"And now," the Principal was saying, "as all except the new girls know, it is my custom at the beginning of each school year to present to you a little thought of some kind that may help you in your school life. At the end of the year I generally refer to it again to see if it really has been of any help to us.
"I suppose it is the aim and endeavour of everyone to get as much as possible out of life, and you are all, I am sure, trying to get all you can out of your school life.
"It is right that we should have ambitions. Many girls, I know, are working to win scholastic honours, to do well in the public and school exams or to take home better reports at the end of term; others perhaps are trying to distinguish themselves in one particular subject, their music or in some other branch of art; girls who are already in school teams are anxious to win honour for themselves on the playing fields, and those who have not a place as yet are keen to obtain one; girls who cannot yet swim unaided have perhaps made up their minds to be more successful in the baths this coming season.
"I am always pleased to see such ambitions. But this year I want you not only to think of how much you can get out of school life, but also of how much you can put in—how much of kindliness, consideration for others, service, even small personal sacrifices, to give some instances of what I mean. You girls, living together in what we call a 'community life,' have so many opportunities of 'putting in' as well as 'getting out,' of making our school life here happier and brighter and jollier for us all. I am not going to say any more on that subject, but don't forget the thought I want to give you for this year."
Miss Julian said little more, for, being a woman of wisdom and experience, she was content to press home what she wanted to say and then to leave off before seeing the first fidgety movements that told of weariness or boredom on the part of her youthful audience. The assembly came to a close with a hymn and a brief prayer, and the girls were then dismissed with the injunction that the rest of the evening till supper bell was their own to pass as they wished, but that classes would begin at nine o'clock the next morning as usual.
CHAPTER II
ENTER THE BLACK SHEEP
One afternoon a week later the Fifth commandeered the common room for a special meeting to arrange an impromptu cricket match for the next Wednesday afternoon, the weather being so unusually hot that it was impossible to start winter games in real earnest. They were about to begin the meeting, when an excited exclamation from a girl sitting curled up in a corner of the big settee attracted everyone's attention.
"Oh, I say, girls, just listen to this!" She held up the letter which she had been reading while waiting for the meeting to start.
"Letters already, Glenda?" remarked Ida Preston. "Why, we've only been back a week. Not from home, surely?"