Winnie was having a confused dream of a little dwarf, armed with a long column of figures, which he waved threateningly in the air; but as she advanced to seize them, thinking to use them for her lessons during the day, the dwarf commenced to grow, and, as she stood amazed and horror-struck, he attained the height of ten feet or so, and was still growing when she heard the tinkling of a bell, and a voice said: "Wizard, avaunt!" At this the giant disappeared, and the whole column of figures fell on the floor in a confused heap. She stooped to pick them up, when the bell rang again, this time louder, and she grasped—her brother Ralph, who was ringing the breakfast bell violently in her ears.
A little vexed, she was going to send him away and turn over for another nap, when suddenly she remembered her good resolutions of the evening before, and, to Ralph's surprise, sprang up at once.
Having dressed herself, she turned the bedclothes back to air, and, with the exception of making her bed, which was done by Norah later in the day, put everything in her dainty pink room in nice order. Then she sat down to select her verse, it being the custom of the family for each to recite some passage from the Bible, about which they afterward had a little talk. She chose part of the second verse of the sixth chapter of 2d Corinthians: "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."
When the bell rang for the family to gather, Winnie was ready to go down at once, without hurry or confusion, or being haunted by the thought that she was but half dressed. If she received no other reward, her mother's approving smile as her daughter entered, made her feel quite happy.
Mr. Burton and Jack were not yet down, but came in almost directly. Her father read for that morning a part of the 107th Psalm, that most beautiful psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Then they all recited their verses. The mother had chosen hers from the chapter just read: "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Jack had chosen: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Ralph said, "Suffer little children," which was his great standby. Mr. Burton had a few words to say about all of them, but about Winnie's in particular; he spoke about its spiritual and religions meaning, and went on to say that it could be applied to all the affairs of life. He spoke of the folly as well as the sin of procrastination, that great destroyer of so many good deeds, which become utterly useless if done too late. He said that duties are like bricks used in building a house; if the foundation stones were left out, it would be impossible to make any use of those remaining. After the talk was finished, the family gathered around the piano, and sang a morning hymn.
Winnie was in very good spirits that morning; an approving conscience is a great help to cheerfulness and good temper. She cut Ralph's steak for him, and pleased him very much by begging for one of his dollars, as she called the tiny cakes which Norah fried for her pet. She amused the others, also, by giving, in the phraseology of a school-girl of to-day, a graphic account of the way she imagined the redoubtable Captain Molly acted at the Battle of Monmouth.
Everything seemed to go well with her, and at half past eight she had her books in her arms, ready to take a leisurely stroll to school, although the unfinished problems still troubled her.
When she entered her room, three or four of the girls rushed up to her with: "Come on into the dressing-room, Win; we're going to have a meeting of the B. S. S."
"Oh, I can't, girls!" said Winnie, it must be confessed very faintly, "I've two more problems to work, and I'll just have time to do them before the bell rings, and during the first study bell."
"Oh, bother the problems!" said Miriam Douglass, striking an attitude. "Let them go! What are problems, compared with the important business of the B. S. S.?"