Part 16 (1/2)

It had been on the tip of her tongue to exclaim,--

”Why, if you think your lessons are hard, in a class like yours, what do you suppose irls;” but she only said,--

”I spose the first day everything seeet used to the teachers and the lessons, they won't see, and Ruby exclairy It just see to eat for a year Let's hurry and go down before the rest, Maude”

But everybody else was hungry, too, so Ruby and Maude were by no irls that hurried into the dining-room

CHAPTER XVII

LEARNING

I suppose you can hardly fancy a school where little girls were not allowed to wear their hair as they liked; where they had to courtesy to teachers when they left the roo, had to eat whatever was given to them at the table I think that such a school would seeirls could be found ould be willing to go to it, and even in those days there were very few like it

The dear old Quaker lady, Miss Chapirls to do just as she herself had been taught to do when she were a little girl; so you can easily iine that her as not quite the ways of other teachers And yet, since her scholars were as healthy, happy, rosy-cheeked little girls as you could find anywhere, I do not know that any one could coood ways

They seee to new scholars sometimes, if they had attended other schools where the rules were not so strict; but they very soon grew used to them, and then they did not mind them at all, and were very happy

If Maude had not been sitting by her friend, Mrs Boardreat fuss at dinner-ti the piece of sweet potato which had been served to her

She did not like sweet potato, and she liked the idea of having to eat it, whether she wanted it or not, still less, and the clouds began to gather on her face She glanced about the table, and saw that Ruby was having a hard ti to eat a dish which she did not like, and that soirls did not look very happy when they heard the rule

Mrs Board words to Maude, and the little girl reflected that as long as she had really tried to be good about soood about this rule, too, and so sheanything about not liking it After the girls had eaten the portion which was put upon their plates the first time, they were at liberty to decline any more for that meal; so you may be sure that Maude did not take any et to tell you about a boy I heard about who had to eat so to make his whole dinner upon it,” whispered Mrs Boardine how it happened, and you can think about it while you are eating your potato See, it is only a little piece, and it will soon be gone If I were in your place, I would eat it all up first, and then you will enjoy the rest of your dinner more when you do not have it to think about”

Ruby did not so verythat she had to eat at dinner; but two -plant for breakfast, and for some weeks Ruby would think about it all the day before, and talk about it the day after, until Aunt Eplant for every ht and talked so much about it

”But I do hate it so,” Ruby would say ”I don't see the use in having to eat what one does n't like I just can't bear it, Aunt Emma”

”But you will learn to like it after a while,” Aunt Eht to learn to like everything that is put before them, and she tries to have a pleasant variety, and not have anything that the girls will dislike You will see howplant in two or three weeks”

”And it just seeest piece of all,” Ruby said in despair ”Thisyou had a little teenty piece and e”

”That was so you would have twice asto like it, I suppose,” Aunt Emma said with a smile

After dinner was over there was a half-hour for play and then the school-bell rang, and the girls went back into the school-room Some of them took music lessons, and they went one at a time to take a lesson in the parlor froreat delight She had been sure that it would be very easy, and she was quite disappointed when she found how much she would have to learn before she could play as her aunt did

When school was over for the afternoon, at four o'clock, Ruby breathed a long sigh of relief The day had seeh it had been very pleasant, and it seemed as if it could not be possible that only yesterday at this time she had been on her way to school

”What do we do next?” asked Ruby of one of her schoolo out together for a walk,” answered the little girl ”Will you ith me to-day? I will coht,” Ruby answered, and she ran upstairs to her own room, to put on her hat and jacket