So Lucy’s father took out several pieces of money from his purse, and let Lucy look them over, telling her that she might take whichever she chose. Then he entered the value of this piece of money in Lucy’s account-book, on the page opposite to the one where the allowance was entered. The account in this book was continued a long time. On one page Lucy’s father entered her allowance from time to time, whenever Lucy came to him and wanted her accounts made up; and on the other side he entered such things as she purchased; and this was the way in which Lucy got her first regular ideas of money and accounts.
CHAPTER VI.
MARY JAY.
Besides Lucy’s studies at home, she went to school, where she had other studies to attend to. The school was a small one, including the children of only one or two families, and was kept in a room which opened into a large and beautiful garden, as is more fully described in the book called Lucy’s Stories. To go to this school, the children went through a gate on the street, and then, passing through a green alley, they went around a corner, with trees, flowers, and shrubbery on each side, to the garden, and there, up stairs, was the school-room. There were not many children there. But, besides the teacher, there was a girl about fifteen, whom the children generally called Mary Jay. She could not walk very well, for she was very lame; but her countenance had a very mild and beautiful expression, and she was always very kind to the children. She used to read them stories out of a great book of stories, which she had written, and which she called the Morocco Book.
The reason why Mary Jay went to the school, was because she wanted to learn to be a teacher herself; and all the children thought that she would make a very excellent teacher. For she often heard the scholars recite their lessons, and explained their difficulties; and the children liked to go to her very much. She was very gentle and kind, and yet she always made them obey. In fact, they liked to obey. One day, when they were going home from school, Lucy said to her,—
“When are you going to have a school of your own, Mary Jay?”
“Why?” said Mary Jay; “why do you wish to know?”
“Because,” said Lucy, “I mean to come and be one of your scholars.”
“Well,” said Mary Jay, “the school which we go to now, isn’t going to be kept but two or three weeks longer, and then you may come to the house where I live, and be my scholar.”
“I don’t know where the house is that you live in,” said Lucy.