves watered and 
 helped in their Christian course, are those of 
 Katie Robertson and Helen Lome. 
 
3 14 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE SECOND VACATION. 
 
 I must pass lightly over the swiftly 
 gliding weeks and months of Katie 
 Robertson’s second year at Glenwood. 
 Her faithfulness in study and her ambition to 
 get ahead had not slackened. As before, she 
 did more work than was assigned to her class ; 
 finishing and passing a good examination in all 
 the junior studies, while adding several of those 
 allotted to the “ middle ” class, in which Helen 
 Lome was. She thus had more in common 
 with her friend during this year, and was able 
 to enter the senior class, at its close, “ con- 
 ditioned ” on the making up of certain studies, 
 which, with her fine capacity and steady indus- 
 try, she was sure to be able to do. 
 
 Helen was not at all jealous of her friend’s 
 rapid progress, of which perhaps, she would have 
 been equally capable. She knew that, before 
 
THE SECOND VACATION. 
 
 315 
 
 long, Katie must support herself by teaching, 
 and that she ought not to tax her uncle’s gen- 
 erosity for a longer period than was absolutely 
 necessary. She devoted her own surplus time to 
 the study of German and some other 14 extras,” 
 which did not come within the ordinary course. 
 
 There was again a crowded, hurried time at 
 the close of the term ; books had to be reviewed, 
 examinations conducted, papers corrected, and 
 all the multiplicity of things which make the 
 “ close ” at a large school. The weather was 
 growing warm, and as the girls were fatigued at 
 the end of a five hours’ session, Miss Maillard, 
 who was wise as well as devoted, judged it best, 
 for the present, to suspend her “ meetings.” 
 The Lord’s work, however, did not stop. The 
 girls often came to her at odd moments fora few 
 words of sympathy and counsel, which, some- 
 how, she always found time to give ; and from 
 time to time a few more names were added to 
 those in the precious blue book. Nor did either 
 Katie or Helen ever find themselves so hurried 
 or over-burdened as not to be able to speak a 
 word in season “ for Jesus.” 
 
 Again there were “ entertainments,” and 
 
3 16 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD, 
 
 again Katie was called upon to take a prominent 
 part in the “ junior exhibition/’ But she was 
 living very close to the Lord now. She had 
 learned to prize his favor more than human 
 applause, consequently the latter did not in- 
 jure her. She was glad to go through her part 
 creditably, glad to please and do honor to her 
 teachers, and devoutly grateful to God for both 
 her ability and her success. 
 
 Helen Lome also took part upon this occa- 
 sion, when her beauty, grace, and elocution cap- 
 tivated all hearts. But Helen was one of those 
 in whom temptations to vanity and the ordinary 
 faults of school-girls seem to find no answering 
 weakness. She seemed perfectly unconscious 
 of the admiration which she excited, and this 
 very simplicity of appearance added greatly to 
 her charm. 
 
 The fact was, Helen was thinking of some- 
 thing very different that night. She had just 
 received a long letter from England, telling her 
 that her mother, who had expected to return at 
 the commencement of the vacation, was still so 
 delicate as to make it expedient for her to re- 
 main abroad for another year, the summer of 
 
THE SECOND VACATION. 
 
 3 1; 
 
 which would be spent in Scotland. At first 
 she had thought of sending for her daughter to 
 join her there, but she had decided that it was 
 inexpedient for her to lose the last year of 
 her school life, and the vacation seemed too 
 short to make two long ocean voyages worth 
 while. Helen must therefore give up the hope 
 of seeing her parents for another year, when, if 
 she had finished her school life and secured 
 her diploma, she should meet them abroad, and 
 have the advantage of a year or so of Conti- 
 nental polish in music, languages, and art. The 
 letter was a very affectionate one, full of sympa- 
 thy for the young girl’s disappointment and sor- 
 row for that of the writer, and it contained so 
 many words of earnest counsel, suggestions of 
 where to look for consolation, and prayers and 
 hopes for the highest welfare of the dear child 
 so far away, that the young girl’s heart was 
 almost too full to do justice to her part in the 
 entertainment, and there was no room for self- 
 exaltation to creep in. Thus does our heavenly 
 Father take care nothing shall hurt us, and that 
 “all things shall work together for good to them 
 that love him.” 
 
3 1 8 THR EE YEAR S A T GLENIVO OD. 
 
 When school closed, Helen went with a cousin 
 of her father’s to spend the vacation at the sea- 
 side, where, in a fashionable watering-place, the 
 tall, beautiful girl of seventeen received an 
 amount of attention that might have spoiled any 
 one not already fortified by having early put 
 on the armor of righteousness and taken the 
 shield of faith. 
 
 But the young Christian passed unscathed. 
 She enjoyed the bathing, and the boating, the 
 rambles by the seaside, and the music and other 
 pleasant things at the hotel, — even the amusing 
 and merry conversation of the young men who 
 paid her so much attention, — as a child enjoys 
 pleasant things, without connecting herself with 
 them, and still found her chief happiness in 
 communion with her Saviour and in kindnesses 
 done to others for his sake. The hotel afforded 
 plenty of opportunity for these. There were so 
 many young people and little children to be 
 helped and made happy. Often the best seat in 
 the carriage or boat was cheerfully given up to 
 one of the other girls, while she took the least 
 desirable. Often she declined to join in the 
 evening games of the young people, that she 
 
THE SECOND VACATION 
 
 3*9 
 
 might devote herself to the amusement of the 
 little ones whom she always gathered about her 
 on Sunday afternoon, doing her best, by loving 
 words and interesting illustrations, to lead them 
 to him who has said “ of such is the kingdom of 
 heaven.” 
 
 Helen also devoted much of her vacation 
 time to keeping up her French and German, and 
 to reading such solid books of history and 
 travel as would best fit her for the delightful 
 years to be spent with her parents abroad. 
 And so the vacation passed away, and Septem- 
 ber came with its cooling breezes and its sug- 
 gestions of labor, and the hard work of rhe 
 senior year began. 
 
 To Katie Robertson this vacation was much 
 like that of last year. Once more she enjoyed 
 being with her mother and brothers, — for 
 Alfred came home this year, — and greatly 
 enjoyed their surprise at her growth and de- 
 velopment. 
 
 She was “ little Katie Robertson ” no longer, 
 but a tall, well-formed girl of seventeen, with a 
 thoughtful earnestness beyond her years, and 
 helpful, womanly ways that, while they gratified, 
 
320 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 puzzled her mother, who could somehow never 
 look upon Katie in any other light than that 
 of her “ baby.” 
 
 Alfred, who had not seen his sister for almost 
 two years, was the most surprised at the change 
 in her, and could scarcely conceal his astonish- 
 ment, that, young man as he was, and several 
 years her senior, she was quite up to him in 
 studies, in some things, indeed, surpassing him. 
 
 Of course both brother and sister had both 
 left brave, bold Eric, — who was, nevertheless, 
 developing into a good business man, — far 
 behind in point of education. But Eric had 
 book-learning enough for his position, and, being 
 a great reader, was constantly adding to it. He 
 was steadily rising in the mill, and would be 
 well able to take care of his mother when she 
 should get tired of caring for her “ boarders.” 
 
 One of these she would never give up. 
 Tessa, the Italian, had become dear to her as 
 another daughter, while with Eric she held a 
 warmer place than his sister had ever held, 
 and to Tessa he was a hero beyond all others. 
 Their engagement was announced during this 
 vacation. They were not to be married quite 
 
THE SECOND VACATION 
 
 321 
 
 yet, as both were so young ; but before very long 
 Tessa was to leave the mill, and become to Mrs. 
 Robertson a daughter indeed. Katie was very 
 glad of this expected change, not only because 
 Helen Lome’s superior attractions had never 
 weakened her first friendship, but also because 
 she foresaw that her future life as a teacher 
 would necessarily keep her much away from 
 home, and, with Tessa always at hand, her 
 mother would not need either her companion- 
 ship or services. 
 
 Katie found Bertie Sanderson much improved. 
 She had settled down to her home life in the 
 station appointed her by her heavenly Father. 
 She looked quite grown up and had apparently 
 changed her ambition to be a fine lady for the 
 much more sensible one of being a good and 
 useful woman. 
 
 Her mother, whose health had greatly failed, 
 was becoming more and more inefficient every 
 day, and Bertie was by degrees assuming all the 
 duties of the housekeeping, and greatly improv- 
 ing the comfort of her father and the other in- 
 mates of her home. She consulted Miss Eunice 
 about ways and means of doing things, learned 
 
322 
 
 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 from her various recipes, and altogether intro- 
 duced such order and comfort as had never 
 before been known in that cheerless household. 
 
 Bertie was sincerely delighted at Nina’s new 
 happiness, and was very helpful to her little 
 sister in the difficulties of the untried way 
 upon which she had entered. The memory of 
 her own stumblings and fall had made her not 
 only humble, but wise ; and she strove very hard 
 to make Nina understand from the beginning 
 that the only way to walk uprightly along the 
 pathway of holiness is to keep close to Jesus by 
 constant and faithful prayer. So thoroughly 
 had Bertie, by the aid of divine grace, overcome 
 her natural jealousy, that she was glad that 
 Nina was so much prettier and more lady-like 
 than herself, and proposed to her father that 
 she should continue to attend school at Glen- 
 wood, even though, to make it possible for her 
 to do so, she must continue to do the house- 
 work without the servant which he had proposed 
 to her to keep. 
 
 But the greatest changes which had taken 
 place at Squantown were at the “ great house,” 
 as Mr. Mountjoy’s always continued to be called. 
 
THE SECOND VACATION 
 
 323 
 
 The house had a new mistress ; for “ Mr. 
 James” had brought home as his bride the 
 young lady to whom he had been engaged for a 
 very long time, but who would not leave her 
 home till the death of her paralytic father re- 
 leased her from her long attendance at his bed- 
 side. 
 
 She was a very sweet, gentle young lady, and 
 an earnest, consecrated Christian, as became 
 the choice of a Christian young man, and she 
 did not desire in the least to interfere with or 
 displace Miss Eunice as head of her father's 
 house ; but the eldest sister, who had so long 
 devoted herself to the care of her family, and 
 been mother, sister, and housekeeper in one, 
 was very glad to be relieved of some of her 
 cares, and have time to devote herself more 
 fully to her outside Christian work than she had 
 yet been able to do. 
 
 There was plenty of such occupation await- 
 ing her, for the sunshine of the house — bright, 
 happy, busy Etta — was gone. The places that 
 had known her knew her no more, and she was 
 more missed in Squantown than any five other 
 girls would have been. Etta Mountjoy no 
 
324 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 longer existed, but Etta Cole had gone with 
 her young minister-husband to his new parish, 
 where her indomitable energy was already be- 
 ginning to make itself felt in various ways. 
 The older girls of her Sunday-school class had 
 been transferred to Miss Eunice’s Bible-class, of 
 which they had so long been almost a part, but 
 the younger ones remained, and some others had 
 been added to them, and for this class the su- 
 perintendent had been vainly seeking a teacher 
 ever since Etta went away. At the commence- 
 ment of the vacation he proposed to Katie Rob- 
 ertson to take the vacant place, and, though at 
 first she shrank with natural timidity from rul- 
 ing where she had once served, it seemed so 
 plainly her duty to fill a place for which there 
 was no one else, that she accepted it with a 
 deep sense of responsibility and many earnest 
 prayers for God’s help and blessing. She found 
 the work extremely delightful, and, while thus 
 gaining her first experience in her future work 
 of teaching, was filled with grateful joy at being 
 made, during those vacation hours, the instru- 
 ment in God’s hands of leading two of her 
 pupils to rest and peace in Jesus. 
 
THE SECOND VACATION. 
 
 325 
 
 Miss MaillarcTs vacation was greatly bright- 
 ened by the letters which from time to time 
 she received from the girls with whom she 
 had enjoyed such pleasant and sacred inter- 
 course during the winter and spring. They 
 were school-girl letters, often badly written and 
 worse spelled, very enthusiastic and sometimes 
 full of exaggerated expressions, but the teacher 
 felt sure that underneath all this lay seeds of a 
 real love for Christ and desire to serve him ; and 
 that she was dear to these young Christians 
 chiefly for his sake did not lessen her pleasure in 
 their affection. They told her about the various 
 places in which they were scattered for the 
 summer, of the influence they were trying to 
 exert over the companions with whom they 
 were thrown, of their continued faithfulness in 
 prayer and reading the Bible, and often of their 
 forgetfulness of these duties and their conse- 
 quent failures in living for Christ. They asked 
 multitudes of questions, and demanded advice 
 upon various points, and the teacher's resting- 
 time was seriously taxed by the letter-writing 
 required in return. But work for Christ is so 
 sweet that Miss Maillard was glad to be wearied 
 
326 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 in his service, and thankful to be honored by 
 so much work for him. 
 
 The letter which perhaps, on the whole, gave 
 her the most pleasure, we subjoin in full: — 
 
 My Dear Teacher, — I shall always call you so, 
 though, as I passed the examination, I suppose I shall be 
 promoted to another department when I go back to 
 Glenwood. 
 
 Wherever I am, I shall never forget all that hap- 
 pened while I was with you, and I think if I go to 
 heaven, I shall still remember as the happiest hours of 
 my life those spent in our dear little prayer-meetings in 
 your room. 
 
 I am more and more sure that I found my Saviour 
 then, and I love him better and better every day. He 
 makes me so happy sometimes, that I feel like a little 
 bird ready to float up in the air, and go where he is. 
 You can’t think how different everything seems. I used 
 to feel cross and hateful to everybody ; I thought every- 
 body was unkind and did things on purpose to tease 
 me, I did n’t enjoy anything, and sometimes I wanted 
 to die, only I knew I could n’t go to heaven because I 
 was n’t a Christian, and I was afraid. Now I seem to 
 love everybody and everybody seems to be kind to me, 
 and I would not be afraid to die this minute, for I think 
 I should go right to Jesus, — don’t you ? 
 
 I ’m having the most splendid time. I never was in 
 the country for a whole summer before, and perhaps 
 you will wonder how I came here. 
 
 Augusta — that ’s my married sister, you know — was 
 
THE SECOND VACATION 
 
 32 ; 
 
 n’t very well, and her husband, Mr. Peake, got board 
 for her a little way out of town, where he could come 
 every night, and then they invited me to come with them, 
 because the doctor said I had never really got over that 
 dreadful sickness a year ago, and that I needed plenty 
 of country feeding and country air. 
 
 It has done me lots of good. I never ate so much in 
 my life, and never felt so well and strong. I can walk as 
 far and climb as well as any girl here. I suppose country 
 air is good for me ; but I think Jesus is making me well 
 and strong, because I ask him to do so every day. Don’t 
 you think it is right to believe that he gives us what we 
 pray for ? He says he does. That makes me think how 
 Augusta and I have agreed to pray every day that Mr. 
 Peake may become a Christian. Augusta has been a 
 member ot the church for a long time, but I did not use to 
 think that she cared much about such things. But since 
 we have been together alone here, she has told me that 
 she wishes she had been more faithful to Christ, and she 
 is so anxious that her husband shall be a Christian, so 
 that they can both serve him together. When she first 
 told me this, she did n’t seem to think there was much 
 chance, but I got my Bible and showed her!the promise, — 
 “ If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any- 
 thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them.” 
 
 “ I wish I had your faith, little Lily,” she said. 
 
 “ It is n’t my faith ; it ’s just believing what God says. 
 How can we help it, if he is God ? ” 
 
 So we agreed that we two would pray about this one 
 thing till God had given us the answer ; and ever since I 
 think Augusta is fonder of me than she ever was before, 
 though she was always very good-natured and kind. 
 
328 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 This is the longest letter I ever wrote in my life, 
 and I have been a good many days in writing it, but I 
 want to tell you just one thing more. We are not board- 
 ing in a fashionable hotel, but it is a pretty large house, 
 for all that, and there are over twenty children in it. I 
 did so want to help somebody to find Jesus, that one Sun- 
 day afternoon I asked some of them if they did not want 
 to come up in the barn and have Sunday-school (there is 
 no Sunday-school here, and the church is so far off that 
 we can’t often go to it) ; and they said Yes, and all ex- 
 cept the babies came. I took my Bible and “ Moody and 
 Sankey ” book, and some of the others had Bibles too. 
 
 We climbed up in the loft, where it is just lovely 
 among the hay, and seated ourselves, and sang hymns, 
 and read one of your chapters, and I tried to tell them 
 some of the things you said about it. I prayed, too ; 
 I thought I should be afraid, but I was n’t a bit after I 
 began. I just asked Jesus to help me, and it seemed 
 as easy as possible. 
 
 Every Sunday since that, we have had Sunday-school 
 in the barn, and every one seems to like it. Some of 
 the other girls pray now, but I can’t tell whether they 
 are Christians or not. Please pray for our Sunday- 
 school in a barn, and pray for 
 
 Your affectionate 
 Lilian . 1 
 
 1 The above letter is a condensation from two or three now 
 in the writer’s possession. The story of the barn Sunday- 
 school is verbatim. 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR, 
 
 329 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE SENIOR YEAR. 
 
 HE “ Senior year ” has in it elements of 
 difference from all those which have 
 preceded it. Not only are the studies 
 more numerous and severe, but there is a good 
 deal of class work carried on among the girls 
 themselves which seems to draw them closer 
 together than ever before, now that they are so 
 soon to be separated. 
 
 There were thirty girls in the class of 187-, 
 to which Katie belonged, and Helen Lome 
 was chosen president by general acclamation. 
 They held regular weekly meetings, where busi- 
 ness was done systematically, and matters of 
 great importance to the class, but of little interest 
 to any one outside, were discussed. As there 
 was great diversity of opinion upon every point 
 brought forward, there was plenty of opportu- 
 nity for the exercise of a meek and quiet spirit 
 
330 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD, 
 
 and of that charity which suffereth long and is 
 kind, and the Christian spirit that in honor 
 prefers one another. 
 
 The class, however, was a united one ; and 
 throughout the year nothing occurred which in 
 any degree militated against its peace and har- 
 mony. Perhaps this was largely owing to the 
 influence of the president, who managed to per- 
 suade the girls to commence every meeting 
 with earnest prayer for God’s guidance and 
 blessing. They were shy and embarrassed at 
 first, but Helen Lome prayed as naturally as 
 she spoke, and Katie Robertson’s prayers were 
 so simple and earnest that the others soon 
 found there was nothing very formidable in the 
 exercise, and sometimes the class-meetings were 
 half prayer-meetings, two or three of the girls 
 following each other with short, earnest prayers. 
 It is not probable that this weekly half-hour 
 was lost time either to the harmony or intellec- 
 tual progress of the class. 
 
 It had long been a custom of Glenwood for 
 the seniors to conduct a fortnightly newspaper, 
 which, though only copied by hand and read 
 aloud in the chapel on Friday afternoons, was 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR . 
 
 331 
 
 conducted with great propriety and form, and 
 considered by the whole school as a very bril- 
 liant periodical. But the class of 187- improved 
 upon the idea, and commenced the publication 
 of a monthly magazine, taking entire charge of 
 both the editorial and publishing departments. 
 Katie and Helen were editors ; two of the day- 
 scholars, whose fathers were in the printing 
 business, were publishers ; and so energetic was 
 the “ advertising committee ” that the publishers 
 not only paid all their expenses, but presented 
 the class with a surplus of seventy-five dollars, 
 which was expended in gifts for the teachers 
 brought most into connection with the class. 1 
 
 Moreover, this winter the seniors attended 
 several very valuable courses of popular lectures 
 which were given in the city, Madame Brunot, 
 the new French teacher, accompanying and 
 chaperoning such of them as were boarders. 
 One of these courses, being descriptions of 
 foreign travel, portrayed in vivid language and 
 illustrated by magnificent stereoscopic views, 
 was of great interest both to Helen and Katie ; 
 to the former, because she could trace the route 
 1 An actual fact. 
 
332 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 of her parents from place to place in their jour- 
 neyings ; to the latter, because she and her friend 
 could talk together about the places to which 
 the latter was probably going, and the things 
 she would be most likely to see. 
 
 The “ seniors ” were looked upon as quite 
 grown up by the rest of the school, and treated 
 with great respect. Even the teachers and 
 trustees seemed to feel for them a sort of 
 deference. In the course of the winter, after- 
 noon receptions were given by two of the latter, 
 at which members of the class were introduced 
 to many well-known citizens and some literary 
 celebrities, and just before the close of the 
 year the president himself gave a brilliant 
 evening party, to which they and the teachers 
 were invited, and where there was an elegant 
 supper table spread in an inner room, while the 
 piazzas and lawns were illuminated, and a band 
 discoursed sweet music. To unsophisticated 
 Katie it seemed quite like fairy-land. 
 
 As may be supposed, in such a multiplicity of 
 occupations and interests, the senior year slipped 
 rapidly away. Our young friends were startled, 
 as each successive text-book was finished and 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR . 
 
 333 
 
 laid aside, to find how rapidly their school life 
 was drawing to an end, and were sometimes sad 
 to think of the inevitable partings so closely at 
 hand. Helen and Katie, however, managed, no 
 matter how hurried they were, always to attend 
 Miss Maillard’s prayer-meetings, and the sweet 
 memories connected with their work at and in 
 connection with these would, they felt, be a tie 
 between them which could never be broken. 
 
 As before, Katie remained at the boarding- 
 house during the Christmas vacation, and was 
 very glad of the time, which she utilized in 
 making up some of those back studies of the 
 “ middle ” class. As only one or two other 
 girls, however, remained, and these were not 
 her especial friends, she was sometimes a little 
 lonely and homesick, especially in the evenings. 
 It seemed, therefore, a real kindness in Miss 
 Perry when, one evening, she invited the lonely 
 girl to accompany her to a “ Christmas specta- 
 cle ” at the Academy, for which tickets had been 
 given her, and she went to put on her things 
 with great pleasure. Had Miss Perry said 
 theatre instead of academy , and play instead of 
 spectacle , Katie would have declined to go, 
 
334 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 though, indeed, she had very little idea what 
 the theatre is like, having only heard of it as 
 something which professing Christians do not 
 usually attend. 
 
 The brilliantly lighted hall, the decorations, 
 the crowds of gaily-dressed people, the fine 
 orchestral music, the scenery and costumes 
 of the actors, the perfection of the acting, were 
 not without great charms for the young girl. 
 But she soon discovered that it was really the 
 theatre at which she was present, and her sensi- 
 tive conscience took the alarm and made her 
 feel very uncomfortable. Yet, at first, she could 
 see nothing objectionable, and she began to 
 wonder why Christians did not approve of such 
 a beautiful place, when, suddenly, one of the 
 actors uttered an oath, and another stumbled 
 on to the stage in a state of seeming intoxi- 
 cation. 
 
 “ Oh, how dreadful,” said Katie, turning her 
 head away and shading her eyes ; “ how can 
 that man have got there ; have n't they police- 
 men enough to keep him out ? ” 
 
 “Nonsense,” said Miss Perry, “he isn't 
 drunk ; it 's only part of the play.” 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR. 
 
 335 
 
 “ But why should he pretend anything so 
 dreadful ? ” 
 
 “ Don’t be silly, child ; watch and you will 
 see that it is n’t real.” 
 
 And Katie did watch, while the great and 
 respectable audience laughed and applauded at 
 the pretence of things which, had they existed 
 in real life, they would have blushed and turned 
 away from in disgust. It was well that she was 
 too unsophisticated to understand the double 
 meanings which underlay some of the witty 
 things said, or at all to appreciate the plot, 
 which was the usual struggle between weak 
 virtue and temptations to vice with which the 
 moral drama and most modern novels are re- 
 plete, in which, although virtue is always tri- 
 umphant, suggestions of quite another possible 
 termination have found lodgment in the minds 
 of the spectators. Other young girls were in 
 those boxes to whom the suggestions were quite 
 intelligible, and the galleries were crowded with 
 young men and boys who find the theatre a 
 night-school of vice, from which they are pro- 
 moted to the open saloons which gape on either 
 hand, and graduated thence into complete and 
 eternal ruin. 
 
336 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 But there came a part of the play which 
 Katie could fully understand. At the moment 
 of her greatest temptation the actress-heroine 
 dropped upon her knees and offered up an ear- 
 nest prayer for help and deliverance. So per- 
 fectly natural were the words, gestures, tone, 
 and expression, that it seemed impossible not to 
 believe them all real, and Katie Robertson was 
 completely deceived by the illusion. 
 
 “ I am so glad,” she said quite audibly ; “ now 
 she will be safe ; God always helps those that 
 ask him.” 
 
 “ Hush,” whispered Miss Perry, who saw that 
 many curious eyes were fixed on the speaker ; 
 “ it is not good form to talk about religion in 
 public places. Besides, it ’s only acting, just 
 like all the rest.” 
 
 “ Only acting ! ” said Katie to herself, for she 
 dared not again express her feelings aloud ; 
 “ acting a prayer ; pretending to call upon God 
 before all these people. It ’s awfully wicked. 
 And God is real, and is here, and don't prete7id 
 to listen. When he hears words that are not 
 said to him, but pretend to be, I should think 
 he would strike the actors dead, as he did An- 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR. 
 
 337 
 
 anias and Sapphira. It ’s a lie as bad as theirs, 
 and a great deal worse." 
 
 After the play came the Christmas spectacle , to 
 see which multitudes of children were taken to 
 the theatre, and kept up to an unusually late 
 hour amid lights and music and all sorts of 
 unnatural excitements. 
 
 It was an exhibition of the celebrated “ Bava- 
 rian Children," who danced and grouped them- 
 selves into tableaux , taking attitudes which 
 could only be possible after long training and 
 incessant practice. 
 
 The garlands and shining costumes, and the 
 symmetrical motion and perfect time kept by so 
 many arms, legs, and heads, had certainly a bewil- 
 deringly pretty effect, though Katie, not being 
 acquainted with the secret of closely fitting buff 
 underclothing was somewhat scandalized at so 
 many apparently almost naked children. 
 
 “ It is pretty," said Miss Perry to a lady who 
 sat beside her, “ and yet it is hard to admire it 
 when one thinks of all the beating and starving 
 those unfortunate children have been subjected 
 to in order to make them attain such perfection 
 of drill. Seen under gaslight, and painted up as 
 
33 8 THREE YEARS AT GLENIVOOD. 
 
 they are, they look like plump, rosy children; 
 but I am told that the emaciation of some of 
 them is pitiful. Their faces are wizened and 
 drawn, and, though they are half starved and 
 drugged with whiskey and tobacco to keep 
 them small, they look more like puny old men 
 and women than happy, healthy little ones.” 
 “The worst feature of it,” said her friend, “is 
 the entire deprivation of education to which the 
 poor little unfortunates are subjected. Forced 
 to spend eight or ten hours a day in dancing 
 and posing, they are taught nothing else ; and 
 when at last they grow too old or too big to 
 appear any longer as children, they are turned 
 adrift on the world, knowing nothing that will 
 fit them to gain an honest livelihood, and what 
 is to become of them God only knows.” 
 
 “ I wonder if any one ever tells them of 
 Jesus,” thought Katie; “if there is a Sunday- 
 school for them; if they ever go to church.” 
 Had she expressed herself aloud, the audience 
 would have been considerably amused at the 
 conceit of a Sunday-school for the Bavarian 
 Children, or of a company of actors attending 
 church. 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR. 
 
 j39 
 
 “I wonder,” again said Katie to herself, “how 
 Miss Perry and her friend and other Christian 
 people can go to see, and thus lend their coun- 
 tenance to, such wickedness as they have been 
 talking about.” If the young girl had known 
 (as, fortunately for her, she did not,) the exceed- 
 ingly bad character and reputation of the actress 
 who had imitated the prayer, — a reputation 
 which completely shut her out of respectable 
 society, — her wonder would have been still 
 greater that reputable, so-called Christian people 
 should not only patronize her, but even take 
 their young daughters and sons to see her, ex- 
 cusing themselves on the plea that “art is above 
 criticism.” 
 
 In describing the occurrences of this night 
 to her mother, Katie closed her letter by say- 
 ing:— 
 
 I don’t ever want to go near the theatre again. At 
 the very best it is only pretending, or, in other words, 
 lying. It makes fun of the holiest and sweetest things, 
 and I don’t believe people can ever be made more true 
 and pure by falsehood. But I think it is a great deal 
 worse than that. There were things said that night, 
 which, though I did not understand them, made me feel 
 uncomfortable to listen to. And I was made to feel that 
 
340 THREE YEARS A T GLENW00D. 
 
 th« theatre was no place in which to speak about religion, 
 when we are told, “ Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or 
 whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” And when 
 we came out, I saw numbers of young men go into liquor 
 saloons on both sides of the theatre door. Besides, when 
 I got home I found it very hard to pray. I seemed to 
 hear the clashing of the musical instruments, and to see 
 the glitter and the lights and the dancing, and I could not 
 think of anything serious at all. I don’t wonder it is con- 
 sidered wrong for church members to go to the theatre, 
 and I don’t mean ever to go there again ? ” 
 
 “ Miss Lome takes the part of the princess ; 
 Miss Robertson, that of the fairy.” So said 
 Miss Sage, as she read over the list of per- 
 formers who were to take part in the represen- 
 tation of “ Rosedormen,” which was to be the 
 closing triumph of the “ Senior entertainment,” 
 given in May, before the girls were too much 
 exhausted with their closing studies. 
 
 “ Please excuse me, Miss Sage,” said Helen 
 respectfully. “ I do not think my mother would 
 approve of my taking part in private theatri- 
 cals.” 
 
 “My dear, don’t use such inappropriate words. 
 This is only a school entertainment. And a 
 costume rendering of the German fairy story is 
 only a prettier way of reciting it.” 
 
THE SENIOR YEAJL 
 
 341 
 
 “I am sorry to seem insubordinate, Miss Sage, 
 or to refuse to do anything which I am told to 
 do by my teacher. But I am sure my mother 
 would disapprove, and I must insist upon de- 
 clining.” 
 
 No one ever insisted upon Helen Lome’s 
 doing what she did not choose to do, and Miss 
 Sage, sighing at the loss of so beautiful a prin- 
 cess, turned to Katie and said, — 
 
 “Then you may be the princess, Miss Rob- 
 ertson. You are not quite so tall as Miss 
 Lome ; but you will look very well. We all 
 know your powers of acting.” 
 
 “If you please, Miss Sage,” said Katie, blush- 
 ing furiously, for it cost her something to be 
 true to her principles by opposing her teacher 
 in the presence of her companions, “ I do not 
 approve of going to the theatre, and I think this 
 is something like it.” 
 
 “ It is the most incomprehensible thing to 
 me,” said the teacher, whose voice expressed 
 considerable displeasure, “that the young people 
 of the present day set themselves to know more 
 than their elders and those who are set in 
 authority over them. If this is the religion of 
 
34 2 THREE FEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 which you make such a parade, I would prefer to 
 have less sanctified scholars.” 
 
 Katie winced, and Helen looked indignant on 
 her friend’s account. But both deemed it wise 
 to say nothing further ; and Miss Sage, running 
 her pencil through the two names, wrote in two 
 others, saying as she did so, — 
 
 “ Miss Morton will be the princess, Miss 
 Fowler the prince. I suppose I shall have no 
 scruples to encounter here.” 
 
 The young ladies specified both bowed in ac- 
 quiescence, very glad that some girls had scruples 
 which enabled them to take the most prominent 
 parts in the entertainment. For, indeed, the 
 constant prominence of Helen Lome and Katie 
 Robertson was exciting considerable jealousy in 
 the class. 
 
 When Helen and Katie came to talk it over, 
 both were convinced that they had done right, 
 even though their action had seemed to place 
 them in antagonism to their teachers. 
 
 They were still more convinced of this when, 
 in company with their companions, they wit- 
 nessed the performance. 
 
 It was exceedingly brilliant. One step had 
 
THE SENIOR YEAR. 
 
 343 
 
 led to another, and a stage had been erected in 
 the chapel directly in front of the desk which 
 was used every day for morning prayers. 
 Across this hung a curtain, which, when it was 
 drawn back, disclosed the princess and her 
 court in the most brilliant and richest costumes. 
 There was great admiration and prolonged ap- 
 plause at the beautiful tableaux , the graceful 
 attitudes, and the perfect acting. But, when 
 Miss Fowler, attired in a prince’s doublet and 
 hose, gave Miss Morton the awakening kiss quite 
 audibly, there was a still more audible hiss 
 heard in the audience ; and Miss Sage felt that 
 she had carried her plenipotentiary power as 
 elocution teacher too far. 
 
 “ I would not send my daughter to Glenwood 
 Institute,” said one gentlemen in the audience 
 to another, “for a thousand dollars. Modesty is 
 evidently not in the curriculum.” 
 
 And his companion said, “ Amen.” 
 
344 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 HERE is always a sadness in the 
 “end” of anything, even if it is the 
 commencement of something better. 
 The breaking up of old associations, the sunder- 
 ing of familiar ties, even the ceasing to perform 
 wonted duties at specified times, have in them 
 the suggestions of the painful changes that 
 must come, one after another, as “the fashion of 
 this world passeth away.” 
 
 Even school-girls are often touched by this 
 phase of sentiment, although in most cases the 
 “close” ushers them into the wider and long- 
 anticipated fields of pleasure and usefulness. 
 
 To many of the girls who expected to stand 
 as “sweet girl-graduates” on commencement 
 night, the long-anticipated diploma meant eman- 
 cipation from restraint, and entrance into a life 
 of gaiety and self-pleasing. To some it signi- 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 345 
 
 fied merely rest from long-protracted work ; 
 to others restoration to home friends ; to 
 others still the gaining of an honorable indepen- 
 dence. But to all alike it was the closing up of 
 the past, the seal put upon irresponsible child- 
 hood, the token that girlhood was over and 
 womanhood begun. Even the most thoughtless 
 were at times visited by these feelings ; and in 
 the occasional pauses between busy hours pre- 
 ceding examinations they served to mingle sad- 
 ness with hopes of success. 
 
 Every opportunity was seized for cementing 
 school friendships. Promises of frequent busi- 
 ness and continued correspondence were inter- 
 changed, — promises whose fulfilment would, 
 within a year or two, be swallowed up in the 
 rush and hurry of life’s duties, interests, and 
 cares. 
 
 Helen Lome and Katie Robertson were 
 among the girls to whom emancipation from 
 school and its duties meant something more 
 than what is technically called “ coming out.” 
 It was a fuller development of the life which 
 they lived already, the presentation of broader 
 opportunities and therefore of greater responsi- 
 
346 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 bilities. They talked these responsibilities over 
 a good deal, passing over the sadness of separa- 
 tion in the consciousness of a friendship which, 
 founded as it was upon oneness in Christ, no 
 time could change, no events break. No doubt 
 they talked a great deal of nonsense, and 
 planned a great many impracticable things ; 
 but the nonsense was innocent, and the plans, 
 having reference mostly to the extension of the 
 kingdom of Christ and the furtherance of his 
 work upon earth, must have been pleasing to 
 Him who fails not in rewarding even a cup of 
 cold water given in the name of a disciple. 
 
 Katie Robertson often thought very seriously 
 of the duties and responsibilities which she 
 would soon be called to meet. She had studied 
 with direct intent to become a teacher, and the 
 principal had already exerted himself somewhat 
 to secure a situation for her which would be at 
 once pleasant and profitable. Her uniform faith- 
 fulness and docility, added to rare intellectual 
 powers, had convinced all her instructors of her 
 competency to fill any position which could be 
 filled by so young a girl, while her tried reli- 
 gious principles fitted her to undertake that 
 
COMMENCEMENT. S47 
 
 moral control which in a teacher is of much 
 greater importance than mere intellectual ca- 
 pacity. 
 
 At length, some changes having been found 
 necessary in the Glenwood corps of teachers, 
 Katie was offered the position of assistant to 
 Miss Maillard, whose department was becom- 
 ing too large for her to manage alone. As 
 this was but a trial of her powers, only a small 
 salary was offered her ; but, on the other hand, 
 Miss Perry proposed that she should live at the 
 boarding-house and take Miss Thornton’s place 
 as a sort of supernumerary teacher for the 
 boarders, walking with them in the morning, 
 sitting with them while they studied at night, 
 etc. Miss Perry was pleased to add that she 
 did not know another young girl whom she 
 would have been willing to trust in such a 
 responsible position, but that Miss Robertson 
 had proved, by her uniform steadiness, good 
 behavior, and Christian principles, that she 
 could be trusted anywhere, and her example 
 would be a benefit to all who might be placed 
 under her care. 
 
 Of course neither Katie Robertson nor her 
 
34 $ THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 friends could refuse so very good and flattering 
 an offer. It was accepted with many thanks, 
 and on Katie’s part with great joy ; for, as her 
 board was provided for, she would be able to 
 save nearly all of her little salary, and at once 
 commence repaying her uncle what he had 
 expended upon her education. Mr. Robertson 
 did not veto this plan when it was suggested to 
 him, for he admired the independent spirit of 
 his little niece ; but he quietly determined to lay 
 by all amounts received from her and invest 
 them for her benefit. 
 
 Alfred wrote that he was delighted with the 
 plan, and he hoped it would succeed and con- 
 tinue ; for as soon as his studies were completed 
 he intended to commence practice in the city, 
 and should want Katie to keep house for him. 
 Eric and Tessa might have his father’s old place 
 at Squantown, but he wanted the wider scope 
 of the city ; and his mother might in the future 
 feel that she had a town house and a country 
 house, and could divide her time between two 
 homes. Surely, as Mrs Robertson listened to 
 the plans and considered the prospects of her 
 children* she must have been filled with shame 
 
COMMENCEMENT \ 
 
 349 
 
 and contrition for the murmurings and fore- 
 bodings of her earlier married life. 
 
 Katie Robertson’s heart, at least, was full of 
 thanksgiving, as one day she slipped into the 
 chapel, and, finding it unoccupied, went up into 
 the desk, which seemed hallowed by the many 
 morning prayers which had been uttered there, 
 and solemnly consecrated herself to God’s ser- 
 vice in this new life upon which she would so 
 soon enter, praying not only that she might be 
 faithful to her duties, but also that all her influ- 
 ence, conscious and unconscious, might be holy, 
 and that, like Miss Maillard, she might be the 
 honored instrument of leading many immortal 
 souls to Christ in the dew of their youth. 
 
 Helen Lome was, as we have seen, to join 
 her mother abroad as soon as the school term 
 closed. Mr. Lome had come over to attend to 
 some business matters, leaving his wife at the 
 Isle of Wight. He would remain to see his 
 daughter receive her diploma, and then take her 
 across the ocean to rejoin her mother. It is 
 well for Helen, as it is for us all, that the curtain 
 which hides the future cannot be drawn back ; 
 otherwise, she might be saddened at the pros- 
 
35 ° THREE YEARS AT GLENXVOO *>'. 
 
 pect of the long years she is to spend in minis- 
 tering to an invalid mother, years which contain, 
 little of earthly brightness, and in which her 
 youth will gradually fade away. But there is 
 no fear that the years will be unhappy ones. 
 Helen has the fountain of happiness within her ; 
 and let what will come into her life, it will be 
 appointed by her Father’s hand, and his promise 
 will be verified — “ My grace is sufficient for 
 thee.” 
 
 But just now, amid all the hurry and the sen- 
 timental and solemn thoughts, the question 
 which is so greatly exercising the minds of the 
 “ seniors ” is one of dress. That commence- 
 ment dress ! What girl who has been gradu- 
 ated in any of our literary institutions but re- 
 members its paramount importance over all the 
 costumes that ever were worn before or ever 
 will be worn again, unless perhaps we may except 
 the floating drapery of a bride. True, it is ac- 
 cording to time-honored regulations to be simple 
 white, unsullied by color or jewel ; but even 
 within these narrow limits there is space for the 
 exercise of individual preference and nice taste. 
 
 Helen Lome, in general, cared little about her 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 35 1 
 
 clothes. Sne had always been well, if simply, 
 dressed, and her taste was so faultless that she 
 could not have worn incongruous articles or in- 
 harmonious colors. But somehow this particu- 
 lar dress had taken hold of her imagination in 
 an uncommon degree. The delicate and artis- 
 tic fancies of her girlish soul should be somehow 
 embedded in it, in the form of delicate fabric 
 and exquisite ornamentation. So she planned 
 to have it made of the finest, sheerest India mull, 
 trimmed all over with a profusion of real lace, 
 the question of expense never coming into her 
 consideration, for Helen Lome had always had 
 as much money as she desired, and done with it 
 as she pleased. Her father having given her 
 a hundred dollars to use in any of the ex- 
 penses demanded by the occasion, it was the 
 most natural thing in the world that she should 
 expend a large portion of it upon her dress. 
 
 Helen intended to go out on Friday after- 
 noon to choose this all important material, and 
 on Saturday the dressmaker would take her 
 measure and tit the dress. There was a class- 
 meeting before school that morning, at which 
 some important questions concerning badges, 
 class rings, etc., were discussed. 
 
35 2 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD . 
 
 “Isn’t it too bad?” said one girl; “I think 
 it ’s a real shame ; we shall be an uneven number 
 after all.” 
 
 “ What is it ? ” “ Tell us.” “ I don’t know,” 
 
 from a chorus of voices. 
 
 “ Only that Clotilde Montaudon has backed 
 out ; she is n’t going to graduate, and there is 
 nobody else who can properly read the French 
 essay.” 
 
 “ Not going to graduate ! Why surely she 
 hasn’t failed in her examinations, she is one of 
 the best scholars in the class.” 
 
 “No, she hasn’t failed, but she said — I 
 don’t know that I ought to repeat it — I heard 
 her tell Miss Sage. She said that she could n’t 
 afford it. She had no white dress, and she had 
 just found out that she couldn’t come in a col- 
 ored one. She had no money to buy another 
 dress, and no time to make it She couldn’t 
 afford the ring and badge either. It seems she 
 did n’t know about these things before. Miss 
 Sage says she is terribly disappointed, for she 
 will have to support herself, and the Glenwood 
 diploma would be such a help to her in getting 
 a situation.” 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 353 
 
 The class president listened to all this with- 
 out a word, only the hundred-dollar cheque 
 which lay folded up in her pocket-book seemed 
 to have become unwontedly heavy for a piece of 
 paper. As her fingers toyed carelessly with 
 the Bible which lay upon the table before her, 
 her eyes caught these words, — 
 
 “ Whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth 
 his brother in need, and shutteth up his compas- 
 sion from him, how doth the love of God abide 
 in him." 
 
 Helen was impulsive, but her impulses were 
 almost always right. She did not take long 
 to think now ; but, as the order for twenty-nine 
 rings and badges was handed her, she quietly 
 changed the figures to thirty, and folded up the 
 paper without saying a word. 
 
 At recess she sought Clotilde, who was sitting 
 at her desk with her face buried in her hands. 
 Hearing a step close behind her, she suddenly 
 raised her head and made hasty attempts to hide 
 the tears that would — though sorely against 
 her will — come into her eyes. It was a great 
 disappointment. She had worked so hard for 
 that diploma, so much harder than the other 
 
354 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 girls, — obliged as she was to study and recite 
 in a language not her own, — and the diploma 
 meant so much to her. 
 
 Clotilde was not an attractive girl. Her face 
 was dark and plain ; her manners quiet and 
 staid, entirely lacking in the conventional 
 French vivacity. She had only been at school 
 this year and had made no friends. This was 
 owing in part to her want of fluency in the 
 English language, in part to the necessity 
 under which she felt herself to devote every 
 moment to her books, and more, it is to be 
 feared, to that tendency of American girlhood 
 to judge of social position by dress. Clotilde’s 
 dresses were all made by herself, and, being a 
 French girl, she could not help making them fit 
 well and look tastefully ; but they were of the 
 cheapest possible materials, and worn to the 
 very verge of shabbiness. With neither Helen 
 nor Katie would this latter fact have proved a 
 barrier to friendship. But it was impossible to 
 know every one of the eight hundred Glenwood 
 pupils, or even to be intimate with the thirty 
 who composed the senior class. They knew 
 Clotilde as a good scholar, a French girl, and 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 355 
 
 one of the free pupils who were every year sent 
 up by the public schools to receive a year’s 
 finishing and a diploma, after having learned all 
 that they could teach, and taken all the honors 
 that were i:i their gift to bestow. 
 
 “Come and walk,” said Helen coaxingly. “I 
 want to know and remember all our class, and I 
 don’t feel as if I knew you at all.” 
 
 Clotilde would have hung back ; but Helen’s 
 manner was very winning, and as she said 
 nothing personal, but began to talk about her 
 projected European travels, and asked her 
 French companion’s advice about things to see 
 and to do in her own country, the latter soon 
 found herself chatting as she had not done 
 since she entered the school. Adroitly leading 
 the conversation to herself, Helen then dis- 
 covered that Clotilde was the daughter of a 
 Protestant pastor in the south of France, who, 
 having been deposed and driven from his parish 
 in some of the many political convulsions of the 
 country, had sought refuge in America with his 
 daughter and her nurse. But the fatigue of the 
 journey, the loss of his position and influence, 
 and perhaps the extreme privations to which 
 
356 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD . 
 
 his poverty subjected him in our rigorous cli- 
 mate, brought on a quick decline, and he died, 
 leaving nothing in the world for the support of 
 his child, who was then about ten years old. 
 
 The old nurse of the latter, however, did not 
 desert her. Taking a small room, she estab- 
 lished herself as a blanchisseuse ; that is, she 
 took in fine washing and ironing, doing up laces 
 and delicate muslins in a way known only to 
 French women, and thus earned enough to sup- 
 port herself and the child, to clothe the latter 
 plainly, and to procure for her such books as 
 were required in the public school to which she 
 sent her. 
 
 Of course such a childhood had not tended to 
 develop Clotilde’s gaiety. In fact, the religion 
 of French Protestants, brought up in constant 
 antagonism with Romanism, is apt to be of a 
 stern, ascetic sort, and Pastor Montaudon had 
 carefully instructed his little girl in his own 
 religion. He had taught her also everything 
 else that she knew, and at the time of his death 
 she had been uncommonly advanced for her age 
 in all that could be communicated through the 
 medium of her own language. When she went 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 357 
 
 to school, however, her difficulties were increased 
 by the necessity of studying a new tongue 
 which heretofore she had only known colloqui- 
 ally, and of which she spoke very little, having 
 lived entirely with her father and nurse, who 
 only talked in French. 
 
 Clotilde’s gratitude to her nurse, however, 
 and her desire as early as possible to relieve her 
 of her support and pay back to her something 
 of her indebtedness, had enabled her to over- 
 come all obstacles, win the scholarship, and 
 pass the examinations necessary for graduation ; 
 and now it was a serious disappointment to fail 
 at the last. 
 
 As Helen skilfully drew out all these particu- 
 lars, it did not need words to convey to her 
 quick perceptions that the French nurse had 
 strained her resources to the utmost in carrying 
 her charge through the necessary expenses of 
 the senior year, — providing books, stationery, 
 etc., — and that to procure for her gold rings, 
 silver badges, and a delicate evening dress would 
 be an utter impossibility. 
 
 “I am very, very sorry/’ said the French girl, 
 when she came to the end of her story ; “ but 
 
35 8 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 of course it is all for the best. My papa used to 
 say so always in his many misfortunes. ‘All 
 things work together for good to them that love 
 God.’ Of course he will take care of me, but I 
 don’t see how. This seemed the only way, and 
 I tried so hard. I wonder,” she said with sudden 
 brightness, “ if the trustees would not send me 
 my diploma, even though I am not there to 
 receive it. I mean to ask to-day. Don’t you 
 think they would ? ” 
 
 Helen thought it possible, but she had an- 
 other plan in her head which would not render 
 it at all necessary. She had taken careful 
 note of Clotilde’s height and figure, which were 
 about the same as her own, and that afternoon 
 she went out shopping and purchased enough 
 soft, fine white muslin to make two dresses. It 
 was not, perhaps, the gossamer fabric of which 
 she had dreamed ; but it was quite fine enough 
 to satisfy the most delicate and ladylike taste. 
 To the muslin she added linings and a small 
 quantity of Swiss embroidery, enough to trim 
 neck and sleeves, and ordered the whole to be 
 sent to her own dressmaker. The addition of 
 two pairs of white slippers and two of white 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 359 
 
 gloves (with proviso to change should it be 
 necessary), and two white belts, and Helen’s 
 shopping was complete. She ordered the dress- 
 maker to make the two dresses somewhat dif- 
 ferently, leaving open certain seams for such 
 alterations as might be necessary, and ordered 
 Clotilde’s to be sent, with no name, to the dwell- 
 ing of the blanchisseuse : and so delicately was 
 the whole thing done that Clotilde never knew 
 that the dress was not a surprise prepared for 
 her by the indefatigable exertions of her old 
 nurse, and she was grateful accordingly. 
 
 “ I declare,” said one of the girls on Com- 
 mencement night, “ there is Clotilde Montau- 
 don, after all. What a pretty dress she has — 
 so much like Helen Lome’s. But who would 
 have supposed that a girl whose parents are so 
 rich as Helen’s would be dressed so plainly.” 
 
 And not one of them guessed that the thir- 
 tieth ring and badge were paid for out of the 
 money that was to have paid for Helen’s real 
 lace. Clotilde, in her innocence, thought they 
 were provided by the school, in common with 
 the diploma. 
 
 As to Helen herself, she was very well satis- 
 
360 THREE YEARS AT GLENWOOD. 
 
 fied with her dress, or would have been if more 
 important considerations had not claimed her 
 attention. First, there was the music, then 
 the reports of examining committees as to the 
 general condition of the school, and then the 
 essays, which, to the graduates themselves, 
 were always the most important part of the 
 programme. They were not, as a general 
 thing, read by the writers ; for, as the best 
 writers are not usually the best elocutionists, it 
 was easier in this way to represent the whole 
 class. Helen's essay was finely read by her 
 friend Katie, and the valedictory poem, written 
 by the latter, was beautifully recited by her 
 friend, Helen's poetic beauty adding greatly to 
 its effect. 
 
 And then came the supreme moment when 
 the thirty white-robed figures grouped them- 
 selves, as previously arranged, upon the plat- 
 form, stepping out from the ranks as one by 
 one each name was called, to receive from 
 the president of the Institute the parchment 
 diploma, which certified that they had pursued 
 the whole course of study required by the cur- 
 riculum, and passed all the examinations with 
 
COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 361 
 
 honor. When the last white roll had been 
 handed out, the dignified president addressed 
 them in solemn and affectionate words, con- 
 gratulating them upon their success, and point- 
 ing them to the earnest life-work which lay 
 close before them. He exhorted them to take 
 up this work and do it honestly and in the fear 
 of God, remembering that great opportunities 
 always brought with them great responsibili- 
 ties — responsibilities which no one can meet 
 save by the blessing and in the strength of 
 God. 
 
 An earnest prayer was then offered that that 
 blessing might descend upon them ; a hymn — 
 composed, the programme said, by one of their 
 number (Katie Robertson knew who that one 
 was) was sung — and the benediction was pro- 
 nounced over their heads for the last time in 
 that place. 
 
 And here we leave our Glenwood girls, step- 
 ping down from the school platform, their ears 
 full of the solemn, inspiriting words, their hearts 
 full of holy and high resolve. Stepping confi- 
 dently, because, in Helen’s and Katie’s cases at 
 least, confidingly, across the brook which divides 
 
362 THREE YEARS AT GLEN WOOD. 
 
 maidenhood from womanhood, and which, while 
 it is one of the still waters which flow through 
 the green pastures of God’s love, is also the 
 Rubicon which can never be recrossed between 
 Katie Robertson’s future life and her three 
 years at Glenwood. 
 
A. L. Burt*s Catalogue of Books for 
 Young People by Popular Writers, 52- 
 58 Duane Street, New York ^ n? ^ 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS* 
 
 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. By Lewis Carroll. 
 
 Lirno, cloth, 42 illustrations, price 75 cents. 
 
 “From first to last, almost without exception, this story is delightfully 
 droll, humorous and illustrated in harmony with the story.” — New York 
 Express. 
 
 Through, the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found 
 
 There. By Lewis Carroll. 12mo, cloth, 50 illustrations, price 75 cents. 
 “A delight alike to the young people and their elders, extremely funny 
 both in text and illustrations.” — Boston Express. 
 
 Little Lucy’s Wonderful Globe. By Charlotte M. 
 
 Yonge. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This story is unique among tales intended for children, alike for pleas- 
 ant instruction, quaintness of humor, gentle pathos, and the subtlety with 
 which lessons moral and otherwise are conveyed to children, and perhaps 
 to their seniors as well.” — The Spectator. 
 
 Joan’s Adventures at the North Pole and Elsewhere. 
 
 By Alice Corkkan. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Wonderful as the adventures of Joan are. It must be admitted that 
 they are very naturally worked out and very plausibly presented. Alto- 
 gether this is an excellent story for girls.” — Saturday Review. 
 
 Count Up the Sunny Days : A Story for Girls and Boys. 
 
 By C. A. Jones. l:2mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “An unusually good children’s story.” — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 The Dove in the Eagle’s Nest. By Charlotte M. 
 
 Yonge. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Among all the modern writers we believe Miss Yonge first, not in 
 genius, but in this, that she employs her great abilities for a high and 
 noble purpose. We know of few modern writers whose works may be so 
 safely commended as hers.” — Cleveland Times. 
 
 Jan of the Windmill. A Story of the Plains. By Mrs. 
 
 J. H. Ewing. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price SI. 00. 
 
 “Never has Mrs. Ewing published a more charming volume, and that 
 Is saying a very great deal. From the first to the last the book over- 
 flows with the strange knowledge of child-nature which so rarely sur- 
 vives childhood ; and moreover, with inexhaustible quiet humor, which 
 is never anything but innocent and well-bred, never priggish, and never 
 clumsy. ’ ’ — Academy . 
 
 A Sweet Girl Graduate. By L. T. Meade. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One of this popular author’s best. The characters are well imagined 
 and drawn. The story moves with plqpty of spirit and the interest does 
 not flag until the end too quickly comes.” — Providence Journal. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, Hew York. 
 
2 A. L. BURT’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Six to Sixteen: A Story for Girls. By Juliana 
 
 Horatia Ewing. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “There is no doubt as to the good quality and attractiveness of ‘Six to 
 Sixteen.’ The book is one which would enrich any girl's book Bbelf.” — 
 St. James’ Gazette. 
 
 The Palace Beautiful: A Story for Girls. By L. T. 
 
 Meade. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “A bright and interesting story. The many admirers of Mrs. L. T. 
 Meade in this country will be delighted with the ‘Palace Beautiful’ for 
 more reasons than one. It is a charming book for girls.*’— New York 
 Recorder. 
 
 A World of Girls: The Story of a School. By L. T. 
 
 Meade. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One, of those wholesome stories which it does one good to read. It 
 will afford pure delight to numerous readers. This book should be on 
 every girl’s book shelf.” — Boston Home Journal. 
 
 The Lady of the Forest : A Story for Girls. By L. T. 
 
 Meade. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “This story is written in the author’s well-known, fresh and easy style. 
 All girls fond of reading will be charmed by this well-written story. It 
 Is told with the author’s customary' grace and spirit.” — Boston Times. 
 
 At the Back of the North Wind. By George Mac- 
 
 donald. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “A very pretty story, with much of the freshness and vigor of Mr. Mac- 
 donald’s earlier work. . . . It is a sweet, earnest, and wholesome fairy 
 
 story, and the quaint native humor Is delightful. A most delightful vol- 
 ume for young readers.” — Philadelphia Times. 
 
 The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. 
 
 By Charles Kingsley. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The strength of his work, as well as its peculiar charms, consist in 
 his description of the experiences of a youth with life under water in the 
 luxuriant wealth of which he revels with all the ardor of a poetical na- 
 ture.” — New York Tribune. 
 
 Our Bessie. By Rosa 1ST. Carey. 12mo, cloth, illus- 
 
 strated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One of the most entertaining stories of the season, full of vigorous 
 action, and strong in character-painting. Elder girls will be charmed with 
 it, and adults may read its pages with profit.” — The Teachers’ Aid. 
 
 Wild Kitty. A Story of Middleton School. By L. T. 
 
 Meade. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Kitty is a true heroine — warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all 
 good women nowadays are, largely touched with the enthusiasm of human- 
 ity. One of the most attractive gift books of the season.” — The Academy. 
 
 A Young Mutineer. A Story for Girls. By L. T. 
 
 Meade. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One of Mrs. Meade’s charming books for girls, narrated in that simple 
 and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of the first among 
 writers for young people.” — The Spectator. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A, L. BXJKT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 
 
A. L. B LET’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 3 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Sue and I. By Mrs. O’Reilly. 12mo, cloth, illus- 
 
 trated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “A thoroughly delightful book, full of sound wisdom as well as fun.”— 
 Athenaeum. 
 
 The Princess and the Goblin. A Fairy Story. By 
 
 George Macdonald, 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “If a child once begins this book, it will get so deeply interested in 
 it that when bedtime comes it will altogether forget the moral, and will 
 weary its parents with importunities for just a few minutes more to sea 
 how everything ends.’’ — Saturday Review. 
 
 Pythia’s Pupils: A Story of a School. By Eva 
 
 Hartner. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price SI. 00. 
 
 “This story of the doings of several bright school girls is sure to interest 
 girl readers. Among many good stories tor girls this is undoubtedly one 
 of the very best.’ ’-—Teachers’ Aid. 
 
 A Story of a Short Life. By Juliana Horatia Ewing. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The book is one we can heartily recommend, for it is not only bright 
 and interesting, but also pure and healthy in tone and teaching. — 
 Cornier. 
 
 The Sleepy King. A Fairy Tale. By Aubrey Hop- 
 
 wood and Seymour Hicks. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 “Wonderful as the adventures of Bluebell are, it must be admitted that 
 they are very naturally worked out and very plausibly presented. 
 Altogether this is an excellent story for girls.’’ — Saturday Review. 
 
 Two Little Waifs. By Mrs. Molesworth. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Mrs. Molesworth’s delightful story of ‘Two Little Waifs’ will charm 
 all the small people who find it in their stockings. It relates the ad- 
 ventures of two lovable English children lost in Paris, and isjust wondi/- 
 ful enough to pleasantly wring the youthful heart.” — New York Tribune. 
 
 Adventures in Toyland. By Edith King Hall. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The author is such a bright, cheery writer, that her stories are 
 always acceptable to all who are not confirmed cynics, and her record of 
 the adventures is as entertaining and enjoyable as we might expect.’.’— 
 Boston Courier. 
 
 Adventures in Wallypug Land. By G. E. Farrow. 
 
 l2mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “These adventures are simply inimitable, and will delight boys and girls 
 of mature age, as well as their juniors. No happier combination of 
 author and artist than this volume presents could be found to furnish 
 healthy amusement to the young folks. The book is an artistic one in 
 every sense.” — Toronto Mail. 
 
 Fussbudget’s Folks. A Story for Young Girls. By 
 
 Anna F. Burnham. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Mrs. Burnham has a rare gift for composing stories for children. With 
 a light, yet forcible touch, she paints sweet and artless, yet natural and 
 strong, characters. * ’ — Congregationalis m 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of pries by tbs 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 62-64 Duane Street, New York. 
 
4 a. l. Burt’s books for young people. 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Mixed Pickles. A Story for Girls. By Mrs. E. M. 
 
 Field. ISmo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “It is, in its way, a little classic, of which the real beauty and pathos 
 can hardly be appreciated by young people. It is not too much to say 
 of the story that it is perfect of its kind.” — Good Literature, 
 
 Miss Mouse and Her Boys. A Story for Girls. By 
 
 Mrs. Molesworth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Mrs. Molesworth’s books are cheery, wholesome, and particularly w<dl 
 adapted to refined life. It is safe to add that she is the best English prose 
 writer for children. A new volume from Mrs. Molesworth is aJUvays a 
 
 treat.” — The Beacon. 
 
 Gilly Flower. A Story for Girls. By the author of 
 
 “ Miss Toosey's Mission.” 12m o, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Jill is a little guardian angel to three lively brothers who tease and 
 play with her. . . . Her unconscious goodness brings right thoughts 
 
 and resolves to several persons who come into contact with her. There is 
 no goodiness in this tale, but its influence is of the best kind.” — Literary 
 World. 
 
 The Chaplet of Pearls ; or, The White and Black Bibaii- 
 
 mont. By Charlotte M. Yonge. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 “Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that grown-up 
 readers may enjoy it as much as children. It is one of the best books of 
 the season.” — Guardian. 
 
 Naughty Miss Bunny: Her Tricks and Troubles. By 
 
 Clara Mcleolland. i2mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The naughty child is positively delightful. Papas should not omit the 
 book from their list of juvenile presents.” — Land and Wator. 
 
 Meg’s Friend. By Alice Corkran. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One of Miss Corkran’s charming books for girls, narrated in that simple 
 and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of the first among 
 writers for young people.” — The Spectator. 
 
 Averil. By Rosa N. Carey. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, 
 
 price $1.00. 
 
 “A charming story for young folks. Averil is a delightful creature- 
 piquant, tender* and true — and her varying fortunes are perfectly real- 
 istic.” — World. 
 
 Aunt Dianx. By Rosa IT. Carey. 12mo, cloth, ill us- 
 
 trated, price $1.00. 
 
 “An excellent story, the interest being sustained from first to last. 
 This is, both in its intention and the way the story is told, one of the 
 best books of its kind which has come before us this year.” — Saturday 
 Review. 
 
 Little Sunshine’s Holiday: A Picture from Life. By 
 
 Miss Mulock. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This is a pretty narrative of child life, describing the simple doings 
 and sayings of a very charming and rather precocious child. This is a 
 delightful book for young people.” — Gazette. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by th« 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New Yore. 
 
A. L. Boards BOOKS iron iOUKG PEOPLE. § 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Esther’s Charge. A Story for Girls. By Ellen Everett 
 
 Green. l2mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “ . . . This is a story showing in a charming way how one little 
 
 girl’s jealousy and bad temper were conquered; one of the best, most 
 suggestive and Improving of tbe Christmas juveniles.” — New York Trib- 
 une. 
 
 Fairy land of Science. By Arabella B. Buckley. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “We can highly recommend it; not only for the valuable information 
 It gives on tbe special subjects to which it is dedicated, but also as a 
 book teaching natural sciences in an interesting way. A fascinating 
 little volume, which will make friends in eyery household in which there 
 are children.” — Daily News. 
 
 Merle’s Crusade. By Rosa K Carey. 12ino, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Among the books for young people we bave seen nothing more unique 
 than this book. Like all of this author’s stories it will please young read- 
 ers by the very attractive and charming style in which it is written.” — 
 
 Journal. 
 
 Birdie: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. Ciiilde- 
 
 Pemberton. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about it 
 that makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery shout of chil- 
 dren at play which charmed his earlier years.” — New York Express. 
 
 The Days of Brace: A Story from Scottish History. 
 
 By Grace Aguilar. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about all of Grace 
 Aguilar’s stories which cannot fail to win the interest and admiration of 
 every lover of good reading.” — Boston Beacon, 
 
 Three Bright Girls : A Story of Chance and Mischance. 
 
 By Annie E. Armstrong. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The charm of the story lies in the cheery helpfulness of spirit devel- 
 oped in the girls by tbeir changed circumstances; while the author finds 
 a pleasant ending to all their happy makeshifts. The story is charmingly 
 told, and the book can be warmly recommended as a present for girls.” — 
 Standard. 
 
 Giannetta : A GirFs Story of Herself. By Rosa Mul- 
 
 Holland. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Extremely well told and full of interest. Giannetta is a true heroine— 
 warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all good women nowadays are, 
 largely touched with enthusiasm of humanity. The illustrations are un- 
 usually good. One of the most attractive gift books of tbe season.” — Th® 
 Academy. 
 
 Margery Merton’s Girlhood. By Alice Corkran. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her 
 father to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. The accounts 
 of the various persons who have an after influence on the story are sin- 
 gularly vivid. There is a subtle attraction about tbe book which will make 
 it a great favorite with thoughtful girls.” — Saturday Review. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher,, A„ L„ BURT , 62-58 Duane Street, New York, 
 
6 A. L. BURT’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Under False Colors: A Story from Two Girls’ Lives. 
 
 By Sarah Doudney. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1 .00. 
 
 “Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned stories — pure 
 in style, original in conception, and with skillfully wrought out plots; but 
 we have seen nothing equal in dramatic energy to this book.” — Christian 
 
 Leader. 
 
 Sown the Snow Stairs; or, From Good-night to Good- 
 
 morning. By Alice Corkran. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 “Among all the Christmas volumes which the year has brought to our 
 table this one stands out facile princeps — a gem of the first water, bearing 
 upon every one of its pages the signet mark of genius. . . . All is told 
 
 with such simplicity and perfect naturalness that the dream appears to be 
 a solid reality. It is indeed a Little Pilgrim’s Progress.” — Christian 
 Leader. 
 
 The Tapestry Room: A Child’s Romance. By Mrs. 
 
 Molesworth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Mrs. Molesworth is a charming painter of the nature and ways of 
 children; and she has done good service in giving us this charming 
 juvenile which will delight the young people.” — Athenaeum, London. 
 
 Little Miss Peggy: Only a Nursery Story. By Mrs. 
 
 Molesworth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 Mrs. Molesworth ’s children are finished studies. A joyous earnest spirit 
 pervades her work, and her sympathy is unbounded. She loves them 
 with her whole heart, while she lays bare their little minds, and expresses 
 their foibles, their faults, their virtues, their inward struggles, their 
 conception of duty, and their instinctive knowledge of the right and wrong 
 of things. She knows their characters, she understands their wants, 
 and she desires to help them. 
 
 Polly: A New Fashioned Girl. By L. T. Meade. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1 .00. 
 
 Few authors have achieved a popularity equal to Mrs. Meade as a 
 writer of stories for young girls. Her characters are living beings of 
 flesh and blood, not lay figures of conventional type. Into the trials 
 and crosses, and everyday experiences, the reader enters at once with zest 
 and hearty sympathy. While Mrs. Meade always writes with a high 
 moral purpose, her lessons of life, purity and nobility of character are 
 rather inculcated by example than intruded as sermons. 
 
 One of a Covey. By the author of “Miss Toosey’s 
 
 Mission.'” 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that grown-up 
 readers may enjoy it as much as children. This ‘Covey’ consists of the 
 twelve children of a hard-pressed Dr. Partridge out of which is chosen a 
 little girl to be adopted by a spoiled, fine lady. We have rarely read 
 a story for hoys and girls with greater pleasure. One of the chief char- 
 acters would not have disgraced Dickens’ pen.” — Literary World. 
 
 The Little Princess of Tower Hill. By L. T. Meade. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This is one of the prettiest hooks for children published, as pretty 
 as a pond-lily, and quite as fragrant. Nothing could be imagined more 
 attractive to young people than such a combination of fresh pages and 
 fair pictures; and while children will rejoice over it — which is much 
 better than crying for it — it is a hook that can be read with pleasure 
 even by older hoys and girls.” — Boston Advertiser. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York, 
 
A. lu BUE-r'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. % 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS. 
 
 Rosy. By Mbs. Moleswobth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, 
 
 price 75 cents. 
 
 Mrs. Molesworth, considering the quality and quantity of her labors, 
 is the best story-teller for children England has yet known. 
 
 “This is a very pretty story. The writer ‘knows children, and their 
 ways well. The illustrations are exceedingly well drawn.”— Spectator. 
 
 Esther : A Book for Girls. By Rosa N. Caeey. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “She inspires her readers simply by bringing them in contact with the 
 characters, who are in themselves inspiring. Her simple stories are wove® 
 in order to give her an opportunity to describe her characters by their ow* 
 conduct in seasons of trial.” — Chicago Times. 
 
 Sweet Content. By Mbs. Moleswobth. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 1 illustrated, price 75 cents, 
 
 “It seems to me not at all easier to draw a lifelike child than to draw 
 a lifelike man or woman: Shakespeare and Webster were the only two 
 
 men of their age who could do it with perfect delicacy and success. 
 Our own age is more fortunate, on this single score at least, having a 
 larger and far nobler proportion of female writers; among whom, since 
 the death of George Eliot, there is none left whose touch is so exquisite 
 and masterly, whose love Is so thoroughly according to knowledge* whose 
 bright and sweet invention is so fruitful, so truthful, or so delightful as 
 Mrs. Molesworth’s.” — A. C. Swinbourne. 
 
 Honor Bright ; or. The Four-Leaved Shamrock. By the 
 
 author of “ Miss Toosey’s Mission." 13mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 “It requires a special talent to describe the sayings and doings of 
 children, and the author of ‘Honor Bright,’ ‘One of a Covey,’ possesses that 
 talent in no small degree. A cheery, sensible, and healthy tale.” — The 
 
 Times. 
 
 The Cuckoo Clock. By Mbs. Moleswobth. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “A beautiful little story. It will be read with delight by every child 
 into whose hands it is placed. . . . The author deserves all the praise 
 
 that has been, is, and will be bestowed on ‘The Cuckoo Clock.’ Children’s 
 stories are plentiful, but one like this is not to be met with every day.” — 
 Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 The Adventures of a Brownie. As Told to my Child. 
 
 By Miss Mulock. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The author of this delightful little book leaves It In doubt all through 
 whether there actually is such a creature in existence as a Brownie, but 
 she makes us hope that there might be.” — Chioago Standard. 
 
 Only a Girl: A Tale of Brittany. From the French 
 
 by C. A. Jones. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “We can thoroughly recommend this brightly written and homely nar* 
 rative.” — Saturday Review. 
 
 little Rosebud; or. Things Will Take a Turn. By 
 
 Beatrice Harraden. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “A most delightful little book. . . . Miss Harraden is so bright, so 
 
 healthy, and so natural withal that the book ought, as a matter of duty, 
 to be added to every girl’s library in the land.” — Boston Transcript. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or saut postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher A. L BURT, 52-58 Duane Street. New York. 
 
8 A, tfc BURT'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BOOKS FOR GIRLS, 
 
 Girl Neighbors ; or, The Old Fashion and the New. By 
 
 Sarah Tytler. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1,00, 
 
 “One of the most effective and quietly humorous of Miss Tytler’s stories. 
 3 Girl Neighbors’ is a pleasant comedy, not so much of errors as of preju- 
 dices got rid of, very healthy, very agreeable, and very well written.”— 
 Spectator,, 
 
 The Little Lame Prince and Eis Traveling Cloak. By 
 
 Miss Mulock. !2mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “No sweeter — that is the proper word — Christmas story for the little 
 folks could easily be found, and it is as delightful for older readers as 
 well. There is a moral to it which the reader can find out for himself. If 
 he chooses to think.’’ — Cleveland Herald. 
 
 Little Miss Joy. By Emma Marshall. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “A very pleasant and instructive story, told by a very charming writer 
 In such an attractive way as to w*i favor among its young readers. The 
 illustrations add to the beauty of the book.” — Utica HeraLd. 
 
 The House that Grew. A Girl’s Story. By Mrs. Moles- 
 
 worth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents, 
 
 “This is a very pretty story of English life. Mrs. Moleswortb is one 
 of the most popular and charming of English story-writers for children. 
 Her child characters are true to life, always natural and attractive, 
 and her stories are wholesome and interesting.”- — Indianapolis Journal. 
 
 The House of Surprises. By L. T. Meade. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 certs. 
 
 “A charming tale of charming children, who are naughty enough to be 
 interesting, and natural enough to be lovable; and very prettily their story 
 Is told. The quaintest yet most natural stories of child life. Simply 
 delightful.” — Vanity Fair. 
 
 The Jolly Ten: and their Year of Stories. By Agnes 
 
 Carr Sage. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 The story of a band of cousins who were accustomed to meet at the 
 “Pinery,” with “Aunt Roxy.” At her fireside they play merry games, 
 have suppers flavored with innocent fun, and listen to stories — each with 
 its lesson calculated to make the ten not less jolly, but quickly re- 
 sponsive to the calls of duty and to the needs of others. 
 
 Little Miss Dorothy. The Wonderful Adventures of 
 
 Two Little People. By Martha James. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75c. 
 “This is a charming little juvenile story from the pen of Mrs. James, 
 detailing the various adventures of a couple of young children. Their 
 many adventures are told in a charming maimer, and the book will 
 please young girls and boys.” — Montreal Star. 
 
 Pen’s Venture. A Story for Girls. By Elvirton 
 
 Wright. 12m o, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 Something Pen saw in the condition of the cash girls in a certain store 
 gave her a thought; the thought became a plan; the plan became a ven- 
 ture — Pen’s venture. It is amusing, touching, and instructive to read about 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, Duane Street, New York, 
 
Tl. L. BURP'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. $ 
 
 FAIRY BOOKS. 
 
 The Blue Fairy Book. Edited by Andrew Lang. Pro- 
 
 fusely illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 4 ‘The tales are simply delightful. No amount of description can de 
 them justice. The only way is to read the book through from cover t « 
 cover.” — Book Review? 
 
 The Green Fairy Book. Edited by Andrew Lang. 
 
 Profuseiy illustrated, l2zno, cloth, price $3.00. 
 
 “The most delightful book of fairy tales, taking form and contents to- 
 gether, ever presented to children.” — E. S. Hartland, in Folk- Lore, 
 
 The Yellow Fairy Book, Edited by Andrew Lang, 
 
 Profusely illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 “As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of al? ages* it raofcg 
 
 second to none.’ 1 — Daily Graphic. 
 
 The Bed Fairy Book, Edited by Andrew Lang. Pro- 
 
 fuselv illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price ftl.CO, 
 
 “A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk, who have 
 been fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery stories..”— 
 Literary World. 
 
 Celtic Fairy Tales. Edited by Joseph Jacobs, 32mo, 
 
 doth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “A stock of delightful little narratives gathered chiefly from the Celtic- 
 speaking peasants of Ireland. A perfectly lovely book. And oh! the 
 wonderful pictures inside. Get this book if you can; It is capital, all 
 through. ” — Pall Mall Budget,, 
 
 English Fairy Tales. Edited by Joseph Jacobs. 12mo. 
 
 cloth., illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The tales are simply delightful. No amount of description can da 
 them justice. The only way is to read the book through from covor Li 
 cover. The book is intended to correspond to ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales,* 
 and it must be allowed that its pages fairly rival in interest those o t 
 that well known repository of folk-lore.”— -Morning Herald. 
 
 Indian Fairy Tales. Edited by Joseph Jacobs. 12-mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “Mr. Jacobs brings home to us in a clear and intelligible manner the 
 enormous influence which ‘Indian Fairy Tales’ have had upon European 
 literature of the kind.. The present combination will be welcomed not 
 aloDe by the little ones for whom it is specially combined, but also by 
 children of larger growth and added years.” — Daily Telegraph, 
 
 Household Fairy Tales. By the Brothers Grimm.. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $2,00. 
 
 “As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages tbie 
 
 work ranks second to none.” — Daily Graphic, 
 
 Fairy Tales and Stories. By Hans Christian Ander- 
 
 sen. ISrno, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “If I were asked to select a child’s library 1 should name these three 
 volumes, ‘English,’ ‘Celtic,’ and ‘Indian Fairy Tales, 5 with Grimm and 
 Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales.” — Independent. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by thft 
 publisher, A L. BUST, 68-6$ Duane Street, Slew York- 
 
10 a. l. Burt’s books for young people. 
 
 FAIRY BOOKS. - — 
 
 Popular Fairy Tales. By the Brothers Grimm. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are delight* 
 
 f ul. * ’ — Athencsum. 
 
 Icelandic Fairy Tales. By A. W. Hall. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The most delightful book of fairy tales, taking form and contents to- 
 gether, ever presented tj children. The whole collection is dramatic and 
 humorous. A more desirable child’s book has not been seen for many a 
 day.” — -Daily News. 
 
 Fairy Tales From the Far North. (Norwegian.) By 
 
 P. C. Asbjornsen. 12m®, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “If we were asked what present would make a child happiest at Christ- 
 mastide we think we could with a clear conscience point to Mr. Jacobs' 1 
 book. It is a dainty and an interesting volume.” — Notes and Queries. 
 
 Cossack Fairy Tales. By R. Nisbet Bain. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “A really valuable and curious selection which will be welcomed by 
 readers of all ages. . . . The illustrations by Mr. Batten are often 
 clever and irresistibly humorous. A delight alike to the young people 
 and their elders.” — Globe. 
 
 The Golden Fairy Book. By Various Authors. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The most delightful book of its kind that has come in our way for 
 many a day. It is brimful of pretty stories. Retold in a truly deightful 
 manner. ’ ’ — Graphic. 
 
 The Silver Fairy Book. By Various Authors. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The book is intended to correspond to ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales,’ 5 and it 
 must be allowed that its pages fairly rival in interest those of the well- 
 known repository of folk-lore. It is a most delightful volume of fairy 
 tales.” — Courier. 
 
 The Brownies, and Other Stories. By Juliana Horatia 
 
 Ewing. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Like all the books she has written this one is very charming, and 
 is worth more in the hands of a child than a score of other stories of a 
 more sensational character.” — Christian at Work. 
 
 The Hunting of the Snark. An Agony in Eight Fits. 
 
 By Lewis Carroll, author of ‘‘Alice in Wonderland.” 12mo, cloth, illus- 
 trated, price 76 cents. 
 
 “This glorious piece of nonsense. . . . Everybody ought to read it 
 
 — nearly everybody will — and all who deserve the treat will scream with 
 laughter. ’ ’ — Graphic. 
 
 Lob Lie-By-the-fire, and Other Tales. By Juliana 
 
 Horatio Ewing. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Mrs. Ewing has written as good a story as her ‘Brownies,’ and that 
 is saying a great deal. ‘Lob Lie-by-the-fire’ has humor and pathos. and 
 teaches what is right without making children think they are reading a 
 sermon. * • — Saturday Review. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 58-68 Duane Street, New Ton. 
 
a. l. Burt’s books for young people. 11 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 By Right of Conquest; or, With Cortez in Mexico. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by W. S. Stacey. 12mo, cloth, 
 olivine edges, price $1.50. 
 
 “The conquest of Mexico by a small band of resolute men under the 
 magnificent leadership of Cortez is always rightfully ranked among the most 
 romantic and daring exploits in history. ‘By Right of Conquest’ is the 
 nearest approach to a perfectly successful historical tale that Mr. Henty 
 has yet published.”— Academy. 
 
 For Name and Fame; or, Through Afghan Passes. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, 
 olivine edges, price $1 .00. 
 
 “Not only a rousing story, replete with all the varied forms of excite- 
 ment of a campaign, but, what is still more useful, an account of a 
 territory and its inhabitants winch must for a long time possess a supreme 
 interest for Englishmen, as being the key to our Indian Empire.”— 
 Glasgow Herald. 
 
 The Bravest of the Brave; or. With Peterborough in 
 
 Spain. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by H. M. Paget. 12mc 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work — to 
 enforce the doctrine of courage and truth, mercy and loving ki ldness, 
 as indispensable to the making of a gentleman. Boys will rea ‘The 
 Bravest of the Brave’ with pleasure and profit; of that we are quite 
 
 sure.” — Daily Telegraph. 
 
 The Cat of Bubastes : A Story of Ancient Egypt. By 
 
 G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred cat 
 to the perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very skillfully 
 constructed and full of exciting adventures. It is admirably illustrated.” 
 — Saturday Review. 
 
 Bonnie Prince Charlie: A Tale of Fontenoy and Cul- 
 
 loden. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Bro^nk. 12mo, 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Ronald, the hero, is very like the hero of ‘Quentin Durward.’ The 
 lad’s journey across France, and his hairbreadth escapes, makes up as 
 good a narrative of the kind as we have ever read. For freshness of 
 treatment and variety of incident Mr. Henty has surpassed himself.”— 
 
 Spectator. 
 
 With Clive in India ; or, The Beginnings of an Empire. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, 
 olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “He has taken a period of Indian history of the most vital impor- 
 tance, and he has embroidered on the historical facts a story which of 
 itself is deeply interesting. Young people assuredly wiU be delighted 
 with the volume.” — Scotsman. 
 
 In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a West- 
 
 minster Boy. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by J. SchSnberg. 
 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy, may fairly be said to beat 
 Mr. Henty’s record. His adventures will delight boys by the audacity 
 and peril they depict. The story is one of Mr. Henty’s best.” — Saturday 
 Review. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publish er, A. L. BURT, 52-53 Duane Street, New York. 
 
12 A. L. BURT’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 The Lion of the North: A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus 
 
 and the Wars of Religion. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by John 
 Schonberg. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “A praiseworthy attempt to interest British youth in the great deeds 
 of the Scotch Brigade in the wars of Gustavus Adolphus. Mackey, Hep- 
 burn, and Munro live again in Mr. Henty ’s pages, as those deserve to 
 live whose disciplined bands formed really the germ of the modera 
 British army.” — Athenaeum. 
 
 The Dragon and the Raven; or. The Days of King 
 
 Alfred. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by C. J. Staniland. 12mo, 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 In this story the author gives an account of the fierce struggle be- 
 tween Saxon and Dane for supremacy in England, and presents a vivid 
 picture of the misery and ruin to which the country was reduced by the 
 ravages of the sea-wolves. The story is treated in a manner most at- 
 tractive to the boyish reader.” — Athensum. 
 
 The Young Carthaginian: A Story of the Times of 
 
 Hannibal. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by C. J. Staniland. 12mo t 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 ‘‘Well constructed and vividly told. From first to last nothing stayq 
 the interest of the narrative. It bears us along as on a stream whose 
 current varies in direction, but never loses its force.” — Saturday Review. 
 
 In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, 
 olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “It i3 written in the author’s best style. Full of the wildest and most 
 remarkable achievements, it is a tale of great interest, which a boy, once 
 he lias begun it, will not willingly put one side.” — The Schoolmaster. 
 
 With Wolfe in Canada; or, The Winning of a Con- 
 tinent. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 ‘‘A model of what a boys’ story-book should be. Mr. Henty has a 
 great power of infusing into the dead facts of history new life, and as 
 no pains are spared by him to ensure accuracy in historic details, his 
 books supply useful aids to study as well as amusement.” — School Guard- 
 ian. 
 
 True to the Old Flag: A Tale of the American War of 
 
 Independence. By G. A. Henty. "With illustrations by Gordon Browne, 
 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 ‘‘Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British soliders 
 during the unfortunate struggle against American emancipation. The son 
 of an American loyalist, who remains true to our flag, falls among the 
 hostile red-skins in that very Huron country which has been endeared 
 to us by the exploits of Hawkeye and Chingachgook.” — The Times. 
 
 A Final Reckoning: A Tale of Bush Life in Aus- 
 
 tralia. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by W. B. Wollen. 12mo, 
 cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “All boys will read this story with eager and unflagging interest. The 
 episodes are in Mr. Henty ’a very best vein — graphic, exciting, realistic; 
 and, as in all Mr* Henty ’s books, the tendency is to the formation of an 
 honorable, manly, and even heroic character.” — Birmingham Pest. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price ty the 
 publisher, A. I*. BURT, 52-53 Ruane Street, Hew Yor&. 
 
A. L. DUET’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 13 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 The Lion of St. Mark: A Tale of Venice in the Four- 
 
 teenth Century. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Every boy should read ‘The Lion of St. Mark.’ Mr. Henty has never 
 produced a story more delightful, more wholesome, or more vivacious.” — 
 Saturday Review. 
 
 Pacing Death: or, The Eero of the Vaughan Pit. A 
 
 Tale of the Coal Mines. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon 
 Browne. X2mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “The tale is well written and well illustrated, and there Is much 
 reality in the characters. If any father, clergyman, or schoolmaster 
 is cn the lookout for a good book to give as a present to a boy who is 
 worth his salt, this is the book we would recommend.” — Standard. 
 
 Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Alfred Pjzarse 12mo, cloth* 
 olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless 
 momenta in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they 
 succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New 
 Zealand valleys. It is brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting 
 conversation, and vivid pictures of colonial life.” — Schoolmaster. 
 
 One of the 28th: A Tale of Waterloo. By G. A. 
 
 Henty. With illustrations by W. H. Overend. 12mo, cloth, olivine 
 edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Written- with Homeric vigor and heroic inspiration. It is graphic, 
 picturesque, and dramatically effective . . . shows us Mr. Henty at 
 
 his best and brightest. The adventures will hold a boy enthralled as he 
 rushes through them with breathless interest ‘from cover to cover.’ ” — 
 Observer. 
 
 Orange and Green: A Tale of the Boyne and Limer- 
 
 ick. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, 
 cloth, olivine edges, price' $1.00. 
 
 “The narrative is free from the vice of prejudice, and ripples with 
 life as if what is being described were really passing before the eye.” — 
 Belfast News-Letter. 
 
 Through the Fray: A Story of the Luddite Riots. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations by H. M. Paget. 12mo, cloth, olivine 
 
 edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Mr. Henty inspires a love and admiration for straightforwardness, truth 
 and courage. This is one of the best of the many good books Mr. 
 Henty has produced, and deserves to be classed with his ‘Facing Death.’ ” 
 
 — Standard. 
 
 The Young Midshipman: A Story of the Bombard- 
 
 menfc of Alexandria. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges* 
 price $1.00. 
 
 A coast fishing lad, by an act of heroism, secures the interest of 
 a shipowner, who places him as an apprentice or. board one of his ships. 
 In company with two of his fellow-apprentices he is left behind, at 
 Alexandria, in the hands of the revolted Egyptian troops, and is present 
 through the bombardment and the scenes of riot and bloodshed which 
 accompanied it. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 
 
14 a. l. Burt’s books for young people. 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 In Times of Peril. A Tale of India. By 6. A. 
 
 Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 The hero of the story early excites our admiration, and is altogether 
 a fine character such as boys will delight in, whilst the story of the 
 campaign is very graphical ! 7 told.” — St. James’s Gazette. 
 
 The Cornet of Horse* A Tale of Marlborough's Wars. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1. 
 “Mr. Henty not only concocts a thrilling tale, he weaves fact and fiction 
 together with so skillful a hand that the reader cannot help acquiring a 
 just and clear view of that fierce and terrible struggle known as thq 
 Crimean War.’’ — Athenaeum. 
 
 The Young Franc-Tireurs: Their Adventures in the 
 
 Frauco-Prussian War. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth s 
 olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “A capital book for boys. It is bright and readable, and full of good 
 sense and manliness. It teaches pluck and patience in adversity, an<[ 
 shows that right living leads to success.’’ — Observer. 
 
 The Young Colonists: A Story of Life and War ta 
 
 South Africa. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine 
 edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “No boy needs to have any story of Henty ’s recommended to him, and 
 parents who do not know and buy them for their boys should be ashamed 
 of themselves. Those to whom he is yet unknown could not make % 
 better beginning than with this book. 
 
 The Young Buglers. A Tale of the Peninsular War. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1 
 “Mr. Henty is a giant among boys* writers, and his books are sufiflh 
 ciently popular to be sure of a welcome anywhere. In stirring interest^ 
 this is quite up to the level of Mr. Henty’s former historical tales.*’-*** 
 Saturday Review. 
 
 Sturdy and Strong; or, How George Andrews Made hia 
 
 Way. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edge©, 
 price $1.00. 
 
 “The history of a hero of everyday life, whose love of tr th, clothing of 
 modesty, and innate pluck, carry him, naturally, from poverty to afflu- 
 ence. George Andrews is an example of character with nothing to cavil 
 at, and stands as a good instance of chivalry in domestic life/’ — The 
 Empire. 
 
 Among Malay Pirates. A Story of Adventure and 
 
 Peril. By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, 
 price $1.00. 
 
 “Incident succeeds incident, and adventure is piled upon adventure, 
 and at the end the reader, be he boy or man, will have experienced 
 breathless enjoyment in a romantic story that must have taught him 
 much at its close.’’ — Army and Navy Gazette. 
 
 Jack Archer. A Tale of the Crimea. By G. A. 
 
 Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Mr. Henty not only concocts a thrilling tale, be weaves fact and fiction 
 together with so skillful a hand that the reader cannot help acquiring a 
 
 Jnst and clear view of that fierce and terrible struggle.*’ — Athenseum. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L, BURT, 58-58 Duane Street Wew York, 
 
A. L. BURT'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 15 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 Friends, Though Divided. A Tale of the Civil War. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1, 
 “It has a good plot; It abounds in action; the scenes are equally spirited 
 and realistic, and we can only say we have read it with much pleasure 
 from first to last.” — Times. 
 
 Out on the Pampas; or, The Young Settlers. By 
 
 G. A. Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 “A really noble story, which adult readers will find to the full as satis* 
 fying as the boys. Lucky boys I to have such a caterer as Mr. G. A< 
 Henty.” — Black and White. 
 
 The Boy Knight : A Tale of the Crusades. By G. A, 
 
 Henty. With illustrations. 12mo, cloth, olivine edges, price $1.00. 
 
 “Of stirring episode there is no lack. The book, with its careful accu- 
 racy and its descriptions of all the chief battles, will give many a school- 
 boy his first real understanding of a very important period of history.” — 
 St. James’s Gazette. 
 
 The Wreck of the Golden Fleece. The Story of a North 
 
 Sea Fisher Boy. By Robert Leighton. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1. 
 A description of life on the wild North Sea. — the hero being a parson’s 
 son who is appreciated on board a Lowestoft fishing lugger. The lad has 
 'o suffer many buffets from his shipmates, while the storms and dangers 
 "7hich he braved on board the “North Star” are set forth with minute 
 knowledge and intense power. The wreck of the “Golden Fleece” forms 
 the climax to a thrilling series of desperate mischances. 
 
 Olaf the Glorious. A Story of the Viking Age. By 
 
 Robert Leighton. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1 .00. 
 
 This story of Olaf the Glorious, King of Norway, opens with the incident 
 of his being found by his uncle living as a bond-slave in Esthonia; then 
 ^ome his adventures as a Viking and his raids upon the coasts of Scot- 
 land and England, his victorious battle against the English at Maldon i» 
 Essex, his being bought off by Ethelred the Unready, and his conversion 
 co Christianity. He then returns' to Pagan Norway, is accepted as king* 
 and converts his people to the Christian faith. 
 
 To Greenland and the Pole. A story of Adventure in 
 
 the Arctic Regions. By Gordon Stables. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1 
 The unfailing fascination of Arctic venturing is presented in this sjory 
 with new vividness. It deals with skilobning in the north of Scotland, 
 deer-hunting in Norway, sealing in the Arctic Seas, bear-stalking on the 
 ice-floes, the hardships of a journey across Greenland, and a successful 
 voyage to the back of the North Pole. This is, indeed, a real sea-yarn 
 by a real sailor, and the tone is as bright and wholesome as the adventure! 
 are numerous. 
 
 Yussuf the Guide. A Story of Adventure in Asia 
 
 Minor. By George Manyille Fenn. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00, 
 This story deals with the stirring incidents in the career of a lad who has 
 been almost given over by the doctors, but whc rapidly recovers health 
 and strength In a Journey through Asia Minor. The adventures are many, 
 and culminate in the travellers being snowed up for the winter in the 
 mountains, from which they escape while their captors are waiting for 
 the ransom that does not come. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by ttoe 
 publisher A L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New Yonc. 
 
16 A. L. BURT'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 (Brettir the Outlaw, A Story of Iceland, By S. Bab- 
 
 ING-Qoulu 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price Si. 00. 
 
 4 ‘This is the boys’ book .of the year. That is, of course, as much as 
 ,&© say that it will do for men grown as well as juniors. It is told in 
 /Simple, straightforward English, os all stories should be, and it has a 
 (Ereshneos and freedom which make it irresistible.” — National Observer. 
 
 3,’wo Thousand Years Ago. The Adventures of a 
 
 Homan Boy. By A. J. Church. l:!mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 ‘'‘Prof. Church has in this story sought to revivify that most interesting 
 period, the last days of the Roman Republic. The book is extremely en- 
 ter taining as well as useful; there is a wonderful freshness in the RomaE 
 Beenes and characters.” — Times, 
 
 Hat the Hatnralist. A Boy’s Adventure in the East* 
 
 era Seas, By George Manville Fenn. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1,. 
 Nat and his uncle Dick go on a voyage to the Remoter islands of the 
 Eastern sgas, and their adventures are told in a truthful and vastly in- 
 teresting fashion. The descriptions of Mr. Ebony, their black comrade, 
 and of the scenes of savage life, are full of genuine humor. 
 
 The Leg of the Flying Fish. A Story of Peril and 
 
 Adventure. By Harry Oollingwoob, 12mo, cloth, illustrated., price $1. 
 “This story is full of even more vividly recounted adventures than those 
 Which charmed so many boy readers in ‘Pirate Island’ and ‘Congo Rovers. 11 
 * . . There is a thrilling adventure on the precipices of Mount Everest, 
 
 when the .ship floats off and providentially returns by force of ‘gravita- 
 tion.’ ’’—Academy, 
 
 Tire Congo Hovers. A Story of the Slave Squadron. 
 
 By Harry Coli.ingwood. 12mo, cloth,, illustrated, price $! 00. 
 
 “The scene of this tale is laid on the west coast of Africa, and in the 
 lower reaches of the Congo; the characteristic scenery of the great river 
 being delineated with wonderful accuracy. Mr, Colling wood carries us off 
 for another cruise at sea, in ‘The Congo Rovers,’ and boys will need no 
 pressing to join the daring crew, which seeks adventures and meets with 
 any number of them.” — The. Times. 
 
 Boris the Bear Hunter. A Tale of Peter the Great and 
 
 His Times By Fred Wishaw. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “This is a capital story. The characters are marked and lifelike, and it 
 te full of incident and adventure.” — Standard. 
 
 jSCiehael Strogoff ; or, The Courier of the Czar. By 
 
 Jules Verne. l2mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “The story is full of originality and vigor. The characters are lifelike f 
 ihere is plenty of stirring incident, the interest is sustained throughout, 
 and every boy will enjoy following the fortunes of the hero.” — Journal o i 
 Education, 
 
 Mother Carey’s Chicken. Her Voyage to the Unknown 
 
 I$Ie, By George Manville Fenn. I2rr.6, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 “Undoubtedly one of the best Mr. Fenn has written. The incidents are 
 of thrilling interest, while the characters are drawn with a care and com- 
 pleteness rarely found in a boy’s book. ’’---Literary World. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by th* 
 
 publisher, A. BURT, 62-5B Duane Street, ®New York 
 
A. L. burt’s books for young people. 17 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 Dick Sand; or, A Captain at Fifteen. By Jules 
 
 Verne. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 "Jules Verne himself never constructed a more marvellous tale. It con- 
 tains the strongly marked features that are always conspicuous in hia 
 stories — a racy humor, the manly vigor of his sentiment, and wholesome 
 moral lessons.” — Christian Leader, 
 
 Erling Idle Bold. A Tale of the Norse Sea Kings. 
 
 By R. M. Ballantyne. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 "This volume makes a really fascinating book, worthy of its telling 
 title. There is, we venture to say, not a dull chapter in the book, not 
 a page which will not bear a second reading.” — Guardian. 
 
 Hasterman Ready; or, The Wreck of the Pacific. By 
 
 Captain Marryat. 12tno, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “As racy a tale of life at sea and adventure as we have met with for 
 some time. . . . Altogether the sort of book that boys will, revel in.” 
 
 — Athenaeum. 
 
 The Green Mountain Boys. A Tale of the Early Set- 
 
 tlement o? Vermont. By D. P. Thompson. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1. 
 A story of very great interest for boys. In his own forcible style the 
 author has endeavored to show that determination and patriotic enthu- 
 siasm can accomplish marvellous results. This story gives a graphic ac- 
 count of the early settlers of Vermont, and their patriotic efforts in de- 
 fending their homes from the invasions of enemies. 
 
 Every Inch a Sailor. By Gordon Stables. 12 mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “A story which is quite as good in its way as ‘Treasure Island,* and is 
 full of adventure of a stirring yet most natural kind. Although it is 
 primarily a boys’ book, it is a real godsend to the elderly reader.” — 
 Evening Times. 
 
 The Golden Galleon. A Narrative of Adventure on 
 
 Her Majesty's Ship the Revenge. By Robert Leighton, 12mo, cloth, 
 illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “This story should add considerably to Mr. Leighton’s high reputation. 
 Excellent in every respect, it contains every variety of incident. The plot 
 is very cleverly devised, and the types of the North Sea sailors are 
 capital.” — The Times. 
 
 The Gorilla Hunters. A Tale of the Wilds of Africa. 
 
 By R. M. Ballantyne. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “We conscientiously belive that boys will find it capital reading. It is 
 full of incident and mystery, and the mystery is kept up to the last 
 moment. It is full of stirring adventure, daring and many escapes; and 
 it has a historical interest.” — Times. 
 
 Gascoyne the Sandalwood Trader. By B. M. Bal- 
 
 lantyne. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “One of the best stories of seafaring life and adventure which have 
 appeared this season. Entertaining in the highest degree from beginning 
 to end, and full of adventure which is ull the livelier for its close con- 
 nection with history.” — Spectator. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher. A, L. BURT, 62-58 Duane Street, New York. 
 
18 A. L. burt's books for young people. 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 Two Years Before the Mast. A Personal Narrative of 
 
 Life at Sea. By R. H. Dana, Jr. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 “One of the very best books for boys that we have seen for a long time: 
 its author stands far in advance of any other writer for boys as a teller 
 of stories of the sea.” — The Standard. 
 
 The Young Rajah. A Story of Indian Life. By W. 
 
 H. G. Kingston. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1-00. 
 
 “This story will place the author at once in the front rank. It is full 
 of life and adventure, and the interest is sustained without a break from 
 first to last.” — Standard. 
 
 How Jack Mackenzie Won His Epaulettes. A Story 
 
 of the Crimean War. By Gordon Stables. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, 
 price $1.00. 
 
 “This must rank among the few undeniably good boys’ books. He 
 will be a very dull boy indeed who lays it down without wishing that 
 it had gone on for at least 100 pages more.” — Mail. 
 
 The King’s Pardon. A Story of Land and Sea. By 
 
 Robert Overton. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 
 “An excellent story, the interest being sustained from first to last. 
 This is, both in its intention and the way the story is told, one of the 
 best books of its kind which has come before us this year.” — Saturday; 
 Review. 
 
 Under the Lone Star. A Story of the Revolution in 
 
 Nicaragua. By Herbert Haynes. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. 
 “We have not of late come across a historical fiction, whether intended 
 for boys or for men, which deserves to be so heartily and unreservedly 
 praised as regards plot, incidents, and spirit as this book. It is its au- 
 thor’s masterpiece as yet.” — Spectator. 
 
 Geoff and Jim: A Story of School Life. By Ismay 
 
 Thorn. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This is a prettily told story of the life spent by two motherless bairns 
 at a small preparatory school. Both Geoff and Jim are very lovable char- 
 acters, only Jim is the more so; and the scrapes he gets into and the 
 trials he endures will, no doubt, interest a large circle of young readers.” 
 ■ — Church Times. 
 
 Jack: A Topsy Turvy Story. By C. M. Crawley- 
 
 Boevey. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The illustrations deserve particular mention, as they add largely te 
 the interest of this amusing volume for children. Jack falls asleep with 
 his mind full of the subject of the fishpond, and is very much surprised 
 presently to find himself an inhabitant of Waterworld, where he goes 
 through wonderful and edifying adventures. A handsome and pleasant 
 book.” — Literary World. 
 
 Black Beauty. The Autobiography of a Horse. By 
 
 Anna Sewell. !2mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 This is the life story of a horse; how he was ill treated and weU 
 cared for. The experiences of Black Beauty, Ginger, and Merrylegs are 
 extremely interesting. Wherever children are, whether boys or girls, there 
 this Autobiography should be. It inculcates habits of kindness to all mem- 
 bers of the animal creation. The literary merit of the book is excellent. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York, 
 
A. l. Burt’s books for young people. 19 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 Mopsa the Fairy. By Jean Ingelow. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Mrs. Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living writers 
 for children, and ‘Mopsa’ alone ought to give her a kind of pre-emptive 
 right to the love and gratitude of our young folks. It requires genius 
 to conceive a purely imaginary work which must of necessity deal with 
 the supernatural, without running into a mere riot of fantastic absurdity; 
 but genius Mrs. Ingelow has, and the story of ‘Jack’ is as careless and 
 joyous, but as delicate as a picture of childhood.’’ — Eclectic. 
 
 Carrots: Just a Little Boy. By Mrs. Molesworth. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our good 
 fortune to meet with for some time. Carrots and his sister are delight- 
 ful little beings, whom to read about is at once to become very fond of. 
 A genuine children’s book; we’ve seen ’em seize it, and read it greedily. 
 Children are first-rate critics, and thoroughly appreciate Walter Crane's 
 illustrations. ’ ’ — Punoh. 
 
 Larry’s Luck. By the author of “Miss Toosey’s Mis- 
 
 sion.” 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “It is believed that this story, by this favorably known author of 
 ‘Miss Toosey’s Mission,’ will be found both highly interesting and instruc- 
 tive to the young. Whether the readers are nine years old, or twice as 
 old, they must enjoy this pretty volume.” — The Examiner. 
 
 A Child’s Christmas: A Sketch of Boy Life. By Mrs. 
 
 Molesworth. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This is another of those delightful juvenile stories of which this author 
 has written so many. It is a fascinating little book, with a charming 
 plot, a sweet, pure atmosphere, and teaches a wholesome moral in the 
 most winning manner.” — Gazette. 
 
 Chunk, Fusky and Snout. A Story of Wild Pigs for 
 
 Little People. By Gerald Young. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 “The story is an extremely interesting one, full of incident, told in a 
 quiet, healthful way, and with a great deal of pleasantly interfused 
 information about wild pigs and their ways. It is sure to interest both 
 boys and girls.” — Christian Union. 
 
 Daddy’s Boy. By L. T. Meade. 12mo, cloth, illus- 
 
 / trated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “A charming story of child life. Little Sir Rowland is one of the 
 t most fascinating of the misunderstood child heroes of the day. The quaint 
 doings and imaginings of this gentle, lovable, but highly original child are 
 Introduced by Mrs. Meade, with all her accustomed pathos.” — Guardian. 
 
 Adventures of Prince Prigio. By Andrew Lang. 
 
 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This book has so much charm of style and good writing that it will be 
 eagerly read by many other than the young folk for whom it is intended.” 
 —Black and White. 
 
 A Flock of Four. A Story for Boys and Oirls. By 
 
 Ismay Thorn. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “As a gift book for boys it is among the best new books of the kind. 
 The story is interesting and natural, from first to last.” — Gazette. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L. BURT, 52*58 Duane Street, Hew York. 
 
20 A. L. BURT’S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
 
 A Flat Iron for a Farthing. The Story of an Only 
 
 Son. By Juliana Horatia Ewing. 12mo. cloth, illustrated, price 7,5 cents. 
 “A very good book it is, full of adventure, graphically told. The style 
 Is just what it should be; simple but not bold, full of pleasant humor, 
 :in(l with some pretty touches of feeling. Like all Mrs. Ewing’s tales, 
 it is sound, sensible, and wholesome.” — Times. 
 
 Ike Greek Heroes. Fairy Tales for My Children. By 
 
 Charles Kingsley, l&cno, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents, 
 
 ‘‘We do not think these heroic stories have ever been more attractively 
 told. . . There is a deep under-current of religious feeling traceable 
 
 throughout its pages which is sure to influence young' readers power- 
 fully. One of the children’s books that will surely become a classic.”— 
 London Review. 
 
 Jackanapes. By Juliana Horatia Ewing. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “This is one of Mrs. Ewing’s charming little stories for young children. 
 The narrative ... is full of interest for its real grace and delicacy, 
 and the exquisitoness and purity of the English in which it is written.”— 
 Boston Advertiser. 
 
 Princess and Cardie. By George Macdonald. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our good 
 fortune to meet with for some time. The Princess and Curdie are delight- 
 ful little beings, whom to read about is at once to become very fond of.” 
 ■ — Examiner. 
 
 Peter the Pilgrim. The Story of a Boy and His Pet 
 
 Rabbit. By L. T. Meade. ISino, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “Little Peter, with bis soft heart, clever head, and brave spirit is no 
 morbid presentment of the angelic child ‘too good to live,’ and who is 
 certainly a nuisance on earth, but a charming creature, if not a por- 
 trait, whom it is a privilege to meet even in fiction.” — The. Academy. 
 
 We and the World. A Story for Boys, By Juliana 
 
 Horatia Ewing 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “The author has evidently studied the ways and tastes of children ami 
 got at the secret of amusing them; and has succeeded in what is not 
 so easy a task as it may seem — in producing a really good children’s 
 book.” — Daily Telegraph. 
 
 Little Ivan’s Hero. A Story of Child Life. By 
 
 Helen Milman. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. 
 
 “We should imagine those queer folk indeed who could not read this 
 story with eager interest and pleasure, be they boys or girls, young or 
 old. We highly commend the style in which the book is written, and the 
 spirit which pervades it.” — World. 
 
 Dick, Marjorie and Pidge. The Wonderful Adventures 
 
 of Three Little People. By G. E. Farrow. 12mo, cloth, illust'd, price 75c. 
 “ . . , To the young, for whom it is especially intended, this is a 
 
 most interesting book of adventures, well told, and a pleasant book to 
 take up when their wish is to while away a weary half-hour. We have 
 seen no prettier gift-book for a long time.” — Aihertavjin. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the 
 publisher, A. L . BURT, 62-58 Duane Street, New York;, 
 
*