"No, dear," answered Miss Ashton, "you have had enough study for to-day."
"But composition is not study," said Bessie fretfully; "and I want to do it, if Maggie does. I think I might;" and Bessie's lips looked rather pouty.
"Bessie," said her teacher, "what was the bargain you and I made with your mamma?"
The child's face cleared instantly, and in her own demure little way she said, "Oh, I did forget, Miss Ashton! Thank you for putting me in mind. I'm 'fraid you're disappointed in me to do a thing like that."
"No," said Miss Ashton, smiling; "I do not expect any of my little scholars to be perfect; and I am satisfied if, when they feel wrong and are told of it, they try at once to correct the naughty feeling. But now we four must keep quiet, and not disturb the others while they are writing. Bring your slates here, and we will have a drawing-lesson."
The three little girls soon gathered about her, and, lifting Bessie upon her lap, she made Belle and Carrie stand on either side, and told them they were all to try who could draw the best cow. She would try herself.
In a few moments, the three children had finished; Miss Ashton had done first, and the four slates were compared. There could be no doubt that Miss Ashton's cow was decidedly the best. That they had expected, but each child had hoped her own might be the next best. Carrie was not disappointed, her cow was pretty fair; but those drawn by Belle and Bessie were very extraordinary-looking animals—Bessie's especially. In fact, it looked like nothing so little as a cow, and might rather have been taken for a table with four crooked legs going down, and three still more crooked sprawling in the air. The first four were supposed to be the legs of the creature; the last three her horns and tail.
"Oh, what a cow!" said Carrie; "she hasn't even a head."
Bessie hastily drew a round O for a head, which did not improve the cow, but made her look funnier than ever; and Carrie, saying, "What a looking thing!" went off into a fit of laughter.
Bessie flushed up angrily, stretched out her hand towards Carrie's slate, and in another moment the drawing would have been wiped from it, when, before Miss Ashton could speak, she drew the hand back, and said in a gentle but grieved voice, "I did it as good as I knew how."