If friend, extend your hand to me;
If not, we’re foes: so let it be.”
Carrie was much amused and quite pleased by Florence’s rhymes. All her momentary displeasure had passed away, and she stealthily put her hand into that of her neighbour, who pressed it warmly. At recess, Florence invited the cousins to go with some of the girls to play,—a proposition which they received with alacrity, and both entered into the game with great spirit. This lively play did more to make them feel acquainted with the other scholars than any thing else could have done, and it dissipated entirely the slight feeling of home-sickness which was beginning to creep over them.
At the study-hour, the four room-mates learned their lessons together, and then arranged and re-arranged their respective uses of their apartment. They consulted together about the best division of book-shelves, bureaus, and the most convenient places for their trunks; and during the whole evening Florence was so accommodating, so pleasant and so lively that Carrie quite forgot her morning’s regrets that she was her room-mate.
CHAPTER III.
OLD FRIENDS AND NEW.
Several days passed, and nothing occurred to mar the harmony of the occupants of No. 40.
Carrie, Susan and Sallie were one evening studying their Arithmetic together. The lesson was in Miscellaneous Questions, and they found it uncommonly hard. One problem in particular troubled them all exceedingly. At last Susan turned to Florence, who was reading a book which one of the girls had loaned her.
“Flora,” said she, “I wish you would be so kind as to show us how to do this twenty-seventh sum.”
Florence looked up pleasantly.