Bessie at school

by Joanna H. Mathews

"Now, little Belle," said Miss Ashton, "will you go to your seat?"

Belle clung to her teacher, and whispered something in her ear.

"Belle wishes very much to sit by Bessie Bradford," said Miss Ashton. "How shall we fix it? Will Bessie change her seat, or will Maggie or Gracie give up hers? It is only for to-day; to-morrow Belle will feel more at home, and that you are all her friends."

Maggie had not yet recovered from the effect of the black eyes, although they were now shut from view; and she tightened her hold of Bessie's hand, feeling that she could scarcely bear to be separated from her just now.

Gracie did not want to give up her seat either, for she liked to sit by Bessie; but while she hesitated, and Miss Ashton waited, she remembered when they were at Quam Beach summer before last, and went to Sunday-school in the barn, Maggie had gone to sit by Mamie Stone, a girl whom no other child would have near her, and with whom Maggie had just had a quarrel. And she thought if she would do so much for a quarrelsome child, who had been unkind to her and her sister, might not she give up her seat to this little, sad, motherless one, who already looked on the dear Bessie as her friend? She had called her "Sulky Sue," too!

Maggie would have been very much astonished if she had been told that the small act of self-denial and forgiveness which she had long since forgotten was bearing fruit now; but so it was, and, jumping up, Gracie said, "Belle may have my seat by Bessie to-day and to-morrow too, Miss Ashton."

Gracie felt quite repaid when she saw Belle's grateful smile, and the comfort she seemed to take in being close by Bessie.

Miss Ashton said they would have no regular lessons for that day, as she must first find out how much each one knew, and then arrange their studies; and she told Bessie she thought she had misunderstood her mamma's meaning. She did not wish her to be a lazy girl; she wanted her to be industrious, and try to do well whatever was given her to do; but she had feared Bessie would not be satisfied if she were not allowed to go on as fast as Maggie and some of the others; and that she did not think would be wise. When she went home, she must ask her mamma if it were not so.

Then she questioned them all in the multiplication and addition tables, and in geography, made them spell words of different lengths, and heard each child read aloud; after which she said she should divide her class into two—Bessie, Belle, and Carrie Ransom in one; and the rest, she thought, could keep on together. Then she set their lessons for the next day, and afterwards read them an interesting story of a good and wise young prince, who had lived many, many years ago. This was Miss Ashton's way of teaching history; she would read or tell them of some good or great person on one day, and the next she would question them about her story, and see how much they remembered.

In fact, she made all their studies interesting; she had such a pleasant, easy way of teaching. For instance, she would say, "Belle, how many are three and three?"