Here she blushed furiously.
"That's good," said the teacher. "What else?"
"Me an' Marthy wanted ter learn ter sing like you do, schoolma'am."
"Now, Martha, it is your turn," said the teacher with an encouraging smile.
Martha was a great, brawny specimen of humankind. "My name's Miss Lieben," she said.
"Lieben! Lieben! That's a good name. It means love." The cowlass blushed and snickered. "And Martha's a good name too. There was once a very careful housekeeper named Martha."
"Oh, I ain't no housekeeper," responded the girl, "but I want ter be. I want ter learn readin' an' writin', an' cookin', too."
"Cooking! Well! Next?" said Esther, looking into the face of the next girl.
"My name's Mary Burns."
Mary had a more modest way. "I hardly know what I dae want. I think ye could plan for us better nor we could plan for oursels. An' we'd a' be gratefu'."