Bella looked over very attentively, while her mother was explaining these things to Mary Bell, and then said that she would rather draw a house than make letters.
"No," said her mother, "you must make letters."
"But it is harder to make letters than it is to make a house," said Bella.
"Yes," said her mother, "I think it is."
"And I think," said Bella, "that the littlest scholar ought to have the easiest things to do."
Mary Erskine laughed, and said that in schools, those things were not done that seemed best to the scholars, but those that seemed best to the teachers.
"Then," said Mary Bell, "why must not you write marks."
Mary Erskine laughed still more at this, and said she acknowledged that the children had got her penned up in a corner.
"Now," said Mary Erskine, "are you ready to begin; because when you once begin, you must not speak a word till the half hour is out."
"Yes," said the children, "we are ready."